More finds from the British army dump

[RRPG]

Those are great chests! Love 'em

[mmppres]

Yes going to re-finish one for my self just got to get all info like paint color an make rack for inside. sold a few to some nice people on this site an still have a few. will make separate post on the project.

[Colonel Enfield]

mmppres - I am afraid I never sell anything I recover. Being chairman of the WW2 Relic Retrieval & Preservation Group it is one of our group's guiding principles. All relics are recovered and preserved, not recovered and listed on e-bay!

In principle I agree completely with the stance, but on the other hand - when you have 2000 of something, I would respectfully suggest that perhaps 1900 of those somethings might be equally appreciated in the hands of fellow enthusiasts across the globe who may not otherwise have access to them.

It could help defray some of the costs of your worthy undertakings, without compromising the overall principles of not doing it all for profit.

[Peter Laidler]

I sat on this for a week or so Colonel - and RPG - deep in thought especially at your last sentence Colonel. I think that you might be just slightly mistaken about the group or certainly some individuals in the group not disposing of at least some of these finds........ Maybe not for profit or gain or even to raise a few ££ for the groups undoubted expenses such as tea and coffee and a cake during the day (a worthy reason if ever I was asked an opinion I'd say). But the fact is that some of these remains HAVE found their way onto Ebay.

And I entirely agree. But even though it's a good reason and nobody (?) would disagree it's injudicious to say that they are not disposed of......

[RRPG]

It is both worrying and disconcerting that some of these items have found their way on to ebay. I for one can be sure that it is certainly not any members of my group. This does open up the question though of who is selling them. It does perhaps indicate that the site has been plundered by black diggers, people who think nothing of the history behind an item, but think everything of the money they can make. To me these people are the scum of the earth, digging without permission and putting all legal diggers in a bad light. There is currently a major operation in England to crack down on illegal diggers, which I hope at least deters people from digging illegally.

My stance of not selling anything will stand for as long as I draw breath. I am not in this for the money, I am in it for the history. The more history I can preserve for future generations the better.

This isn't to say that everything I find stays in my collection. There are a small number of relics, of which I have multiple examples, that I will trade with other collectors to further enhance their and my collections. What happens to them after the trade has taken place I cannot control. However, if this trading leads to the preservation of other relics, it sits well with me.

Living by the philosophy of recovering and preserving history is central to what I do. I have no costs I am not prepared to cover myself during my digs and displays at military shows, schools and other events. Indeed, a show I am due to display at in the future attracted some strange comments from the organisers when I pointed out I was not selling anything. They seemed to have never come across someone who displays WW2 items for the love of the history, rather than the love of profit!

Colonel Enfield, if you want a bag full of Kerr sling buckles you are welcome to them. To be honest, cleaning 50kg of the flipping things is far harder work than I imagined!!

[Peter Laidler]

I personally think that you are being a bit harsh RPG. While I can see your point (but barely if you want the truth.......) I, personally speaking, don't find anything in the least bit unsavoury by disposing of some of the stuff you find. It's not as if it is monetarily valuable. If I was blunt, but HONESTLY blunt, its only value is its intrinsic value to a small group of people. And if you didn't dig it up, it'd remain there for ever (?) and eventually rot out.

I feel that by letting small amounts go to collectors of this stuff who are going to look after it, show it, analyse it, discuss it etc etc......, you know the sort of thing I mean for a small return to cover group costs and expenses and hot tea and coffee on the cold days - and cold pop on the hot days of course then I say GOOD ON YOU. And there's something else too while we're talking 'profit'. To be brutally honest and frank again, always the best policy, you're never EVER going to be either rich or in profit selling this stuff.........(just an opinion of course.

There's something quite romantic about seeing a SMLE bayonet dug up from an old training area slit trench on Salisbury Plain laying next to a pristine example on display

And there's something else quite savoury and honest about a few of these things going onto that auction site. Remember that when you do put some of these things on there, your dealings are transparent and honest too. Just my view

While I was at Warminster we had a young lady who worked as an admin wallah somewhere whose husband and pals used to dig up all manner of badges, buckles, bayonets, knives and forks (yes, some with Army number stamped in too etc etc. We used to identify loads of interesting (?) stuff for them (and on the odd occasion misusing our positions to send them in the right direction to identify the former owner/loser too).

Maybe I could summarise and suggest that it ought to be your little group honestly disposing of some of this stuff instead of the shysters. Having said that, I wonder if anyone vehemently disagrees with what I have said. Don't be shy......, I've never taken offence before and won't be starting now!!!!!!!!!

[mmppres]

I feel some of the item that are in great numbers be sold in an appropriate auction manner that would be accessible to all who would enjoy an take care fo the items the money would go back to the safe up keep of the rare items that would be saved.

[RRPG]

I do see your point Peter, and and agree I am never going to be rich from selling ground dug items. You have provoked some thought on my part, especially with regards items I find in large quantities, such as the Kerr sling buckles. However, I still come back to the same principal, one that I have held for as long as I have dug relics. Principles are, as I am sure you'll agree, extremely difficult to change as they become part of you. Suddenly selling stuff after 20 years of not doing so would not be easy.

I have already conceded that I do sometimes trade items so, if anyone wants a bag full of Kerr sling buckles to clean and play with, drop me a PM and we will set up a trade.

Best I can do! I hope you see why.

RRPG

[Trap4570]

It is an interesting hobby and one never knows what they might find. You could stumble upon a ancient treasure horde.

[browningautorifle]

You could stumble upon a ancient treasure horde.

Some of us would argue he already has...