Vintage Flying Helmets
Aviation, Military & Historical Items for Discerning Collectors
Home Front
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Rare German home front item: Junkers aircraft factory card game, complete and excellent condition.
From the German Home Front: an unusual promotional item from the 1930s for the Junkers aircraft and engine factory. A complete set of 32 playing cards for the game "Shafkopf" (sheeps head), a traditional Bavarian card game, similar to whist or bridge which was (and still is) extremely popular, with clubs and tournaments taking place regularly. In excellent condition with superb artwork. (A copy of the history and instructions (in English) on how to play will be included.
$95 / £75 / €90
43 x WWII AAF squadron badges/buttons given away with Kelloggs "PEP" cereal.
43 total (35 different with 8 duplicates) badges/buttons, each 0.875" (2cm) in diameter depicting the official unit insigia of various AAF fighter and bomber squadrons. Condition varies for good to very good – all retain their pins and markings with some obvious surface scratching. A wonderful home front keepsake! Sold as a lot.
$75 / £58 / €70
WWII era linen British Union Flag.
Wartime British Union Flag (or Union Jack) printed on linen and overall very good condition, with a few worn spots and very small holes, fraying in some corners, but no significant damage. Marked "British Made." Colour is rich, not faded with minor stains from age and storage. Perhaps not military but very good quality and probably made to decorate towns and villages after VE-Day. 66" x 36" - great for backdrop or table cover!
$40 / £60 / €70
Germany 1944 occupation money + 8 German ration stamps.
Two 1944 series banknotes; 1 Mark and 1/2-mark (50 pfennig) issued to Allied troops as currency in anticipation of the invasion and eventual occupation of Germany. Good condition with some very minor staining from a rusted paperclip on the 1/2-Mark not. Also a partial sheet of German ration stamps for 50g of meat (Fleisch = flesh). Somewhat grubby but 8 stamps still attached together with perforations and border intact. Great accessory for a post D-Day display.
$35 / £25 / €28
ARP "Gas" Rattle dated 1939.
Excellent original and working example of the "Gas Rattle" carried by Wardens of the ARP (Air Raid Precautions). When swung it made a very loud noise which was used to alert members of the public that an air raid, possibly involving the use of poison gas, was imminent (the hand bell, offered elsewhere, signified the "all-clear"). All wood construction, the rattle is in excellent original condition, works perfectly and is well marked with ARP, manufacturer's name and a clear date of 1939. These were a throwback to WWI when they were similarly used in the trenches to warn of an impending gas attack. Few survive and many were subsequently painted in the colours of local football teams and used as "noise-makers" at matches.
$95 / £75 / €88
ARP Warden's Hudson "Police" whistle.
The third means of communication used by ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Wardens was the ubiquitous police whistle. Since they had similar powers to the police (at least as far as telling the public to "put out that light") they were issued with a similar pea-less tube whistle. This example is chrome plated and maker marked to J. Hudson of Birmingham who were perhaps the best known manufacturers. Again a lovely example.
$75 / £60 / €70
1969 Dinky Toy Spitfire MkII.
A vintage Dinky 719 Supermarine Spitfire MkII, produced in 1969 to coincide with the release of the classic film, "Battle of Britain". Wingspan of 6.75" (17cm) so close to 1/72 scale. Shows play wear but is complete with all parts and retains 85-90% of its original paint. Originally sold with an electric motor to spin the propellor - this one has no motor fitted but the prop turns nicely. Retractable undercarriage. Stickers are a little faded but a great reminder for those of us who grew up watching this great movie and "had to have" the model! No box - just the toy but displays great with any RAF collection.
$40 / £30 / €36
WWII era plastic toy aircraft "America in the Air" on original card.
Fantastic and rare wartime plastic toy aeroplanes, still on original card! "America in the Air" by Lido Toy Corp., New York City, Made in the USA. Incredible condition. Features four small plastic aircraft, each with a wingspan of 2.5" / 6.5cm. 2 four-engine bombers (B-17) in mottled blue/white and two unusual twin-engine bombers with pusher-type propellors (I believe these are the Bell Airacuda - a rare and obscure type!) in blue plastic.
$85 / £70 / €80
Wartime wooden model kit Fiat aircraft in original box.
Wartime wooden model construction kit by Master ModelCraft of New York of a Fiat biplane fighter. Labeled as a Fiat 40 - more likely a Fiat 42. Wood fuselage requires shaping; wings are printed on wood and also require shaping. Other parts in heavy card plus turned wooden wheels and a metal propellor. Insignia are printed on paper, to be cut out and glued on. Complete and in perfect condition, still in its box - great addition to any WWII aviation display!
$25 / £20 / €24
WWII era Home Front board game "Aviation" .
Fascinating game for wartime gatherings (or anytime!). Aviation is the "Aerial tactics game of attack and defence." The game itself is 100% complete and in very good condition - all that is missing is the original box! All cards and metal stands are present, as is the board and original instruction book with "hints" on how to play - all in excellent condition. While it is a shame the original box is absent, I dare say it would be easier to find a box with partial contents than to find all the pieces (42 red cards and 42 blue, featuring every type of aircraft and defences, with 84 metal stands).
$45 / £35 / €42
"Laughs with the Forces" - 1943 magazine featuring cartoons from Punch and Giles and others.
For many people growing up in England, it wasn't Christmas without the yearly book of cartoons by Giles, the famous cartoonist whose work appeared every day in the Daily Express. Giles was hard at work during the Second World War as well, and this lovely piece of nostalgia features his early work, along with cartoons from Punch, as well as numerous anecdotes and jokes about the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. 48-pages, 5.5" x 8.5" (14cm x 22cm). Excellent condition, with one small tear at the spine. Brilliant British military humour.
$40 / £30 / €45
Wartime Parrsboro Nova Scotia pennant.
Felt peanut with silk-screened and hand-coloured name/crest of Parrsboro, Canada.
These pennants were
very popular for representing home towns, bases, ships etc. of servicemen and were collected by soldiers, sailors and airmen from all allied branches. Excellent condition and retains rich full color.
$20 / £15 / €17
Wartime Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada pennant.
Felt peanut with silk-screened and hand-coloured crossed Union flag and Canadian flag.
These pennants were
very popular for representing home towns, bases, ships etc. of servicemen and were collected by soldiers, sailors and airmen from all allied branches. Excellent condition and retains rich full color.
$20 / £15 / €17
Wartime cigarette card album with full set of cards.
John Player cigarette card album with complete set of cards, "Aircraft of the Royal Air Force." Superb home front item for grown ups and kids and in excellent condition. Minor creasing and small rust stains around staples. All cards neatly glued in and name neatly written inside cover. C.1939. The illustrations of aircraft are quite excellent.
$35 / £28 / €28
Unusual Home Front item from Nazi Germany: cabbage grater clearly marked DRGM.
DRGM (Deutsches Reich Gebrauchsmuster - the equivalent of a patent mark) marked cabbage grater which may have seen military use due to its field grey painted finish. Measures 11" x 4.5" (28cm x 11cm) with six integral cutting blades for slicing a cabbage and other vegetables for making soup etc. Much of the paint is worn off the front side from use, and more removed in cleaning, but the back retains about 85% of its original field grey paint. Great condition. Wonderful item to display with a Luftwaffe dinner set!
$60 / £45 / €50 email to secure this item
Lovely silk "Victory" handkerchief, depicting the flags of all the Allied nations that fought together and won WW2.
Unused, in beautiful, pristine condition, this small (12" square) keepsake of WW2 is significant in that it recognizes all of the Allied nations - not just the "main contenders." Printed in bright, rich colours flags of every country are shown from Australia, and India, China, canada, USSR, Czechoslovakia, Poland, New Zealan, Free France, South Africa, Greece, Holland, Great Britain and USA, plus shields with flags of Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Belgium etc. Around the edge, a border shows symbols of the countries intertwined through the word "Victory." An unusual souvenir in lovely condition.
$25 / £18 / €20 email to secure this item
WWII era Police whistle "The Metropolitan" - as issued to Police all over Great Britain.
Patterned after the whistle first used by the Metropolitan Police (London) in the 19th century and issued to Police everywhere, this was the standard style Police whistle used in the war years. Pewter whistle marked "The Metropolitan" and "Made in England" - great condition with minimal wear.
$25 / £18 / €20 email for more details
Complete set of Players Cigarette cards - RAF aircraft
Excellent "Home front" item! A complete set of Players aircraft cigarette cards featuring RAF aircraft, circa 1939. Most cards in very good to excellent condition, with some showing minor creases, corner wear etc. Still retain their gummed backing for adhering in album. Preserved and supplied in archival plastic pages.
$25 / £18 / €20 email to secure this item