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Nazi Armband, GI Signed


J.S.
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I found this Nazi arm band at my local antique store. The owner didn't know anything about it, other than that it had been signed by the GI's who had captured it. I did some research and confirmed two of the signers to be members of the 90th Infantry Division.

post-153699-0-10789100-1468547187.jpeg

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manayunkman

I hate to say this but I'm not too sure about that piece.

 

First of all it looks like the same hand signed all the names and they look too new.

 

Secondly the material doesn't look like the type used.

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I've had armbands of that type fabric, or very similar...usually later, often printed versions

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That is awesome. Get a good deal on it? I would have no clue what it is worth.

I wanted to see what members on the forum thought before I made any decisions. However, it does have the names of several GI's from the 90th Division, and it was with an ETO ribbon w/ campaign star, PUC w/ oak leaf cluster, and an original Christmas Prayer card delivered to the 3rd Army in Christmas 1944. There were also several photos of GI's with artillery pieces in the same group, and at least one of the signatories was a PFC with the 345th FAB during the Rhine River crossing and subsequent engagements. The whole group tells a great story if real.

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Rakkasan187

Very nice..

 

No issues with this armband.. I have several in my collection that are of this manufacturing style. The multipiece swastika using mutliple folds is very nice, and common..

 

This may have been a late war manufactured armband due to the red backing material being partnered with an early war type swastika, the red material looks as if it were some sort of flag material..

 

Leigh

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I know I do not post much on this forum. But I do collect a lot of German pieces and have been collecting for many years. The piece looks good to me. Some of the names could have been written by one person, not uncommon to be written by one person to remember who was there to remember a fire fight, all night drunk.....etc.

Marty

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Looks like its had both ends cut off. As a German piece by itself I don't believe it has a lot of value. In combination with the other items from that Vet it makes a good addition to the grouping.

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Great, thanks so much for everybody's feedback! I'm headed back to the shop tomorrow, hopefully to pick up the group's PUC and look at wartime photographs of the possible owner of the armband.

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manayunkman

Is it just a piece of arm band ?

 

What does the back look like ?

 

Neither of the linked armbands match the style of this one as they are not Zig Zag stitched.

 

The ink looks new not 70 years old.

 

And the zig zag stitch looks wrong.

 

Zig zag was a waste of thread and tends to be seen on earlier felt backed armbands.

 

But German Zig Zag doesn't look like this one.

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I agree, I'm not a fan of this one for several reasons. The stitching looks wrong, but I have seen armbands with that swazi constuction.

 

The handwriting looks to all be the same. I've seen "tribute" items done post-war, such as somebody making a 'capture flag' using a unit roster.

 

 

Is it just a piece of arm band ?

 

What does the back look like ?

 

Neither of the linked armbands match the style of this one as they are not Zig Zag stitched.

 

The ink looks new not 70 years old.

 

And the zig zag stitch looks wrong.

 

Zig zag was a waste of thread and tends to be seen on earlier felt backed armbands.

 

But German Zig Zag doesn't look like this one.

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I am in the camp that it is good...particularly as it was accompanied by US photos and insignias, and nothing sexy to make one think it was added to spice things up and was being pieced out

 

WAF would be able to give you more opinions.

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  • 3 weeks later...
90thDivHistory

Hello,

Just wanted to add a little info here. I looked up all of the men on the flag and the only one that came up on any of the rosters that I have was E.J. Geste, and he was from the 345th. You said several of the men who signed were from the 90th. Could you please tell me what source you are citing? I can't confirm it so perhaps you have some information that I am lacking. If they are not from the 90th as well, it is most likely that the other names were from a unit that he served with in occupation or on the way home.

 

Thanks for your time and it looks to be a neat group.

 

Respectfully,

Tyler Alberts

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The armband looks fine to me, it's is an known Early War N.S.D.A.P. related party-armband made partly linen and woven.

 

Looks like someone dolled it up with a Sharpie.

 

CDub

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