TREASURES OF WAR
WW2 Medal Grouping US 8th Air Force Prisoner of War (Stalag XVIIB 17B),
Flying a B17 Bomber shot down by a Messerschmitt
Michael Joseph Trainor from Lawrence, MA (Massachusetts), A Tech Sgt with the 381st Sqd.on Group mission 59 to bomb airrcraft factories at Oschersleleben, Germany when his B17 was struck by an ME109. (MACR 1875) he was a POW at Stalag Luft XVIIb in Austria.
Stalag (XVIIb) 17B was situated near the village of Gniexendorf. The camp iwas in use as a concentration camp from 1938 until 1940, when it began receiving French and Poles as the first POWs.
Micheal a Radio operator, Larson crew. 381st BG, 534th BS, 8th AF. Shot down 11 January 1944 in B-17 #42-3118 'Green Hornet'. Mission #59 to the aircraft factories at Oschersleben, Germany. Struck by an Messerschmitt ME109. MACR 1875, taken Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft XVIIb.
The 1st Bomb Wing/381st BG did not hear the recall while over the continent. 180 out of 700 bombers continued the mission without fighter cover. The 381st BG earned its second Distinguished Unit Citation.
Technical Sargeant Micheal J Trainor Radio Operator/Air Gunner with the 381st Bomb Group 534th Squadron flying B-17 42-3118 “Green Hornet” out of Ridgeway.
This group consists of the following items:
1.Named and boxed Purple Heart Medal with spare PH ribbon bar, pin back.
2. Named and boxed Air Medal with spare ribbon bar, clutch back.
3. POW Post card sent to his wife Rose from a transit camp and dated 16th January 1944.
4. POW Post card sent to his mother Nora from a transit camp and dated 19th February 1944.
5. POW camp ID Photo and holding his ID board.
6. Photo Album containing 79+ photos mainly of his time training in the USA.
Middle of the album has had the photos removed, which I think would have been taken at Ridgewell, sadly these are missing.
7. Copy of the Missing Air Crew Report.​​​
Above 42-3118, GD-C B17 Bomber 'The Green Hornet'
On 13 October 1943, 1350 non-commissioned officers of the Air Force were transferred from Stalag 7A to Stalag 17B, which already contained PWs from France, Italy, Russia, Yugoslavia and various smaller nations. By January 1944, the strength had increased to 2667. From then until the last days of the war, a constant stream of NCOs arrived from Dulag Luft and strength reached nearly 5000, in spite of protestations to the detaining Power about the over crowed conditions. The entire camp contained 29,794 prisoners of war of various nations.
LIBERATION OF STALAG (XVIIB) 17B: On 3 May 1945 the camp was liberated when 6 men of the 13th Armored Division arrived in 3 jeeps and easily captured the remaining guards who numbered 205. Other units of the 13th Armored followed shortly and organized the evacuation of the POWs by C-47 to France on 9 May 1945.
Stalag (XVIIb) 17B, inspired a film in 1953 called “Stalag 17”, directed by Billy Wilder, starring William Holden, also it was a Broadway play of the same name, which in turn was based on the real-life experiences of Donald Bevan and Edmund Trzcinski as prisoners of war at Stalag 17B in Austria. The film, like the play, explores the dynamics within a German POW camp during World War II. Stalag 17 also inspired the 1960s television hit series Hogan's Heroes.
WW2 U.S Army T.N.T Block & Electrical Detonator & Wire
WW2 U.S Army T.N.T Block & Electrical Detonator
U.S half pound block of T.N.T for front line demolitions complete with electrical detonator on its length of original wire. Filled with an inert silicone to give a realistic full weight. Both items INERT & F.F.E
US WW2 Lucky Strike Cigarettes in early series 111, 1940-41
Original US WW2 Lucky Strike Cigarettes in early green package, series 111 which dates to 1940-41, have been opened although seal still intact and with original Cigarettes.
WWII US Army 8th Air Force Patch
A standard American made 8th USAAF patch. Full wing design, used and removed from uniform with light service wear.
Mighty Eighth tasked with the daylight bombing. In total, the 8th Air Force lost over 26,000 men. An additional 28,000 men became prisoners of war. Aircraft losses were also grim: 10, 561 planes of varying types were shot down, 4754 of those were B-17 heavy bombers.
WW2 Canadian Camp Wainwright Trophy plaque head of an America Buffalo “Bison”
​This is an interesting plaque which has the head of an America Buffalo “Bison”, also a small silver plated plaque engraved “Presented to SQMS (Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant)
T. Mortimer From Ration Supply Group Camp Wainwright Canada.
The Buffalo National Park was closed in 1940 and the property leased by the Government of Alberta to the Department of National Defence (DND) for the creation of an ammunition storage facility as well as an army training camp. Property and used the facility for live-fire artillery, armoured and infantry training.
Called Wainwright Military Camp, or just Camp Wainwright, after the nearby Canadian National Railways division point, the facility was used as a prisoner of war (POW) internment camp for 523 captured German officers, soldiers and civilians from its first day of operation to 1,100 POWs at its peak. During the 16 months as a POW camp, only two prisoners made a successful escape.
Normandy Relics
This is a Shadow box I've made myself from some of the finds while I was metal detecting in Normandy in 2004, these finds are from Utah Beach and Carentan area. I also collected the sand from each of the 5 Normandy beaches. An interesting array of US items, but note the Dummy round "bullet" in the right hand corner of the box, this is dated 1962, NOT WW2, arguably the best WW2 war film was filmed on and around Utah Beach in 1962 which was "The Longest Day" this was found in dunes on Utah Beach, so there is more than a good chance this is a film prop dummy round from the film that was dropped and never fired.