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REGULARS:
Welcome - What the Editor has to say about this month's issue as we look at the short lived Anglo-Egyptian War, which cumulated with the Battle of Tel-EI-Kebir, and the latest pandemic news.
News - What's happening in the world of miIitaria museums, exhibitions, collections and events. This month we're reporting on the final stage of Lockdown, importing firearms D-Day landing craft and HMS Belfast.
Under the hammer - Let's have a look at what's gone under the hammer in auction rooms, with badges and special forces at Bosleys; seafarin: militaria at Halls; a Victoria Cross at DNW; WWI love letters at Elstob & Elstrob; a WWI PoW camp archive at Tennants; and classic firearms at Thomas Del Mar.
Militaria for sale - Lenny Warren takes a trip around the internet in search of rare, interesting and desirable collectables.
EVENTS:
In the sale rooms - Discover what's coming up for auction at Durrants with daggers, swords and pistols, and Rock Island Auctions with all manner of firearms.
FEATURES:
Displaying your collection - In the second of the two part series, Edward Hallett looks at the different mounts, cabinets and cases that are available to militaria collectors to display their collection.
Third Reich - political daggers - The latest in the series about edged weapons of the Third Reich covers political daggers of the various National Socialist organisations, including the Hitler Youth.
The Anglo-Egyptian War - Trouble in the desert as Egypt sought to thwart Britains colonial ambittions, leading to a fierce coastal bombardment and the pivotal Battle of Tel-El-Kebi
Collecting Egypt - With the famous battle at the end of the campaign there remains a number of interesting items of militaria available for anyone looking to theme a collection.
Hitler Youth Proficiency Badge - To encourage physical fitness for a future role in a militarised society the Hitler Youth were encouraged to win an award for a variety of physical and mental pursuits.
The Battle of Coronel - Britain's control of the seas was unchallenged, until the Germans cornered and sank two smaller vessels near to the Falkland slands. We'll have the British response next month.
Shotgun grenades - With WWII heading into the final months the weapon shortages for the Wehrmacht became acute leading to wild schemes such as fitting grenades to the shotguns of hunters.
York City militia - As the rampaging Scots made their way through England, the good folks of York started to panic, resulting in weapons being hastily gathered to face the invadingjacobites.
The Warsaw OU Ghetto Uprising - Ian Baxter recounts what happened when the Nazi authorities in Poland decided to eliminate the remaining Jewish population and how they fought back in a brave but doomed uprising.
The Niger Medal - Peter Duckers reveals a rare award from the era of Britain's tropical empire, 1886-1899, when trade led the way.
Double action - John Walter looks at the rise of the 'pull the trigger to shoot' systems from the pepperbox to the Polizei-Pistole.
Print Inspector - Ray Westlake looks at the uniforms of two officers of the Royal Scots as they walk back to barracks after a visit to a country shop.
The British Museum - Kerry Culbert tracks down thousands of years of conflict while visiting the enormous collection of items housed at the visually impressive British Museum.
SIGNALS:
Militaria reviews - Duncan Evans takes a look at the latest releases including Radio Hitler, Silent Village, Luftwaffe Special Weapons and the Folio Society's special edition version of Chris Carey's Thermopylae.
Your Letters - Your comments on what you've been reading and doing. This month we're discussing sinking the Bismarck, weapons in the Crimean War, the Auxiliary Units of WWI and Wound Stripes.
Auction & Fair Diary - Lockdown has now officially ended with restrictions lifted, so check out the online arrangements for the auctions where you can top up your militaria collection and what fairs will be opening.
Competition - Thanks to our friends at Osprey Publishing we have three copies of The Bronze Lie and three copies of Blitzkrieg to give away.
The big news this month was that the Government announced stage 4 in the route map out of Lockdown would go ahead on 19 July. You can read more details about that in the News page but in the short term it means all those militaria fairs and events that have been planned can go ahead. It provides some clarity for those up in the air so now it's down to the organisers to hammer out the details to get the militaria summer back on track. Two events which are going ahead, and which I'm looking forward to attending personally, are the Military Odyssey show and the Victory Show. Once you've had both jabs, unless you are clinically vulnerable there is little point in hiding, hoping that Covid is going to go away. It's likely to stay with us for some years, requiring a booster jab every winter, just like the flu jab has been routinely offered. So, let's get out there and support the auction, fairs, shows and re-enactment weekends.
Now, a day at Military Odyssey is never complete without enjoying the sight of Victorian Army redcoats marching too and fro and it's that era our cover feature deals with this month. It's the short-lived Anglo-Egyptian War, which featured the bombardment of Alexandria and the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir. We have the full story and also a collecting feature for those looking to build a display around the campaign or decisive battle. Also this month there's the next in the series of bladed showcase weapons of the Third Reich. This time it's the turn of paramilitary organisation. Discover everything you need to know about collecting these stylish weapons. The starting point for any young German was, of course, the Hitler Youth, or the League of German Girls. The Hitler Youth had a specific Proficiency award that all were urged to earn, as it gave skills in a variety of paramilitary fields that would be needed to serve in the armed forces of the Third Reich. We take a closer look at the award.
In WWI Britain was undisputed master of the seas so when some Royal Naval vessels ran into trouble near the Falkland Islands at the Battle of Coronel, the British response was immediate. We have the story of the battle which will be followed, in a subsequent issue, by the story of what happened to the German ships when the British caught up with them. On the weapons front, John Walter's Men Behind the Gun series takes a look at the rise of the 'pull the trigger to shoot' systems, from the pepperbox to the Polizei-Pistole. Then we also have the intriguing story of the grenade launcher for shotguns that was designed in the dying days of the Reich, and tried to make use of civilian's sporting guns.
And finally, it's the second part of the feature on preserving and displaying your militaria collection, so if you have some goodies stored away in the loft, now is the time to get them out for restoration and putting in a display case.
Duncan Evans, Editor
