Norman D. Landing

[General Apathy]

 

 

From the shoebox cont ............................

 

An Eveready manufacture ' Mobile Artillery Light, Model 1991, Ordnance Dept. U.S. Army, Specification date 17-4-1917. ' American Ever Ready Works, Long Island City, New York.

 

I am always amazed at the number of firms and factories with New York addresses during WWI and WWII, since then most of these little firms and factories have probably been converted to living accommodation and lofts.

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 18 2010

 

 

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[General Apathy]

 

 

From the shoebox cont ............................

 

A mother of pearl style covered compact marked up USN, a neat item for girlfriend or sweetheart.

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 18 2010

 

 

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[General Apathy]

 

 

From the shoebox cont ............................

 

A Maryland civilian car plate, it started life as a full plate with a date of 1942 in the top right corner, however in order to save metal on a new dated plate each year, small date plates were manufactured and riveted to the main plate, so the riveted 1943 plate is on the left, and a new 1944 plate is wired to the right however not certain why this was never riveted to the plate as per regulation.

 

I note the safety message stamped into the plate ' Drive carefully '.

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 18 2010

[Jeeper704]

Since my shoebox is much smaller than Lewis's this is all I have to show. A small enameled sons in service pin. Now it shows the colors of British, US and France I'm wondering if its WWI. Although the Free French fought along side the Allies in WWII the government was Vichy and had surrendered to the Nazi's. So I wonder if WWII pins would have shown the French Flag. Correct me if I'm wrong. I looked in Doughboy to GI all the way to page 522 and couldn't find one like it. Robert

 

Only the southern half of France was under Vichy rule .... till the Germans occupied that part too later in the war.

The northern half was already under German occupation.

So the use of the French colors is ok for this type of pins.

 

Great items you all posted here, I also like the number plate. :thumbsup:

 

Erwin (getting his second handkerchief out :crying: )

[General Apathy]

Only the southern half of France was under Vichy rule .... till the Germans occupied that part too later in the war.

The northern half was already under German occupation.

So the use of the French colors is ok for this type of pins.

 

Great items you all posted here, I also like the number plate. :thumbsup:

 

Erwin (getting his second handkerchief out :crying: )

 

Hi Erwin, thanks for joining in and adding to Roberts post of the sons in service pin.

 

Thanks also for commenting on the items posted. :thumbsup:

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 18 2010

[General Apathy]

 

 

From the shoebox, cont ............................

 

Three bronze or copper plate reliefs mounted on wooden blocks used in WWII printing processes for magazines and newspapers etc. The Coca-Cola one is interesting with the service personnel in it.

 

Maybe one of our members who's in the print trade might be able to add more information on the blocks :think:

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 18 2010

[General Apathy]

 

 

From the shoebox, cont ............................

 

Most people have either seen or own packets of the early war green Lucky-Strikes, not often seen here's a pack of Lucky-Strike cigarette papers, it states on the one end ' not to be sold '.

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 18 2010

[BEAST]

Hi Ian, nice officers set on the card.

 

From the shoebox, a set of salt, pepper and mustard pot engraved with U.S. Army, sadly no date no makers marks

possibility of WWI to WWII judging by the design and the engraving. I have no idea if this is a one off item or if there were more done for sale to servicemen through px or local jewellery store type outlet.

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 18 2010

 

 

Hi Ken,

I would say those are WWI era. I would like to say this is based on years of research of home front items, but I just happened to have my grandparents set and it has the serving tray. The tray shows a WWI soldier telling his mom or sweatheart that he would rather be with her than be far away.

 

 

[General Apathy]

Hi Ken,

I would say those are WWI era. I would like to say this is based on years of research of home front items, but I just happened to have my grandparents set and it has the serving tray. The tray shows a WWI soldier telling his mom or sweatheart that he would rather be with her than be far away.

 

Hi Beast, thanks for coming in with your photograph showing the tray that's something I don't have, and yes it ties it down better to WWI. Interesrting that you should have a set that was your grandparents what a good link for you. :thumbsup:

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 19 2010

[General Apathy]

 

 

From the shoebox, cont ............................

 

A few USO items, pity the name tag no longer has the name attached.

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 19 2010

[General Apathy]

 

 

From the shoebox, cont ............................

 

A boxed unused WWII USN sewing set, the little flapped lid in the centre of the cotton reels holds various buttons .

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 19 2010

[General Apathy]

 

 

From the shoebox, cont ............................

 

A boxed unused WWII Army sewing set, the little flapped lid in the centre of the cotton reels holds various buttons .

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 19 2010

[General Apathy]

 

 

From the shoebox, cont ............................

 

This is possibly the very earliest style of body on the model TL122, note the unusual shape of the head and the threaded section where the lens body is held. Very simply stamped in the head TL122 without the regular circle surrounding it as on all other models. Maker marked on the base cap Eveready, Made in USA. It originally had an all over coat of o.d. paint.

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 19 2010

 

 

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[Jack's Son]

Ken,

That's a lot of nice stuff to have in one shoebox !

Were those biscuits XXXXX-Wide ? :think:

[Sabrejet]

I love those "housewives" Ken. I've got a few myself and have always found them very useful as a source of spare buttons and appropriate threads for doing repairs etc.

 

Ian :thumbsup:

[vostoktrading]

From the shoebox, cont ............................

 

Most people have either seen or own packets of the early war green Lucky-Strikes, not often seen here's a pack of Lucky-Strike cigarette papers, it states on the one end ' not to be sold '.

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 18 2010

Ken, I was leaving Osaka, Japan about 5 years ago and going through the international airport. Naturally I stopped by the duty free shops to pick up some scotch. I was shocked to see cartons of the cigarettes pictured here. I bought several cartons for re-enacting (nothing like whipping out a pack of greens and lighting one up for adding another dimension to your reenacting).

These cigarettes were a very limited run. They also made the white pack. I believe the white pack took over from the green in early '42? So the greens would be used early US involvement in WW2. By the way, they are dreadful (I don't smoke cigarettes but have tried them and these are nasty). Jon.

[General Apathy]

 

 

By the way, they are dreadful (I don't smoke cigarettes but have tried them and these are nasty). Jon.

 

Hi Jon, thanks for your images of the copy green Luckies, the one you show copies the WWI period design, there was a slight difference in the green luckies design pre 1942.

 

I think these WWII cigarettes can lay claim to being more nasty and dreadful than the Lucky copies you tried.

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 20 2010

[Sabrejet]

Hi Jon, thanks for your images of the copy green Luckies, the one you show copies the WWI period design, there was a slight difference in the green luckies design pre 1942.

 

I think these WWII cigarettes can lay claim to being more nasty and dreadful than the Lucky copies you tried.

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 20 2010

 

So Ken...were the "Horse S**" cigarettes manufactured by Dunghill's ?! (Just askin'!)

 

Ian

[General Apathy]

So Ken...were the "Horse S**" cigarettes manufactured by Dunghill's ?! (Just askin'!)

 

Ian

 

As I recall on the rear of the pack it states ' Home grown American filling, none of that imported foreign S*** ' ( just saying ! )

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 20 2010

[General Apathy]

Hi Forum Members & Readers.

 

Sunday morning 19th September at the St Mere Eglise Airborne museum was the unvieling of a new display dedicated to native American involvement in D-day. A special display was constructed and featuring two native Americans in full jump gear and war paint, an excellent display.

 

Below is a link to the local newspaper coverage of the event and a rough translation of the reportage in the newspaper.

 

http://www.lamanchelibre.fr/L39indien-Gero...1.media?a=13003

 

 

Harlyn Geronimo, the descendant of the famous Indian warrior, came in the Cotentin Sunday, September 19. He visited several sites of the D-Day. After opening the International Fair of Caen, Harlyn Geronimo, the great grand-son of the famous Apache warrior, came into the St Mere Eglise museum Sunday, September 19. With his wife, they visited Pointe du Hoc and Sainte-Mere-Eglise. A special visit because his father had landed in June 1944. A monument has just been inaugurated in honor of Native American people in the museum.

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 20 2010

[Johan Willaert]

Hi Ken,

 

Any pictures of the actual display???

[General Apathy]

Hi Ken,

 

Any pictures of the actual display???

 

Hi Johan, I will see what I can arrange in the next couple of days. :think: :thumbsup:

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 20 2010

[General Apathy]

 

 

Hi Forum Members & Readers,

 

Today I passed through the village of Chef du Pont and took the opportunity to take a ' Then & Now ' comparison photographs, unfortunately due to the extensive damage that occurred in WWII in it was virtually impossible to line up the exact spot from which the 1945 photograph was taken. The only thing that is constant in both shots is the top of the water tower above the houses.

 

You will note that the buildings pre war appear to have been three floors and a loft if you count the window spaces of the buildings on the left, when rebuilt however maybe due to costs or shortage of materials the post war constructions were not built to the pre-war designs. It also appears that fewer house were re-built and the red roofed garage on the left is now the first building as you enter the village and so it was impossible to position the water tower in the same position as in the wartime photograph.

 

With such damage and loss of their homes it's a wonder that the French people were so warm to the liberators, but in most part they were and shared what they could with the American soldiers.

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 26 2010

[kammo-man]

Ken ,

Are there any ghost stories relating to WW2 that you have came across anywhere in Normandy ?

owen

[General Apathy]

 

 

Ken ,

Are there any ghost stories relating to WW2 that you have came across anywhere in Normandy ?

owen

 

 

Hi Owen, erm, there is always some minor conversations about strange happenings of sightings or bumps and noises heard :w00t: , but who knows nothing can ever be proven or contested. :think:

 

Back to the village of Chef du Pont, it's about four or five miles from St Mere Eglise and it was an objective to capture as it has a river and bridge on the main road in the direction of Picauville. This monument at the edge of the village and next to the bridge is dedicated to the 508th PIR.

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, September 26 2010