The Armourer July 2023

It’s the Korean War this month as the divided country went to war to sort out who would be in charge, with communist North Korea taking on capitalist South Korea. What began as a local conflict rapidly escalated as United Nations forces, mainly American with British and Commonwealth backing, rallied to the cause of the South. With victory close the North’s ally, China, decided to intervene and the campaign swung back in the communist’s favour. Read on to see how it all panned out. Also have a look at our collecting the Korean War feature, as militaria is still reasonably priced compared to the eye-watering sums that WWII collectables currently command. Now, away from the magazine, this month is the 80th anniversary of Operation Chastise, otherwise known as the Dambusters…

FESTIVAL Chalke Valley ready to roll The end of June signals the start of one of the most popular fixtures in the summer festival calendar with the Chalke Valley History Festival. The full programme for the has been announced and tickets are now on sale. The Festival will give you the chance to go back in time and experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the past, while enjoying over 200 talks, live performances, and interactive experiences. History buffs and casual festival-goers alike will have the opportunity to experience everything from thrilling jousts and medieval encampments to immersive World War II trench experiences and discussions on current political affairs. War buffs will love the special mornings devoted to The Cold War and World War II. These two events will include…

In our guide to the shows ahead for 2023 The Armourer previewed the Capel Military Show. In this feature it read: ‘The organisers of this show would also like to point out that, like many, they do not believe in the censorship of history (referring to SS and swastika symbology) and anyone likely to be offended by this area of history should not enter what is a war-time themed event.’ The organisers have asked The Armourer to clarify this: ‘Our position remains that we do not support SS re-enactment groups or the displaying of Nazi memorabilia. We actively support non-SS German groups and are pleased to report that we have a good number of these groups booked in for this year.’ The show runs from 1-2 July at Aldhurst Farm,…

The Royal Air Force Museum has announced the campaign to keep the Arthur Scarf Victoria Cross and medal bar in the UK has been successful. The Victoria Cross awarded to Squadron Leader Arthur Scarf for his bravery during World War II is a unique and rare artefact which shares the story of the RAF in the Far East. This important part of history was in danger of being lost to the nation after being sold at auction to a private overseas buyer. With the help of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, generous donations from the public and other charities, and coverage in the press, the RAF Museum has now matched the £660k winning auction bid in order to keep the medals in the UK. Maggie Appleton, RAF Museum CEO said,…

Antiquities and armour at Apollo The Apollo Antiquities, Islamic Art & Militaria auction on 10-11 June has a wealth of classic arms and armour up for grabs. Here are some of what’s on offer. The very first lot is a Polish hussars helmet from the second half of the 17th century, with impeccable provenance too. The skull is decorated with big brass rosette. Horizontal visor, fixed to the skull with rivets, decorated with round brass rosettes. Each lame is decorated with characteristic brass elements. This type of decoration is characteristic only to Polish hussars helmets. The opening price is £4,000 and the estimate is a whopping £12,000-£20,000 with a BP of 25% direct or 29.94% if through the-saleroom.com. Now if you bagged that lot then what better to go with…

Hermann Historica’s auction bonanza There were no fewer than four separate auctions running at Hermann Historica in May so let’s start with the Orders and Military Collectibles until 1918. First up, we have an Order of the Crown of Westphalia, a knight’s decoration c. 1810-1813. Made from silver, the crown enamelled in blue, surmounted on one side by a shield ‘HN’ (Hieronymus Napoleon = Jerome Napoleon, King of Westphalia) between a rampant horse and lion, above it an eagle in fine relief on a snake ring. A rare, early decoration, it went for €1,900 (add 25% BP). Next we have an Order of the Legion of Honour, a cross for officers, 2nd Empire. Detailed crafted order cross made of 14 carat gold with golden medallions enamelled blue at the edge,…