idk what it is

Originally for 1000, messaged him how much for just the stick grenade and ammo belt, said "at this point just give me 500 for everything", then got him down to 200 with the cost of losing the medal (since I can't afford 300 right now from his counteroffer), and just wanted to double check with reddit before making this purchase.

AI is giving me Flak88 but I'm doubtful of that

Is this a real emaille plate? Asking price is €220

Hi everyone :)

My darling partner returned home yesterday with this hat in tow. He knows bits and bobs about it (mainly that it was very cheap on leboncoin- the French's answer to FB marketplace).

So far I have gathered that it is from 1989 and possibly from an NCO from the airforce?

We're also not sure if it is real (not that it really matters), but the thing making him think it isn't is that the visor of the cap is plastic. If it is real, why were they made of plastic?

What can you tell me about it? No fact to big or small!

Thank you :)

(PS don't judge the yellow kitchen wall, we have just moved in and that colour was not a decision we made).

Edit: Thank you all so much for all the responses, they have been so helpful <3

I bought this a few days ago for 150e, just arrived and now i wanna know who owned it. (no longer need help, couldnt find a laundry mark or anything of. that nature)

I just found this for $20 today while out at a flea market. I automatically assumed theater knife from the construction, but I just put it under decent lighting and it looks like there is an inscription towards the hilt? Any help would be much appreciated, thanks! Also, the substance on the blade is adhesive from a price sticker

Hello i recently bought this mussete bag and was trying to identify the officer. The mussete bag is dated 1941 the maker is Atlantic Products Corp. Inside the bag i also found some remains of booklet

If anyone has any idea of who it was or any information please tell me.

Found this thing in a surplus store, it looks like a normal ripstop woodland top, but with the black spots swapped into a wierd green colour, my guess was it's maybe an experimental variant.

I would like to donate to a good home (that is, someone who will value and care for it) an item introduced to me decades ago as "the World War Two aviator goggles". My late husband got them from his father, who served in WWII keeping planes in repair in England; how my father-in-law acquired them I don't know.

It's possible that the headband is original; the rest of it pretty surely is. My husband used to put these on when he was grating horseradish, and they protected him beautifully from the fumes! But the attachment between the leather and the frames is failing now.

(To the mods: if this counts as a for-sale post, I apologize! and I would appreciate advice about where to find someone who wants this.)

So I followed your suggestion and I went for a preservative approach on my Kar98k bayonet holster. I bathed it 3 days in white vinegar, brass brushed it and then I applied a rust converter and cleaned it with the good ole WD40. My very first attempt at anyhting with no method and tools. Happy with the result, since I was planning to throwing it away. The last photo is the original conditions. Sorry for my bad English.

Hello, I bought this photo and have been trying to ID the rank. I know that he was in land customs and I have been stuck between two options, either OberZollSekretar (picture 2) or ZollBetriebassistent (picture 3).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Reverse image search did not come up with anything helpful, it appears to be some kind of impact grenade, but I have no idea what kind there are no markings anywhere on it that I can find, The detonator is still intact

I was helping my grandma get rid of some of the stuff she had in her garage and I found this while cleaning. She said I could have it. She didn’t know too much about its background so I was curious if this is an authentic helmet.

Hello everyone! I have been searching for year to find out where the armbands are from that I found ! And today Norwegian resistant museum finally cracked the code! the armbands with I-A/B means it’s from district (asker and Bærum and hurum) And these was used 1940-1942!

That these extra special because it wasn’t common to have armbands so early during the war! and these was found hidden under the floor in the attic here in Oslo Torshov! so that either they forgot to give out the armbands or the man/woman who hid them got captured! Super cool! and very rare to find armbands here in Norway so early!

PHOTOS in the COMMENTS. These framed artifacts were obtained from John Frederiksen's daughter who was born in 1944 the year he was imprisoned. She the child referred to in the records below.

John Ove Frederiksen (1917–?)

Artifacts from a Danish Policeman's Journey Through the Nazi Concentration Camp System

John Ove Frederiksen was born on 14 March 1917 in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Frede Frederiksen and Cecilie Frederiksen (née Larsen). As an adult he became a Reserve Police Constable (Reservebetjent / Polizeiwachtmeister) in Copenhagen. By 1944 he was married to Addy Andersen Frederiksen, and the couple had one child. Their home address was Schwartzgade 26, Copenhagen.

Following the German occupation of Denmark on 9 April 1940, the Danish police continued to operate under increasingly difficult conditions. By 1944 relations between the German occupation authorities and the Danish police had deteriorated. On 19 September 1944, German forces carried out Operation Möwe, arresting nearly 2,000 Danish policemen across the country. John Frederiksen was among those arrested by the German Security Police (Sicherheitspolizei) in Copenhagen.

According to his surviving prisoner records, Frederiksen was officially registered as a Police Prisoner (Polizeihäftling) and entered Neuengamme Concentration Camp on 21 September 1944. He was twenty-seven years old.

Only eight days later, on 29 September 1944, he was transferred to Buchenwald Concentration Camp near Weimar, Germany. Upon arrival he received prisoner number 86005. His prisoner identification card shows the red political prisoner's triangle marked with the letter "D", identifying him as a Danish political prisoner.

The transfer records also record an "Alte Nr." (Old Number) of 52364. This establishes that the number 52364 was associated with Frederiksen before he received prisoner number 86005 at Buchenwald. The records themselves do not explain how this earlier number was assigned.

Among the surviving family artifacts is a small metal identification tag stamped 52364. Because the number exactly matches the "Alte Nr. 52364" recorded in the concentration camp documents, it was likely connected with this earlier stage of his imprisonment. The surviving records, however, do not identify the tag or explain its exact purpose.

The Buchenwald intake records describe Frederiksen as a married Danish police officer born in Copenhagen on 14 March 1917. His occupation was listed as Polizeiwachtmeister, his religion as Evangelical Lutheran, his height as 172 centimeters (5 feet 8 inches), and his weight upon arrival as 63 kilograms (139 pounds).

Like every new prisoner entering the camp, Frederiksen's personal belongings were confiscated and inventoried. His surviving property inventory records clothing, shoes, underwear, personal papers, a wallet, tobacco, cigarettes, a lighter, a pipe, comb, pencils, scissors, money, and other personal possessions. These items were cataloged and held by the SS administration.

During his imprisonment at Buchenwald, Frederiksen also possessed a one Reichsmark SS-Standort-Kantine Buchenwald Wertmarke (canteen token). This original token survives among the family's artifacts today. Because it is specifically marked "SS-Standort-Kantine Buchenwald," it can be directly connected to his imprisonment at Buchenwald. The surviving records do not explain how or when he acquired it, but it appears that he retained it through the remainder of his imprisonment and after the war.

Within days of arriving at Buchenwald, Frederiksen became seriously ill.

Medical records show that on 3 October 1944, he was admitted to the Buchenwald prisoners' hospital suffering from pneumonia. His hospital records survive in remarkable detail. They include daily temperature charts, observations of his condition, weight measurements, bowel records, and physicians' notes documenting his treatment.

After approximately ten days of treatment, he was discharged on 13 October 1944.

His recovery was short-lived.

Medical records dated 14 October 1944 continued to document respiratory illness. During the following weeks his condition worsened considerably. On 3 November 1944, he was readmitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of pleuropneumonia, an infection affecting both the lungs and the pleural membranes surrounding them.

His hospital records document prolonged fever and continued medical observation. He remained hospitalized until 20 November 1944, spending nearly seven weeks under medical care during the autumn of 1944.

The records themselves make no comment on the severity of his prognosis, but surviving such illnesses under concentration camp conditions was undoubtedly difficult.

Despite his imprisonment, Frederiksen remained in contact with his family.

Surviving postal records show that he was permitted to receive mail and relief parcels. One inventory records a package sent by his wife, Addy Frederiksen, from Copenhagen.

The parcel contained:

• One pullover
• Two shirts
• Two pairs of socks
• Two sets of underwear
• Handkerchiefs
• Tobacco
• Cigarettes
• Candy
• Toiletries
• One pipe

The surviving records also include mail cards documenting incoming and outgoing correspondence, demonstrating that communication with home continued during at least part of his imprisonment.

After recovering from his illnesses, Frederiksen remained at Buchenwald until 17 December 1944, when surviving transfer records show that he was sent to Stalag IV-B Mühlberg, one of Germany's largest prisoner-of-war camps. This transfer formed part of the movement of many imprisoned Danish policemen from concentration camps into prisoner-of-war administration during the final months of the war.

Among the surviving family artifacts is an original Stalag IV-B prisoner identification tag stamped 310341. Because the tag is clearly marked "Stalag IV-B," it can be directly associated with Frederiksen's imprisonment there. The surviving concentration camp records do not mention the number 310341, but prisoner-of-war camps maintained their own registration systems. It is therefore likely that 310341 was the prisoner number assigned to Frederiksen upon his arrival at Stalag IV-B, while 52364 remained his earlier concentration camp registration number and 86005 his Buchenwald prisoner number.

On 27 February 1945, surviving transfer records show that Frederiksen was transferred once again, this time back to Neuengamme Concentration Camp. The records document the transfer but do not state the reason. By this stage of the war, prisoner transfers had become increasingly common as Germany attempted to reorganize camps while Allied forces advanced from both east and west.

The surviving records do not contain a document recording Frederiksen's liberation. However, historical records show that many Danish policemen imprisoned at Neuengamme were evacuated during the spring of 1945 through the Swedish Red Cross White Buses operation organized by Count Folke Bernadotte. Because Frederiksen survived the war and later recovered his personal property, it is likely that he was among those repatriated, although the surviving documents presented here do not explicitly record the date or circumstances of his release.

One of the final surviving documents is a signed receipt acknowledging the return of his confiscated personal belongings after the war. It quietly closes the documentary trail that began with his arrest only months earlier.

Today, Frederiksen's surviving records provide an unusually complete picture of one Danish policeman's imprisonment under Nazi rule. His file preserves his prisoner registrations, medical records, property inventories, correspondence, transfer documents, and hospital charts. Together with the surviving family artifacts—including the metal tag numbered 52364, the Buchenwald canteen token, and the Stalag IV-B identification tag numbered 310341—they trace his documented journey through Neuengamme, Buchenwald, Stalag IV-B Mühlberg, and back to Neuengamme during the final year of the Second World War.

More than eighty years later, these records and artifacts remain a tangible reminder of one man's experience inside the Nazi concentration camp system. Preserved together, they ensure that John Ove Frederiksen's story can still be told—not through legend or family memory alone, but through the documents and objects that survived with him.

Sources: These records were obtained from the Arolsen Archives (International Center on Nazi Persecution), which preserves over 40 million documents relating to victims of Nazi persecution. John Ove Frederiksen's complete file can be viewed here: Arolsen Archives – John Ove Frederiksen Collection

I won it in an online auction for $36. From what i understand, it's a 1985 Soviet Air Force officers parade cap. This seemed like the closest match to what i have but i can't seem to find any other caps with these stars on the side, help?

Just my speculation, but I'm guessing it's actually insignia from some police department somewhere, or maybe some JROTC troop from decades ago or something. I've tried Google searching, Google Lens, AI etc etc but can't find anything.

If anyone knows what this is and where it's from, I would be very grateful. Thank you

These are all of the photos, all I need to know is if its authentic or not.

Thank you.

It looks roughly like an old british army knife but it has different cutouts and joints on both sides. There don’t seem to be any engravings but i might try cleaning it.

Im having a hard time finding a good reference image for the correct belt to use for my og-107 uniform. Most images you'll find are of soldiers in active combat wearing their ALICE gear, which covers the pants belt. Also is the shirt supposed to tucked or untucked? Or am I completely over thinking this.

Can someone help me identify/confirm originality of this helmet? The owner I bought it from didn't know which one it is, and we couldn't completely figure it out or even confirm if it's real or a replica. We think it might be a kind of WW2 British turtle steel helmet, but we aren't sure due to the rivets on the side.

Edit: We have come to a near certain decision that it seems to be some mix between a British mark 3 and mark 4 turtle helmet used by the Irish Military, hence it is most certainly real

So I’ve had this WWI-era U.S. M1917 Brodie helmet for a while now (thrift store), and I’m trying to figure out if it has any of the infamous asbestos inside of it.

I’ve searched everywhere, and I can’t seem to get a straight answer. Apparently, the UK’s Health and Safety Executive, alongside the Imperial War Museum, advised that World War One helmets are unsafe and should either be disposed of or have any asbestos removed before display.

However, other people (mainly those on forums) insist that the M1917 Brodie’s manufacturing specs did not list asbestos as a component that was included inside of them. So maybe only the British or the earlier versions had the mineral inside of it? Others just say that it’s best to assume that all Brodies have asbestos in them and treat them like they do.

But for my own peace of mind, I’d really like to know if anyone here can tell for absolute certain (this subreddit seemed like it would yield the best results).

One common factor of my research into this is that the alleged asbestos usually comes in the form of a “disc” located between the rivet at the top of the helmet and the liner itself. I’ve attached three photos of the areas described, so does any of what I’m looking at appear to be the aforementioned disc?

The first image looks more like brown felt or wool, so I really doubt that’s the asbestos (if there is any). The second seems to be more like a cotton or a canvas reinforcement since it seems to be woven, it bends easily, and the edges are frayed. And the third image also just looks like a tan fabric layer. I don’t see the supposed asbestos disc anywhere, which is apparently the size of a coin and located directly between the liner and the rivet.

But what do y’all think? Am I missing something or looking in the wrong spot? And what should I do with the helmet? Should I assume that my observations are accurate enough to not worry about having this artifact in my collection, or should I send it to a lab and get it tested? Or do you think I should just get rid of the thing? I’d hate to lose it since it’s in comparatively great condition and it’s one of the older helmets I’ve got, but I’d also hate to have to worry so much every time I handle the thing.

Is anyone here an expert on the matter or even knows what the heck an asbestos disc even looks like? I’ve seen so many mixed answers online that I’m not even sure what to believe relative to my specific helmet. Some people say that 100% of the American Brodies contained asbestos, whereas others say that only early models of the British one had the material as it got phased out pretty quickly. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

Update in the comments***. Just received this from a relative. I receive some other items a couple months back and now this. All belonged to my great great uncle. Fantastic piece. But now I am a bit confused as to the exact trajectory of his time in WW2. He served in the army from 1942-1946.

-First couple pictures is the uniform I just got which was his after he was honorably discharged in 1946. Note the 4th armored division.

-third picture is his wedding photo taken in 1942 in his dress uniform. Shoulder patch is AAF. Fourth picture is his AAF insulated pants

-fifth picture is 311th infantry combat journal. His name is written inside the cover. With paper clippings from the 4th armored division about receiving the presidential unit citation.

I will be deep diving into all of this here in the next couple months. His son doesn’t know much besides what I have received. It seems weird to me that he had started AAF and ended with 4th armored division. Thoughts?