⭐️ If you've watched a few episodes and feel like I've earned it, be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any new content when it comes out. Also be sure to check out The Gettysburg Museum of History and their store at gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com.
I really enjoy the content I find on The History Underground. You've more than earned my "Likes" and subscription. I'm planning a day trip to the museum in Gettysburg. Hope to get the chance to meet you or Eric.
So i saw Mike Wolfe from American Pickers over the Christmas holiday and told him about that civil war collection post and told him to stop by the GMOH and check out the place. He was interested in seeing stuff, maybe yall can all do a collaboration sometime. He was having lunch and i was busy so it was brief but he said he really wanted that post when he saw it years ago. Pretty cool
My grandfather's brother was a farmer in southern Bavaria/Germany. Many SS soldiers discarded their uniforms in the woods surrounding his farm in an attempt to hide their SS membership. So he gathered a lot of those badges, medals and whatnot and traded these items to US soldiers for food, cigarettes and so on. From one of these trades came a .45 caliber Remington Rand 1911 A1, which is still in our family today.
It sounds pretty embellished to me. The SS rarely ever surrendered just like the Japanese they were too fanatical. The only ones really captured were old men and little boys forced into service toawards the end and the strict standards to become SS were abandoned. That's why you get Finnish SS, Ukranian SS, Hungarian SS, etc. Also ditching their uniforms would've done nothing for them cuz they all had to get tattooed under their arms so they were all marked. That's why you see prisoners being forced to take off their shirts in a lot of pow videos. I'm not saying that there weren't cases of some of the things happening but to the extent you make it seem is just to far fetched for me to believe.
@@austinpowers8550 Well, if it sounds embellished to you, so be it. I don't care. All I can tell you is, I do metal detecting as a hobby and even today, 80 years later, I still find SS related stuff where we live (Werdenfelser Land and adjacent counties) every now and then.
Between each of your videos, I like to watch history content on some others channels, because I like history, like so many of us. But each time a new video from your channel pops out, I reflect upon the fantastic quality of your channel. Your presentation is perfect, the camera recording, and the editing. What a pleasure to watch your videos.
Worked with a guy who was a big WW2 buff. He purchased a German service motorcycle with side car with a Swastika on the gas tank and side car. Ran great.
My dad was a ww2 marine who fought on Okinawa. But my uncle and other family fought in Europe and North Africa. I was given a ww2 luftwaffe decal helmet in 1973 by my uncle. I still have. Along with other stuff.
Whatever context people view these as, at the end of the day, they are historical relics and SHOULD be perfectly presented the way you guys do. It's history, thank you for sharing.
I love learning something new every time you post a new video. We must cherish and learn from history. Its frustrating how many people try to twist and erase history in order to push their narrative this day and age.
People need to understand that viewing and collecting war trophies are not to glorify their former "owners" or their beliefs but to remember those dark moments in the worlds history and preserve the memories for generations to come. "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." I live in western Pennsylvania and visit Gettysburg whenever I can and have gone to the Gettysburg Museum of History (and recommend it to anyone who goes to Gettysburg) dozens of times and plan to visit many more times. Erik, you and your staff have done an INCREDIBLE job. Please continue for many years to come.
My grandfather served as a nurse in the European theater and he came back with an German insignia patch. We know that he guarded prisoners and has photos showing it. He also came back with some other items such as photos of the old army war college in Carlisle PA. And an old german fighter jet bullet that had been fired and penetrated the tent that he was in.
Mark Bando deserves a ton of credit for what he has done for the 101st WWII history preservation. He was literally doing this stuff in the late 60s and 70s. No one knows more than him on the subject - period!!
wow- thanks so much for this video- every artifact tells a story, from either side of the conflict- these little pieces put things in perspective, and remind us of who we were, and maybe NOT to go back that way again. Much love and respect for the time, dedication and preserving of these articles for generations who will know next nothing about them in time. Keep history alive...
My grandfather served in the Navy on a destroyer off Okinawa. He never talked much about it but i know they were routinely attacked by Japanese kamikaze. After he passed away my father found a Japanese rifle with the bayonet still attached in a closet. Nobody in the family ever remembers him mentioning the rifle or the story behind it. I wonder ever if they had Japanese prisoners on board his ship and that’s how he came across it. We’ll never know.
An old gentleman up the road had been in Africa, Sicily, and Anzio. He was wounded in Italy, and sent home. When he passed, his wife auctioned off most of the stuff in the barns and outbuildings. I obtained a German army helmet in dark green, and another medic helmet, which is white with red crosses. Got them both for $12. My uncle had to buy an Italian Carcano for me, as I was only 15 years old. I paid $15 for it, because the older men thought that it was missing the magazine. It's pretty cool to look at these items, and know where they were picked up, and to have known the soldier who brought them home.
Erik a very nice collection of the SS memorabilia. As this Generation disappears. Yes JD these are war trophies of a victory in WW2 Thanks for sharing this with us. 💯👍👊
Love the picture of the guys with the uniform jacket. I always find how interesting it is how the men got their war trophies. To me that picture says it all. Thanks you both for sharing.👍
“The English fight for honour, the French for glory, the Americans fight for souvenirs,” somebody in 1918. At 9:50, the German counterattack, Operation Luttich, was an attempt to contain the American breakout in Normandy. The German counterattack at Mortain was a disaster.
I have an officers SS shoulder insignia my father's best friend brought back. He wrote a letter for me on where and when he got it and gave it to me. He knew I was a history buff. He also had a German SS helmet with the SS scraped off by the soldier who wore it. And he had a K98 German mauser rifle. I wanted both of these items badly but they stayed within his family. He was a good guy.
My great uncle was in the battle of the buldge. He brought back an Iron cross, a swastika arm band and a K98 bayonet and gave My Dad. I have the bayonet to this day.
I see a rare Bandenkampf Abzeichen. If it came from an SS soldier, it is really rare. Offcourse, there is no to prove it was awarded to a member of the SS, since there is no Verleihungs Urkunde, but still, a very rare piece. Thx for sharing!
Very impressive. One comment. The host does a wonderful job by specifying that this is not a tribute to nazis and the Waffen SS. However, it was not only the victory of Americans but the Allies. One of my uncles landed on Juno Beach on D-Day and was with Régiment de la Chaudière (French Canadian Regiment). I'm so proud of what these young men accomplished. Keep up the good work.
I have some of my father's war memorabilia. Kid battalion Belgium,France, Germany. One piece is a Muslim fezz waffen ss. I'm not sure how to feel about it, I was taught to not glorify war.He would never speak of it,but for some reason he kept that hat.He was twenty years old.736 tank battalion they were all under the age of twenty hand picked coming from difficult childhoods
It's amazing how all of us are so fascinated with WW2 history and in particular, the war with Germany. Personally, I couldn't care less about Japanese, N. Korean or N.Vietnamese uniforms or equipment. What draws us to being so enthralled with WW2 German items from the equipment they used to their uniforms. I mentioned in another UA-cam contributors comments that US soldiers from Korea (the forgotten war), Vietnam and the wars or conflicts after must feel under appreciated for their brave efforts. UA-cam, the media, movies and TV shows all cover WW2 extensively. Yes, it was the last 'good' US war that had firm victories and it was global. IDK, I just wonder why that war has such a strong following/passion for so many, myself included.
I think interest in an aspect of WW2 depends on what part of the country you're from. Back in the 1970s and 1980s there wasn't much interest collecting-wise in the Pacific Theater of WW2 on the East Coast but there was a very strong interest in it on the West Coast, just as strong as the European Theater for that matter. Whether that's still the case I don't know.
The father of a friend was a tanker in the Third Army. Every time they knocked out a German tank, they'd capture its flag...and cut out the swastika. Went home with a whole bunch of them only to find out the entire flag was way more valuable than a cutout. D'oh!!
Another great video. I agree with you both that it celebrates what our grandfathers did back then. Mine lost his leg fighting in France. Anyone who celebrates Nazis are at best fools! I've lived in Germany 13 years. I've heard countless German vets and their stories. It is amazing to hear their side as well. Scary sometimes too!
I’d like to tell you the story of my grandfather who served in the Waffen SS. He had an argument and a fistfight with his boss at work when he was 18. The judge gave him two options, go to jail or volunteer to the Waffen SS. When the war started he was part of Germania Division and made it to Russia as a Truck driver. Most of the civilians he meet received them well because they were hoping to get rid of Stalinism. He had a short relationship with a farmer’s daughter before they had to move on. The Russian farmer wanted history stay but it obviously wasn’t possible. After his truck was destroyed during an accident in a snowstorm he served as part of a machine gun team. He was wounded and brought to a hospital, meanwhile his division was completely demolished. He then fought in „Das Reich“ and „Wiking Division“. Mostly in Jugoslavia against partisans. At the last days of the war he burned out his SS blood type tattoo with a hot iron to make it appear as an gunshot wound,buried his medals and uniform insignias and surrendered to the British in Austria. He worked in a POW Camp as a Truck Driver and meet my grandmother also in Austria. He told me that they always fought till the end because they knew what would happen to them if they got captured by the Russians. After the war he suffered from PTSD as all the veterans did. He drank after work and got into some bar fights as a result of this. He never hit his children, always ate at last, when everyone have had enough food and was a nice guy to be around. Like his whole generation he was forced to fight in a war for the wrong reasons, never meet the „underhumas“ the Nazis told them he will face there.
I can't wait to revisit the museum again. Do we have a timeframe on when the extension will be open? I made it up there a week before the 160th anniversary. Got to meet JD, Mr. Dorr and his wife. Was probably the best memory I have in recent memory. Got ice cream learned all kinds of stuff about the artillery due to reenactors from the artillery doing a demonstration and discussion on the topic. All around great time.
As always I thoroughly enjoy your videos, great work and job to all involved! To the victor's go the trophies and all of these trophies declare the victory won! So thankful for those who preserve and present history from all sides because it all matters! Keep up the great job!
My grandfather was 1945 in the age of 56 years and in duty as a policeman ( in german : Oberlandjäger). When our village was occupied by american forces in April 1945, he told me, that the first thing what happend to him was that he was liberated from his watch, his shoulder badges ( in german: Schulterstücke = Dienstgradabzeichen) and his Iron Cross First Class ( in German: EK 1) which he deserved as a member of the german imperial Army in WW I. So he always talked about americans as our liberators. In common sense this was an act of robbery. Full honour for thousands of american soldiers and officers who died the same.
Just awesome videos you make,I wish I could sit in a theatre and drink Pepsi and eat popcorn all day and watch these. Sad my Grandfather had a bib stash of German trinkets,knives,guns and they went around the ship on his way home and told them to throw them in the "Drink" or they would get in trouble. He and most others did and he said as they got off the ship no one even looked at him let alone checked anything. He was bummed
Idk how exactly to feel about this one; for one thing is an insignia that was acquired from a live prisoner in a POW camp after the surrender the same caliber of war trophy as one that was acquired on the battlefield? That's exactly how a lot of insignia was acquired, often traded by prisoners themselves for cigarettes and other things. They were also traded openly among GIs, to the point that just because something came out of someone's collection doesn't mean that they are the person that acquired it, or even from the same unit that fought that particular ememy. Speaking of that ememy, in the case of Waffen SS units I understand your desire to make clear that you aren't celebrating their ideology in any way but I believe that those men deserve respect as soldiers. They often faced incredible odds and didn't shirk from thier duties even when undermanned, under supplied, and outgunned. The units that faced them admired thier tenacity, that's for sure. While i am the grandson of a veteran of both the Pacific and ETO and grew up in awe of what that great generation accomplished, the older I got the more I realized that even our enemies were doing what they thought was right and that on the individual level of most soldiers ideology isn't what they are fighting for.
My Dad was in the 160th Combat Engineer Battalion in the ETO that was at D Day & the battle of the bulge. He only brought home a few things, a siver panzer badge and a nskk stickpin.which I still have. When Dachau was liberated a lot of GIs took home unused SS insignia that was produced at the camp, some are still available on dealers' sites I have known Bill Shea for over 20 years, and I still have an unissued tropical SS eagle with the Rzm tag. Even though they were made for troops in tropical areas they were also used on the dot camo patterned Waffen SS uniforms.
One time I was offered a German Luger from WW2 for $500. I didn't have the money for it though. They said it still had bloodstains on it.... My brother fought in Desert Storm. He said someone was caught trying to bring a body part home... War is hell.
The WW2 Museum in New Orleans has a big chunk of concrete that was taken from a destroyed bunker which was part of the Atlantic Wall in Normandie, France. It sits outside of the building, quite immovable.
Another awesome video guys ty so much for sharing . Sad you had to explain yourself and intention in the end there. Pretty obvious to me... keep them coming and ty for all you guys do.
The difference in this case between british and american behavior in treating german war prisioners ist honorable behavior in the one side and robbery one the other. So simple ist american behavior to explain.
When I was a kid in the 1980’s. My grandparents had German neighbors. The basement was full of old nazi relics from the war. He was an SS officer I guess.
My father served with a B25 squadron In North Africa supporting the British. The British could not take trophies so they would tell the US airmen where they could find some. On one of these scavenger hunts my father found a complete uniform of a SS colonel and rifle. He was able to keep these through out remaining war, but when they were returning home the planes had to stop in Brazil. The planes were guarded by the Brazilian army and the next day all the war trophies were gone.
My grandfather brought back dishes from the eagles nest with Nazi & SS logos on the dishes also silverware like seen on Band of Brother. Also several watches
Back in 1981, I was working with a tough old WWI vet at the Bell Aerospace Company in Niagara Falls. Once he got to know me he told me some harrowing stories. He was a tough old bird. He’d get some skin cancer cut off of his face and come to work with his stitches hanging out. He hated the Germans and told some interesting stories.
I remember seeing photos of soldiers of one of the U.S Infantry Divisions (I think 2nd Battalion, 119th IR of the 30th ID "Old Hickory" but who knows) around Saint-Lo wearing and trying on 2nd SS "Das Reich" Panzer Division (2nd-SS Panzer Regiment) Black Panzermann Jackets captured after the battle. I think the best part of the video is the name reveals of who captured these uniforms, you can only imagine what the guys felt when they found this stuff. If anyone has the book "Dying for Saint-Lo: Hedgerow Hell, July 1944 by Didier Lodieu" the photos in there.
In recent years, the last 20 few, 'war trophies' were often confiscated before leaving the country. I remember having my stuff checked leaving and customs using x-ray when we got back to the states. We got a few things through but it was by a mislabel on a box or something. The movies "Three Kings' or 'Kelly's Heroes' has nothing on the amount of 'stuff' that was seen in a few places. BTW, 'Kelly's Heroes' was a far superior movie.
I used to work with former German soldiers. I know I am aging myself, but they had jobs on US military bases of all places. If they had uniforms, they had to keep them hidden, as the insignias and such were illegal in modern Germany.
I'm a collector of all war and nations my main interest is German stuff 3 days ago here in Australia the government quietly passed a law that here in Australia if we trade ss or Swazi marked history items we can be charged with terrorism charges it's absolute bull 🐂💩
This was a video about American bring backs in WWII. So the focus stayed on the Americans. In videos where I talk about the British or the Canadians, I don't mention the Americans.
Why do we all know about all these great battles after the US invaded Normandy and why do not we know so much about Russian battles against Germany, even though they were the ones to enter Berlin ?@@TheHistoryUnderground
My Grandfather had a sack full of SS daggers and Luger pistols he picked up in France…..Sold them all on the ship on the way home….regretted that his entire life
Well spoken, JD! I wonder if the German soldiers appreciated the irony of wearing those tags that said "prisoner of war", since they tagged Jewish people the same way... I love all your videos. Another great one!
Each "cut-off" is absolute proof of American victory and superiority over the enemy. It was Gi's cutting German uniforms, not the other way around. Each "cut-off" tells me Vanquished by Victorious. Period.
According to several historians the German army had never been up against a I adversary like the American army. Fortunately, for the American troops, the Germans were preoccupied on the Russian front. otherwise the invasion of Europe would have been a disaster.
8 out of 10 German casualties were caused by the Soviets in the East during WW2. That statistic always blows my mind,it shows how bad the fighting really was in the East.
The whole friendly fire due to the American troops wearing camo clothing that appeared similar to the WAffen ss had been thoroughly debunked. A small amount of camouflage clothing was issued to US troops prior to Normandy and once that limited release was exhausted they reverted to wearing the standard olive green uniforms
Where we pulled that was from veteran interviews that historian Mark Bando conducted with Normandy veterans. Many of them repeated that to him that the camo pattern was phased out because it was too close to the German pattern. I wonder if this was a soldier rumor that made it's way around.
The source for that was 101st Airborne historian, Mark Bando, who got that directly from several different veteran interviews that he conducted. I wonder if there was possibly some sort of soldier rumor on the ground at the time.
@@TheHistoryUnderground the short version is that HBT uniforms of any type were required in very large numbers, camo HBT was a limited standard item by June 1944 and the limited numbers were sent because they were HBT not because they were camo. When they wore out by August 1944 due to combat wear and sun fading they were replaced with regular HBT fatigues or just wools as it was much warmer by August. It seems there were GI rumours and post war speculation. Paul J Anderts 2nd Armored book tells his experience during Operation Cobra. Thanks for replying, I enjoy watching your videos, especially the veterans.
I have to ask the history underground this question.my late father who served with Patton during world war 2 brought home a Walther pistol which according to him came from a SS panzer colonel.for many years it was lost, until recently my sister found it.i don't know if the pistol is whermacht issue or a personal weapon of the German officer.any way to answer this question??
my dad served from 42 to 46 . 41st recon, for 11th armoed div. he was all over europe. was one of relieveing troops at battel of the bulge. i hav several items he brought back. one is skull n crossbone ring ,he took off of S S oficer. the eye sockets r emty. he said there were rubies in them.
This video was focused solely on American bringbacks. In videos where I talk about the British or the Canadians, I typically don’t mention the Americans. Likewise, when I’m in Normandy, I usually don’t mention the Soviets or the Chinese. But yes, broadly speaking, it was the Allies who defeated the Axis Powers.
@@TheHistoryUnderground sorry, but it doesn’t matter if it was relics brought back by Americans, the sentiment is that WW2 in Europe was won by Americans, whereas it was British, Canadian and som French forces that fought through Northern Europe. Sadly, too many channels on YT think it was only a US event and forget U.K. resistance until the US came to the U.K in 42/43.
@@moobaz8675 - Well, I hope that you’ll explore the channel and see where I’ve both covered and given credit to the contributions of the British and Canadians.
@@moobaz8675 we helped the brits and gave them all our supplies!!!!!!!!!!!!!! churchill cried to FDR for help and for the US to lend the UK guns, tanks, ships everything!!!!!!! and the UK forgets still to this day. we should of let the luftwaffe keep pounding England. Disgrace
So many different things that were brought back as souvenirs by our soldiers. I have a couple cutoffs that I should bring for Erik to look at next time I'm in Gettysburg. He'll probably tell me they're knockoffs😂
the history is written by the winners! we could see the trophies the germans stole from the americans who committed similar crimes but not the same ones for sure
⭐️ If you've watched a few episodes and feel like I've earned it, be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any new content when it comes out.
Also be sure to check out The Gettysburg Museum of History and their store at gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com.
I really enjoy the content I find on The History Underground. You've more than earned my "Likes" and subscription.
I'm planning a day trip to the museum in Gettysburg. Hope to get the chance to meet you or Eric.
You have earned it JD!!
So i saw Mike Wolfe from American Pickers over the Christmas holiday and told him about that civil war collection post and told him to stop by the GMOH and check out the place. He was interested in seeing stuff, maybe yall can all do a collaboration sometime. He was having lunch and i was busy so it was brief but he said he really wanted that post when he saw it years ago. Pretty cool
@@itsamaggooful - Yeah, if you see him again, tell him to give me a holler. Would love to work with him at some point.
correction the jews won america is now lost
My grandfather's brother was a farmer in southern Bavaria/Germany. Many SS soldiers discarded their uniforms in the woods surrounding his farm in an attempt to hide their SS membership. So he gathered a lot of those badges, medals and whatnot and traded these items to US soldiers for food, cigarettes and so on. From one of these trades came a .45 caliber Remington Rand 1911 A1, which is still in our family today.
It sounds pretty embellished to me. The SS rarely ever surrendered just like the Japanese they were too fanatical. The only ones really captured were old men and little boys forced into service toawards the end and the strict standards to become SS were abandoned. That's why you get Finnish SS, Ukranian SS, Hungarian SS, etc. Also ditching their uniforms would've done nothing for them cuz they all had to get tattooed under their arms so they were all marked. That's why you see prisoners being forced to take off their shirts in a lot of pow videos. I'm not saying that there weren't cases of some of the things happening but to the extent you make it seem is just to far fetched for me to believe.
@@austinpowers8550 Well, if it sounds embellished to you, so be it. I don't care. All I can tell you is, I do metal detecting as a hobby and even today, 80 years later, I still find SS related stuff where we live (Werdenfelser Land and adjacent counties) every now and then.
@@austinpowers8550lol what are you talking about. That’s not even remotely historically correct.
Between each of your videos, I like to watch history content on some others channels, because I like history, like so many of us. But each time a new video from your channel pops out, I reflect upon the fantastic quality of your channel. Your presentation is perfect, the camera recording, and the editing. What a pleasure to watch your videos.
Thank you! I really do appreciate that.
I second this comment! 👍😀
Worked with a guy who was a big WW2 buff. He purchased a German service motorcycle with side car with a Swastika on the gas tank and side car. Ran great.
Wow!
My dad was a ww2 marine who fought on Okinawa. But my uncle and other family fought in Europe and North Africa. I was given a ww2 luftwaffe decal helmet in 1973 by my uncle. I still have. Along with other stuff.
Whatever context people view these as, at the end of the day, they are historical relics and SHOULD be perfectly presented the way you guys do.
It's history, thank you for sharing.
From what I see political leaders in Australia are proposing to ban anything with a German swastika on it.
Exactly , thats on them, if they chose to be butthurt .
I love learning something new every time you post a new video. We must cherish and learn from history. Its frustrating how many people try to twist and erase history in order to push their narrative this day and age.
People need to understand that viewing and collecting war trophies are not to glorify their former "owners" or their beliefs but to remember those dark moments in the worlds history and preserve the memories for generations to come. "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." I live in western Pennsylvania and visit Gettysburg whenever I can and have gone to the Gettysburg Museum of History (and recommend it to anyone who goes to Gettysburg) dozens of times and plan to visit many more times. Erik, you and your staff have done an INCREDIBLE job. Please continue for many years to come.
How about giving us a break with this nonsensical boilerplate?
@frontenac5083 Why else do "they" want to erase history? Go educate yourself.
Unbelievable collection Eric. Thanks for letting JD share these unique pieces of history.
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My grandfather served as a nurse in the European theater and he came back with an German insignia patch. We know that he guarded prisoners and has photos showing it. He also came back with some other items such as photos of the old army war college in Carlisle PA. And an old german fighter jet bullet that had been fired and penetrated the tent that he was in.
Wow!
@@TheHistoryUndergroundthanks again for a great upload. I love this
My father was an assistant medic in N Africa, he also escorted wounded german p.o.w’s on ships
Mark Bando deserves a ton of credit for what he has done for the 101st WWII history preservation. He was literally doing this stuff in the late 60s and 70s. No one knows more than him on the subject - period!!
100%
wow- thanks so much for this video- every artifact tells a story, from either side of the conflict- these little pieces put things in perspective, and remind us of who we were, and maybe NOT to go back that way again. Much love and respect for the time, dedication and preserving of these articles for generations who will know next nothing about them in time.
Keep history alive...
My grandfather served in the Navy on a destroyer off Okinawa. He never talked much about it but i know they were routinely attacked by Japanese kamikaze. After he passed away my father found a Japanese rifle with the bayonet still attached in a closet. Nobody in the family ever remembers him mentioning the rifle or the story behind it. I wonder ever if they had Japanese prisoners on board his ship and that’s how he came across it. We’ll never know.
I know a lot of sailors bought or traded the marines for rifles, pistols, etc. that they took off dead Japanese soldiers
An old gentleman up the road had been in Africa, Sicily, and Anzio. He was wounded in Italy, and sent home. When he passed, his wife auctioned off most of the stuff in the barns and outbuildings. I obtained a German army helmet in dark green, and another medic helmet, which is white with red crosses. Got them both for $12. My uncle had to buy an Italian Carcano for me, as I was only 15 years old. I paid $15 for it, because the older men thought that it was missing the magazine. It's pretty cool to look at these items, and know where they were picked up, and to have known the soldier who brought them home.
Went to the museum in June 2023 and could have stayed all day. Love all your videos!
Erik a very nice collection of the SS memorabilia. As this Generation disappears. Yes JD these are war trophies of a victory in WW2 Thanks for sharing this with us.
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Love the picture of the guys with the uniform jacket. I always find how interesting it is how the men got their war trophies. To me that picture says it all. Thanks you both for sharing.👍
That picture is amazing.
“The English fight for honour, the French for glory, the Americans fight for souvenirs,” somebody in 1918. At 9:50, the German counterattack, Operation Luttich, was an attempt to contain the American breakout in Normandy. The German counterattack at Mortain was a disaster.
LOL When I saw the title that quote was the first thing that came to mind.
I have an officers SS shoulder insignia my father's best friend brought back. He wrote a letter for me on where and when he got it and gave it to me. He knew I was a history buff. He also had a German SS helmet with the SS scraped off by the soldier who wore it. And he had a K98 German mauser rifle. I wanted both of these items badly but they stayed within his family. He was a good guy.
Wow!
My very favorite UA-cam channel. A visit to the museum is almost at the top of my bucket list.
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Thank you JD and Erik. Another very informative video!
Our pleasure!
My great uncle was in the battle of the buldge. He brought back an Iron cross, a swastika arm band and a K98 bayonet and gave My Dad. I have the bayonet to this day.
Outstanding! The content of your video, presentation style and dedication to preserving WWII history is unsurpassed and greatly appreciated.
Thanks! I appreciate that.
I see a rare Bandenkampf Abzeichen. If it came from an SS soldier, it is really rare. Offcourse, there is no to prove it was awarded to a member of the SS, since there is no Verleihungs Urkunde, but still, a very rare piece. Thx for sharing!
Very impressive. One comment. The host does a wonderful job by specifying that this is not a tribute to nazis and the Waffen SS. However, it was not only the victory of Americans but the Allies. One of my uncles landed on Juno Beach on D-Day and was with Régiment de la Chaudière (French Canadian Regiment). I'm so proud of what these young men accomplished. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for highlighting the curating of these objects....history can not be erased.
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Glad i tuned in because i honestly didn't know we wore camo in Europe. I knew we did in the Pacific. Great artifacts! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing. Amazing content as always. Happy New Year. All the best to you and your family.
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Love the videos you put out and you showing the items I love to collect, and collaborating with the Gettysburg museum of history awesome combination!
Happy New Year! Unbelievable collection Eric.
I have some of my father's war memorabilia. Kid battalion Belgium,France, Germany. One piece is a Muslim fezz waffen ss. I'm not sure how to feel about it, I was taught to not glorify war.He would never speak of it,but for some reason he kept that hat.He was twenty years old.736 tank battalion they were all under the age of twenty hand picked coming from difficult childhoods
It's amazing how all of us are so fascinated with WW2 history and in particular, the war with Germany. Personally, I couldn't care less about Japanese, N. Korean or N.Vietnamese uniforms or equipment. What draws us to being so enthralled with WW2 German items from the equipment they used to their uniforms.
I mentioned in another UA-cam contributors comments that US soldiers from Korea (the forgotten war), Vietnam and the wars or conflicts after must feel under appreciated for their brave efforts. UA-cam, the media, movies and TV shows all cover WW2 extensively. Yes, it was the last 'good' US war that had firm victories and it was global. IDK, I just wonder why that war has such a strong following/passion for so many, myself included.
I think interest in an aspect of WW2 depends on what part of the country you're from. Back in the 1970s and 1980s there wasn't much interest collecting-wise in the Pacific Theater of WW2 on the East Coast but there was a very strong interest in it on the West Coast, just as strong as the European Theater for that matter. Whether that's still the case I don't know.
The father of a friend was a tanker in the Third Army. Every time they knocked out a German tank, they'd capture its flag...and cut out the swastika. Went home with a whole bunch of them only to find out the entire flag was way more valuable than a cutout. D'oh!!
Too bad the Americans lost over 5000 Sherman's.wonder how many trophies the germans had..but since they burned.i guess not many
Another great video. I agree with you both that it celebrates what our grandfathers did back then. Mine lost his leg fighting in France. Anyone who celebrates Nazis are at best fools! I've lived in Germany 13 years. I've heard countless German vets and their stories. It is amazing to hear their side as well. Scary sometimes too!
Thanks!
Imagine the artifacts you could dig up in the area around where the city of Stalingrad once stood (now called
Volgograd) in Russia ?
They do! Several UA-cam channels for this.
occasionally they'll find whole tanks somewhat preserved submerged in bogs
Thank you for sharing this information with us, I had not heard or seen some of those items before.
I’d like to tell you the story of my grandfather who served in the Waffen SS. He had an argument and a fistfight with his boss at work when he was 18. The judge gave him two options, go to jail or volunteer to the Waffen SS. When the war started he was part of Germania Division and made it to Russia as a Truck driver. Most of the civilians he meet received them well because they were hoping to get rid of Stalinism. He had a short relationship with a farmer’s daughter before they had to move on. The Russian farmer wanted history stay but it obviously wasn’t possible. After his truck was destroyed during an accident in a snowstorm he served as part of a machine gun team. He was wounded and brought to a hospital, meanwhile his division was completely demolished. He then fought in „Das Reich“ and „Wiking Division“. Mostly in Jugoslavia against partisans. At the last days of the war he burned out his SS blood type tattoo with a hot iron to make it appear as an gunshot wound,buried his medals and uniform insignias and surrendered to the British in Austria. He worked in a POW Camp as a Truck Driver and meet my grandmother also in Austria. He told me that they always fought till the end because they knew what would happen to them if they got captured by the Russians. After the war he suffered from PTSD as all the veterans did. He drank after work and got into some bar fights as a result of this. He never hit his children, always ate at last, when everyone have had enough food and was a nice guy to be around. Like his whole generation he was forced to fight in a war for the wrong reasons, never meet the „underhumas“ the Nazis told them he will face there.
Wow. I would have loved to have spent a day sitting down and talking to him.
I can't wait to revisit the museum again. Do we have a timeframe on when the extension will be open? I made it up there a week before the 160th anniversary. Got to meet JD, Mr. Dorr and his wife. Was probably the best memory I have in recent memory. Got ice cream learned all kinds of stuff about the artillery due to reenactors from the artillery doing a demonstration and discussion on the topic. All around great time.
Awesome video. Love to see the bring back stuff.
As always I thoroughly enjoy your videos, great work and job to all involved!
To the victor's go the trophies and all of these trophies declare the victory won!
So thankful for those who preserve and present history from all sides because it all matters!
Keep up the great job!
My grandfather was 1945 in the age of 56 years and in duty as a policeman ( in german : Oberlandjäger). When our village was occupied by american forces in April 1945, he told me, that the first thing
what happend to him was that he was liberated from his watch, his shoulder badges ( in german: Schulterstücke = Dienstgradabzeichen) and his Iron Cross First Class ( in German: EK 1) which he deserved as a member of the german imperial Army in WW I. So he always talked about americans as our liberators. In common sense this was an act of robbery. Full honour for thousands of american soldiers and officers who died the same.
Just incredible. Thank you for sharing. I sure love our Greatest Generation 🇺🇸
I received my great-grandfather's badges and helmet. They were walled up in our wall
Wow!
These cutoffs make me proud of all the men! It like pumps me up!
The fact that you need to have a disclaimer sickens me - fuck censorship
It does get a bit annoying.
Just awesome videos you make,I wish I could sit in a theatre and drink Pepsi and eat popcorn all day and watch these. Sad my Grandfather had a bib stash of German trinkets,knives,guns and they went around the ship on his way home and told them to throw them in the "Drink" or they would get in trouble. He and most others did and he said as they got off the ship no one even looked at him let alone checked anything. He was bummed
That's a incredible collection !!
Idk how exactly to feel about this one; for one thing is an insignia that was acquired from a live prisoner in a POW camp after the surrender the same caliber of war trophy as one that was acquired on the battlefield? That's exactly how a lot of insignia was acquired, often traded by prisoners themselves for cigarettes and other things. They were also traded openly among GIs, to the point that just because something came out of someone's collection doesn't mean that they are the person that acquired it, or even from the same unit that fought that particular ememy. Speaking of that ememy, in the case of Waffen SS units I understand your desire to make clear that you aren't celebrating their ideology in any way but I believe that those men deserve respect as soldiers. They often faced incredible odds and didn't shirk from thier duties even when undermanned, under supplied, and outgunned. The units that faced them admired thier tenacity, that's for sure. While i am the grandson of a veteran of both the Pacific and ETO and grew up in awe of what that great generation accomplished, the older I got the more I realized that even our enemies were doing what they thought was right and that on the individual level of most soldiers ideology isn't what they are fighting for.
Great footage as always
Thanks!
My Dad was in the 160th Combat Engineer Battalion in the ETO that was at D Day & the battle of the bulge. He only brought home a few things, a siver panzer badge and a nskk stickpin.which I still have. When Dachau was liberated a lot of GIs took home unused SS insignia that was produced at the camp, some are still available on dealers' sites I have known Bill Shea for over 20 years, and I still have an unissued tropical SS eagle with the Rzm tag. Even though they were made for troops in tropical areas they were also used on the dot camo patterned Waffen SS uniforms.
Amazing. I’d certainly like to collect a few of these things
One time I was offered a German Luger from WW2 for $500. I didn't have the money for it though. They said it still had bloodstains on it.... My brother fought in Desert Storm. He said someone was caught trying to bring a body part home... War is hell.
😣
Love the museum. Someday l love to see it. 😊 happy new year
The WW2 Museum in New Orleans has a big chunk of concrete that was taken from a destroyed bunker which was part of the Atlantic Wall in Normandie, France.
It sits outside of the building, quite immovable.
Another awesome video guys ty so much for sharing . Sad you had to explain yourself and intention in the end there. Pretty obvious to me... keep them coming and ty for all you guys do.
War trophies! In the British army it was called looting, which was forbidden.
If that’s the case, then the British should have tried being less lame.
The difference in this case between british and american behavior in treating german war prisioners ist honorable behavior in the one side and robbery one the other. So simple ist american behavior to explain.
Good thing Americans never listen to you guys
The Brits.. They did it also😅
British Museum?
Hi JD fantastic video thank you for your hard work & everyone smash that like button
Thanks for sharing another fine video.
Always great content on your vids, thank you
No Man should justify why they preserve history.
This is history and should be shown to people what Nazi did and how they lost power
Just realized, even the comments section one day, will be history, just in the re lived stories from these veterans!
When I was a kid in the 1980’s. My grandparents had German neighbors. The basement was full of old nazi relics from the war. He was an SS officer I guess.
I still own some pieces from related, former Soldiers of the German Army. Great historic pieces. They all fought for their country.
My father served with a B25 squadron In North Africa supporting the British. The British could not take trophies so they would tell the US airmen where they could find some. On one of these scavenger hunts my father found a complete uniform of a SS colonel and rifle.
He was able to keep these through out remaining war, but when they were returning home the planes had to stop in Brazil. The planes were guarded by the Brazilian army and the next day all the war trophies were gone.
Outstanding!! Hope you have SUPER security.
The security is solid :)
Another great video JD!
My dad brought back a lot of trophies. Flag, dagger medals and patches. It's strange to hold that Nazi flag, it sends weird vibes through your body.
My grandfather brought back dishes from the eagles nest with Nazi & SS logos on the dishes also silverware like seen on Band of Brother. Also several watches
Back in 1981, I was working with a tough old WWI vet at the Bell Aerospace Company in Niagara Falls. Once he got to know me he told me some harrowing stories. He was a tough old bird. He’d get some skin cancer cut off of his face and come to work with his stitches hanging out. He hated the Germans and told some interesting stories.
Another outstanding video guys
Fascinating great job
My dad was at the Sar Triangle and Bandholtz woods. He brought home a German cross that was on a ss officer...
You're reach is getting bigger 🎉😊
I remember seeing photos of soldiers of one of the U.S Infantry Divisions (I think 2nd Battalion, 119th IR of the 30th ID "Old Hickory" but who knows) around Saint-Lo wearing and trying on 2nd SS "Das Reich" Panzer Division (2nd-SS Panzer Regiment) Black Panzermann Jackets captured after the battle. I think the best part of the video is the name reveals of who captured these uniforms, you can only imagine what the guys felt when they found this stuff. If anyone has the book "Dying for Saint-Lo: Hedgerow Hell, July 1944 by Didier Lodieu" the photos in there.
I'll have to check out that book. Thanks!
In recent years, the last 20 few, 'war trophies' were often confiscated before leaving the country. I remember having my stuff checked leaving and customs using x-ray when we got back to the states. We got a few things through but it was by a mislabel on a box or something. The movies "Three Kings' or 'Kelly's Heroes' has nothing on the amount of 'stuff' that was seen in a few places. BTW, 'Kelly's Heroes' was a far superior movie.
I'm wondering what some of the patches and pins were for in terms of rank and significance. Cool to see though, thanks for sharing.
I used to work with former German soldiers. I know I am aging myself, but they had jobs on US military bases of all places. If they had uniforms, they had to keep them hidden, as the insignias and such were illegal in modern Germany.
I'm a collector of all war and nations my main interest is German stuff 3 days ago here in Australia the government quietly passed a law that here in Australia if we trade ss or Swazi marked history items we can be charged with terrorism charges it's absolute bull 🐂💩
JB Military Antiques of Australia did a video on UA-cam abought this.
@@StratBurst92 thanks mate I'll look it up
This was not the American victory. This was the Allies' victory.
This was a video about American bring backs in WWII. So the focus stayed on the Americans. In videos where I talk about the British or the Canadians, I don't mention the Americans.
Why do we all know about all these great battles after the US invaded Normandy and why do not we know so much about Russian battles against Germany, even though they were the ones to enter Berlin ?@@TheHistoryUnderground
I have a M40 Luftwaffe Helmet a P-38 Pistol, a Luftwaffe Gustav Spitzer Dress Bayonet and Sword My Grandfather brought back.
Wow!
Very interesting thank you
My Grandfather had a sack full of SS daggers and Luger pistols he picked up in France…..Sold them all on the ship on the way home….regretted that his entire life
That hurts.
My Father had an artillery model luger that he took off a German officer... Some other GI liked it more and stole it from him.
Nicely done!
👊🏻
RIP Lemmy "Motorhead" was a collector of memorability and Always spoke out against Fascist ideology. 🙏✌️🤘🇦🇺
Well spoken, JD! I wonder if the German soldiers appreciated the irony of wearing those tags that said "prisoner of war", since they tagged Jewish people the same way... I love all your videos. Another great one!
Thanks!
Each "cut-off" is absolute proof of American victory and superiority over the enemy. It was Gi's cutting German uniforms, not the other way around.
Each "cut-off" tells me Vanquished by Victorious. Period.
100%
@@TheHistoryUndergroundYes and I'm British in the UK. But credit where credit is due, I'm glad you guys entered the war. Freedom From Tyranny!
According to several historians the German army had never been up against a I adversary like the American army. Fortunately, for the American troops, the Germans were preoccupied on the Russian front. otherwise the invasion of Europe would have been a disaster.
8 out of 10 German casualties were caused by the Soviets in the East during WW2. That statistic always blows my mind,it shows how bad the fighting really was in the East.
The whole friendly fire due to the American troops wearing camo clothing that appeared similar to the WAffen ss had been thoroughly debunked. A small amount of camouflage clothing was issued to US troops prior to Normandy and once that limited release was exhausted they reverted to wearing the standard olive green uniforms
Where we pulled that was from veteran interviews that historian Mark Bando conducted with Normandy veterans. Many of them repeated that to him that the camo pattern was phased out because it was too close to the German pattern. I wonder if this was a soldier rumor that made it's way around.
Tastefully done.
Thank you kindly!
8:55 unfortunately Eric is incorrect about the American camouflage uniforms. The uniform was not removed because of friendly fire.
The source for that was 101st Airborne historian, Mark Bando, who got that directly from several different veteran interviews that he conducted. I wonder if there was possibly some sort of soldier rumor on the ground at the time.
@@TheHistoryUnderground the short version is that HBT uniforms of any type were required in very large numbers, camo HBT was a limited standard item by June 1944 and the limited numbers were sent because they were HBT not because they were camo. When they wore out by August 1944 due to combat wear and sun fading they were replaced with regular HBT fatigues or just wools as it was much warmer by August. It seems there were GI rumours and post war speculation. Paul J Anderts 2nd Armored book tells his experience during Operation Cobra. Thanks for replying, I enjoy watching your videos, especially the veterans.
In addition many of the SS troops wearing Erbenmuster and similar camo uniforms at this time were fighting in the British and Canadian sectors.
I have no problem with these emblems , they are historical but they do belong in a museum, I have no wish to collect them. 6:29
I have to ask the history underground this question.my late father who served with Patton during world war 2 brought home a Walther pistol which according to him came from a SS panzer colonel.for many years it was lost, until recently my sister found it.i don't know if the pistol is whermacht issue or a personal weapon of the German officer.any way to answer this question??
my dad served from 42 to 46 . 41st recon, for 11th armoed div. he was all over europe. was one of relieveing troops at battel of the bulge. i hav several items he brought back. one is skull n crossbone ring ,he took off of S S oficer. the eye sockets r emty. he said there were rubies in them.
Nice collection, but curious when you said they were in the museum because 'the Americans won'. Shouldn't that be the Allies won?
This video was focused solely on American bringbacks. In videos where I talk about the British or the Canadians, I typically don’t mention the Americans. Likewise, when I’m in Normandy, I usually don’t mention the Soviets or the Chinese. But yes, broadly speaking, it was the Allies who defeated the Axis Powers.
@@TheHistoryUnderground sorry, but it doesn’t matter if it was relics brought back by Americans, the sentiment is that WW2 in Europe was won by Americans, whereas it was British, Canadian and som French forces that fought through Northern Europe.
Sadly, too many channels on YT think it was only a US event and forget U.K. resistance until the US came to the U.K in 42/43.
@@moobaz8675 - Well, I hope that you’ll explore the channel and see where I’ve both covered and given credit to the contributions of the British and Canadians.
@@moobaz8675 we helped the brits and gave them all our supplies!!!!!!!!!!!!!! churchill cried to FDR for help and for the US to lend the UK guns, tanks, ships everything!!!!!!! and the UK forgets still to this day. we should of let the luftwaffe keep pounding England. Disgrace
So many different things that were brought back as souvenirs by our soldiers. I have a couple cutoffs that I should bring for Erik to look at next time I'm in Gettysburg. He'll probably tell me they're knockoffs😂
Erik has broken my heart on a number of occasions with stuff that I thought was good. 😅
The most important war trophies were the patents and scientists.
👀
Like Von Braun?
@@samkangal8428 …and hundreds other scientists and their knowledge.
@@rallefreifahrt that’s true .
Beautiful
Q: at 8:18, is that a paratrooper uniform? What are those rows of stitching on the back and shoulders?
the history is written by the winners! we could see the trophies the germans stole from the americans who committed similar crimes but not the same ones for sure