Here’s an “alphabet buckle” (all letters, no design) for the “West Texas Military Academy”. Founded in 1893, it consolidated with the San Antonio Academy in 1926 to become the Texas Military Institute (now TMI Episcopal). So this buckle is pre-1926:  

Hi all, ive just got this bracelet, Vini Vidi Vici [VINI spealt wrong ?] with crew members Sol , Hammy, Johnny, Jeff, George , Dan.   i can see there was a B17 and a B24 with this name but crew lists dont usually have nic names , maybe neeeds some one with knowledge of crews to help if poss.

YhanksY Thanks for that. I have owned these for nearly 20 years now and don't see them around nowadays.   CB

. Then & Now Ste Mere Eglise.   A photograph taken at the outskirts of Ste Mere Eglise coming in on the road from Utah beach, inhabitants welcoming the American troops, the small building was repaired post war and a garage built into the wall to the left of this small building note the small window above the large front window.    I just tried to go to the supermarket in Ste Mere and just about every available parking space is taken up throughout the town, and this is a month before all the military stuff starts rolling into town both regular army units and also the collectors vehicles. I took this comparison shot and got out of town asap.             Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, 02 May  2O26.   ..

located the photos of a vet I was good friends with. Here you see him with his 1911 he carried and his V42 . Both were with him when part of the assault/ battle on  Monte La Difensa.     

I have just acquired a pretty rare and unique musette bag that is named to  GySgt George Edward Tucker - HQ, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd MarDiv KIA Guam 23rd July 1944. The bag is an Atlantic Product Co 1941 dated bag and has been modified to be able to carry a shovel. I have requested his file so will be able up update on him soon hopefully but find it fascinating that this has the same UNIS in the same yellow paint 321. I thought I would share as always thought this map case looked awesome!

robinb,   I'm glad that you kept that for reference. Thank you for digging it out and posting. It helps explain a couple of other packboards that I've seen.   J.T.  

. end of a days work   On Friday Mike and I made the four formers for the knitted wheels to cover,  along with metal tubes for the axles.   After finishing we sat in the sunshine and had a couple of gin and tonics, Mike said it sounded like the weather would be changing for the weekend and asked if I had seen any forecasts.  I replied it's going to be King Charles, Mike said why  had I answered the question with King Charles, I laughed and replied King Charles the ' reigning ' monarch . . . . . . . . . . . meaning it will be raining.  🤣 🤣   Bottom photo showing a BBC news report featuring the Jeep in the exhibition.          Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, 02 May  2O26.   ..    

Hey look at that I was right for once! Glad you found an ID 👍

here is my numbered knife from veteran of  5-2  one of two the vet brought home. Mine is numbered 386.    Met around 40 vets over the years of the FSSF. Have seen around 8-10 V42s in veterans' hands and some are numbered some are not.  I didnt bother to record the numbers at the time nor got photos as the camera phones didn't exist back then. One of the vets here had a V42 with another's name on the scabbard. When I inquired about that he stated when they returned from Norway, they were instructed to turn in their knives on ship and the knives were crated up. When they got state side and debarked from the ship the crate was opened and a knife was handed to them. I dont know if all of the men turned in their knives this was his recollection and he got another's knife when handed back out.