Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[DM]

WW1 engraved shell casing







Was dad's then mine, now youngest son has it.

[lowdrag]

I had a friend Tom (RIP) who on his 21st birthday was told that he had been adopted and that his father had been a Luftwaffe pilot killed in action. He was presented with his father's dress uniform which he promptly put on and wore to his party that night! This started a long collection of anything German, including Lugers, costumes, documents and things such as the cork helmets worn by tank crew to protect their heads. But the collection became crazier and crazier, with memories of him doing the goose step after one momentous evening with Goering's silver baton tucked under his arm. At table the gravy had been served in a pewter gravy dish with swastikas engraved. I bought a dress sword and dagger from him to put over the inglenook fireplace, and have them still. Poor Tom died young of a heart attack, and was buried in a stainless coffin (his company made the big balustrades etc. found in shopping malls etc.) with 400 Benson and Hedges inside ans well as every Wagner tape they could find.

It was only much later that I found out that a vast part of the collection and articles he sold (including to me) were fakes. Good ones, but like the Tom Keating fake I own they make me smile especially when people think they are genuine and I have to gently disabuse them!