r/Militariacollecting

Hi,

Does anyone know where I can get captured Russian patches?
I'm finding it hard to locate reliable sellers.

(reference photo)

I was ecstatic picking this up, 50 bucks locally. It almost rivals my $50 German WW2 Gas mask and canister lol

Pretty decent condition, blade is a little rusty with some imperfections but still a very nice piece, bayonet is manufactured by BOC

If there was any maker's mark it's worn off.

I acquired this chest through inheritance. I am trying to determine the year it dates from—based on the rank—but I cannot find a definitive answer.

B.H. Gronewold was a high-ranking Dutch military officer (KNIL) with a distinguished career in the Dutch East Indies. His service spanned the pre-war era, World War II, and the post-war period.

Pre-WWII Service: Served as an Infantry Captain and was appointed Military Commander of the West Borneo region in 1936.Command of the Batavia City Guard (Stadswacht): Held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was the commander of the Stadswacht-Batavia. In April 1941, he was presented with the unit's banner by the wife of the Governor-General.

WWII & Japanese Internment: During the Japanese invasion, his unit was assigned to harbor destruction operations before being forced to retreat. As a prisoner of war, he became known for his steadfast bravery. Along with four other high-ranking internees, he was beaten and thrown in solitary confinement for defying the Japanese and refusing to place his thumbprint on forced statements.Post-War Actions & Legacy: He notably served in Bandoeng and later led memorials and ceremonies, including addressing troops regarding the tragic 1944 sinking of the Junyo Maru (a ship carrying forced laborers that was torpedoed).

Hello everyone!

This is my first post here.

I need some help. I am trying to make a replica of the safety plugs from the Little Boy/Fat Man atomic bombs, and I have already created a preliminary blueprint of all the components.

However, I have absolutely no idea how the wooden handle is attached to the body. For some reason, there isn't a single angle available online that shows the mounting method on the original plugs. There is only one photo of a green plug where a top-down view is crudely visible.

Judging by how it looks, at first glance, it seems that there is some sort of metal insert with a rim/stopper inside the wooden handle, and then a metal rod was inserted from below through the body and riveted, thereby securing the handle in place (see my blueprint). But I am not sure if that is correct. I have noticed that on replicas of atomic bombs in museums, the wooden plug handle is simply attached with a nut, but I suspect that could be an incorrect representation. Although some ASNA or similar Nut-Spline seems to be a pretty good option....

In any case, only a photo of an original plug from the top will be able to answer this question. Does anyone happen to have photos from museums that clearly show how exactly the handle is attached?

I would be grateful for any help!

Now, a bit more about my small project. I found two MS3106-A20-14P (quite difficult to find) series plugs online, which are slightly more modern analogs to the original AN3106-20-14P (impossible to find) used in those two atomic bombs. They only differ in that the modern version is coated with Chromium VI, and unlike the AN version, it has ink markings rather than stamped ones; otherwise, they are identical. Knowing the size of the plug, it was easy to calculate the proportional dimensions of the other parts of the assembly based on original photos and create a blueprint in AutoCAD.

If there’s a better subreddit to put this in, please let me know. But I’ve been collecting military/airsoft stuff for a while now but when it came to equipment and gear I think It’s quite random for the most part. So I was genuinely wondering what in my collection could be used to make a historically accurate military outfit from anywhere between 1914-2000’s. Also wouldn’t mind making some kind of riot police kit. So I’m kind of asking what I can already make with what I have but also what I’m close ish to making an accurate cosplay out of cause I’m still open to buying more stuff to grow the collection. Whatever madman would like to look through all this to help me make a fit, I would appreciate it lol

Hey everyone,

I'm looking for some advice from anyone with experience authenticating rare historical signatures, especially if you know of someone in the Houston, TX area.

I have a copy of 22 Cells in Nuremberg signed by Dr. Douglas M. Kelley. Because of how rare the signature appears to be, I'm hesitant to ship the book to PSA or Beckett. I'm not even sure whether they would be able to authenticate something this uncommon.

I met with JSA at one of their events, but they weren't able to issue either a Letter of Authenticity or a Letter of Opinion because they rely on exemplars in their database, and they don't have enough known examples of Dr. Kelley's signature to compare against.

I've spent quite a bit of time researching his handwriting and have attached several examples that I've found. The problem is that I still don't feel like I have enough documented signatures from the 1940s–1950s to confidently establish provenance.

So far I've:

• Met with JSA.
• Contacted the Holocaust museum in Maryland, but they don't provide scans of handwritten archival material. I'd need to visit in person, which I'm willing to do (likely in mid-August).
• Contacted UC Santa Cruz, which also requires an in-person appointment to view handwritten documents.
• Attempted to contact Mr. Douglas M. Kelley Jr., but unfortunately I haven't received a response.

If anyone knows of:

• an authenticator who specializes in rare historical signatures,
• archives or collections that may contain Dr. Kelley's handwritten letters or signed documents,
• or any other avenues I should pursue,

I would be extremely grateful.

My goal isn't to get a quick opinion—it's to document this signature as thoroughly as possible using authentic examples from the 1940s and 1950s. Any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

vent holes look sus

There are WW2 parts in this gun but I’m concerned about the starlings near the stock area. I understand that it’s supposed to have maker code, year of production, numbers. This one only has 343J. There are no Czech starlings but I’m concerned that there are post war parts in the gun. It has the AA mount on the barrel and the correct wartime receiver.
any opinions are greatly appreciated!
Thank you in advance!

Here’s the remaining photos of stuff I have, please read pt.1. Sorry again if this is the total wrong subreddit for this, please point me in a better direction

Found this officer's visor cap lurking in in a bin of Visor Caps.

Does anybody know what service this is for? I definitely did not pay $495 for it, nor do I remember even purchasing it.

Thank you to folks who reply!

I was going through some documents I inherited after my grandpa passed away and have been trying to decipher the old time cursive. I know John Kirk was a great uncle or something of mine because my grandpa has taken me to his grave site and is currently buried near him.
Thanks for your help!

I bought an album belonging to a Hauptmann Max Bleyer today at a fleamarket.

I am wondering, if there is anything that can be found out about him.

Picture 4 shows a card announcing his wedding.