Grouping of Norman Rockey - Italy, France, Switzerland

[MajorBonacelli]

A recent EBay grouping I purchased. It belongs to a Norman Rockey of Washington, who from the little research I was able to do enlisted in 1942 and was discharged in December of 1945. I have yet been able to identify his unit, but from the items it is certain he was involved in the Liberation of Rome (the small sign is one that hung at the entrance to a workshop in the Italian city of Civitavecchia, just outside Rome), the Liberation of Naples (a nice 5th Army Medal for the Liberation of the city and an Italian coin souvenir embedded within lava from Mount Vesuvius), and the Battle of the Bulge (a blue envelope from the “Hotel du Commerce in Bastogne-Sud” has a note on it from Rockey saying he picked it up during the “Bulge” but the hotel was “almost completely destroyed”). His medal bar consists of a GCM and a EAME Medal with three bronze stars. Besides that, he has Liberation money from Italy and France, as well as some prewar French and German coins and bills and War-time Dutch and French coins. After the cease of hostilities in Europe, he traveled Switzerland extensively (all the war-era Swiss pamphlets etc.) He brought back some Swiss money and a watch or two (one of which was in the grouping). The Philippine Peso seems to be the odd man out, but I suspect he got it from a friend or family member that was in the Pacific. I’d love to identify his unit, so any assistance would be welcomed!

[Backtheattack]

In the middle of your pic, is this a new testament from the "Gideons"? Think I notice their sign, the amphora. Don`t know this organisations starts at wartime.

[katieony]

A really interesting group...thank you for posting!

 

[manayunkman]

Love the ashtray 

[MajorBonacelli]

2 hours ago, Backtheattack said:

In the middle of your pic, is this a new testament from the "Gideons"? Think I notice their sign, the amphora. Don`t know this organisations starts at wartime.

It is! Gideon Bible with the FDR page etc., so it is definitely War-time.

[Backtheattack]

Very interesting, thank you for your response. As I said I didn`t know they start at wartime. Have a modern one bible from them, given during my shooltime. Did a little research, the "Bierbrauerei Interlaken" is in Switzerland, Brewery Rubenbräu at the "Berner Oberland".