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This is a huge lot of medals and documents once belonging to the famed master spy, Brigadier General John V. Grombach.
General Grombach was a member of the OSS and CIA, working for "Wild Bill" Donovan, Allen Dulles and others during the course of his long career. He was also an integral part of "The Pond", a super-secret external semi-private intelligence operation that worked under a series of guises performing tasks unacknowledged by the government. There is a brief historical account of "The Pond" at the CIA website that focuses on Grombach and his role specifically, and there is a lot of biographical content as well. You can view the article "The Pond: Running Agents for State, War, and the CIA" at the link provided. You will be transferred to the secure section (UNCLASSIFIED) of the CIA Center for the Study of Intelligence (CIS).
Briefly, Grombach was French, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of the French Consul in NOLA. He renounced his French citizenship and entered West Point. He graduated with a BS, however, he had 8 demerits over the limit and was not immediately commissioned. He was later able to get that decision reversed and was commissioned anyway, spending five years as a Military Police officer. He later joined the National Guard. When the war broke out, he was inducted back into service as a captain. He transferred to G-2 and began his career as a spy that was to last until 1955.
Second Lt. John V. Grombach, a boxer on the 1924 Olympic team in Paris, became an expert Olympic administrator as well as a World War II combat leader. The Grombach saga began in 1923 when "Frenchy" Grombach was discharged from the U.S. Military Academy one day before graduation on the grounds of excessive demerits. Through the constant efforts of Grombach and many friends in high places, the situation was corrected in 1967 when, at a West Point ceremony presided over by the superintendent, his diploma was retroactively presented-some 44 years later. Never before or since has there been such a circumstance.
Grombach's World War II service was a veritable James Bond drama. Col. Grombach served from 1942 until 1946 as head of the Secret Intelligence Branch of the War Department. Grombach retired from military service in 1955 as a brigadier general in the New York National Guard. He served on U.S. Olympic Games committees for the 1956, 1960, 1964 and 1968 Games and wrote the widely circulated Olympic Guide.
(Excerpt of Olympians as military leaders, Army, Jul 1997 by Richard L. Gruenther)
A portion of this lot is shown below. There are more pieces to be added, including his named Legion of Merit medal (cased) and a number of foreign decorations and various documents. They will be added shortly.
Documents include framed US Olympic Association Certificates of Appreciation from 1956 and 1960, named to Colonel and General John Grombach. There is a framed photograph of the USMA plaque commemorating USMC Olympians as presented to the Military Academy by the US Olympians and John V. Grombach, and identifying Grombach as a participant in 1923 as a Boxer.
A partial list of the medals included in this lot, shown in the images at the bottom:
Printed facsimile signature of WWII SecWar Patterson, forwarding a foreign medal
US Army belt buckle and 1924 Lt. Heavyweight II Corps Championship (which got him into the 1924 Olympics)
Gold medals Epee Club Championship 1938, 1939. Sterling Silver Epee Club Championship medals from 1934, 1936, 1960. Bronze medals Epee Club Championship 1950.
Miguel A. de Caprilles Senior Epee Champion 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, and two undated Gold medals
Washington Square Cup 1931, 1940.
National Team Championship Silver (Epee) 1950, and Bronze (Three weapon) 1954
Amatuer Fencing League of America, Gold Epee Team 1950, Silver Open Epee Individual, 1940,
AFLA Silver Epee Junior Championship 1924, Bronze Connecticut Outdoor Epee 1933, Silver Outdoor Epee 1929, Lyon Medal Outdoor Epee 1944.
Muller Medal Secretary FIE 1960-1964 engraved to General John V. Grombach.
Encased Silver Official Modern Pentathahlon Championships 1967
Cased Bronze World Champion Sword Paris 1937
500 Year Silver French Sword Federation Silver Medal 1963
Official TIMER medal 115th Games, 1925
1st Prize Physical Geography, Gold 1917.
West Point USMA medal Class of 1923 (rare medal).
Contestant Patch AFLA National Championships.
These are views of the back of the medal lots shown below -- left -- right. Most are engraved with the date and/or named.
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The items in this section are from a very large group of related SOE/MI9 items that came from the estate of British Colonel Donald Hamilton-Hill, who had a significant collection of clandestine warfare items from his tenure as an instructor for MI-9.
The collection included his medals, many documents, ID cards, armbands, and photographs. There is a close-up image of Col. Hamilton-Hill in his Cameron Highlander kit shown below.
Medal, photograph, and ID lot as shown above: $9,999.99
This is a cased and engraved award presented to a former WWII O.S.S. agent Henry L. Manfredi by the Italian Guardia di Finanza (Italy Department of the Treasury, which also performs the duties of Drug Enforcement and international drug trafficking.) In 1951, Manfredi was working for the US Army Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in anti-communist drug enforcement and narcotics investigation. The Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs of the US Drug Enforcement Agency's highest honor award is named for him.
It is die struck on very heavy gilded brass with the coat of arms of the Guardia di Finanza coat of arms on the face and a wreath which surrounds the block letter Italian dedication on the back. It measures 2-3/4 inches in diameter. The case is police green pebble grained exterior with applied gilt arms on the top. The interiors is emerald green silk and plush velvet with a cavity for the award.
It is shown here in close-up front and rear, and a view of the top of the case.
Offered at $499.99
This unusual lot consists of his biographical data, several letters from the OSS Chief of Personnel, his life insurance policy, a signed check, fake calling card, Yale club telephone bill, his head dental identification X-ray in case of death, etc.
Donald C Downes was a Yale Graduate and Prep School teacher.
Geoffrey Hodgson of the New York Times wrote in 1987: "Donald Downes (Yale '26), was to become one of the most controversial figures in the history of the O.S.S. He was the classic secret agent of fiction: patriotic, idealistic, romantically fascinated by complexity and by the intrigue of the bazaar and the backstairs in such haunts of fantasy as Istanbul, Macedonia and Beirut. He recruited teams of agents with names like Donald's Ducks and the Twelve Apostles. He was brave and resourceful, but somehow too many of his operations went wrong, and he took the blame, justly or unjustly, for the worst single disaster the O.S.S. suffered in the entire war - Operation Banana, in which an O.S.S. team was infiltrated into Andalusia, then abandoned, and 18 men, it was assumed, died."
An entire chapter of the noted 1987 book on the 10 men who created the OSS and their Yale ties --CLOAK & GOWN. Scholars in the Secret War, 1939-1961. By Robin W. Winks -- covers the career of Downes.
He began his spying career with ONI and British intelligence. He was an early OSS recruiter working directly for Wild Bill Donovan.
In OSS he supervised break-ins at the Spanish and other neutral Washington DC embassies
He ran a large team of Spanish volunteers in North Africa (where 18 were killed), conduction operations in Italy with some with Darby's Rangers
He received his fifth commendation for his work in North Africa and Italy
The condition is near excellent
Items include:
A brief biographical sketch
Photostat of a commendation for actions in Italy in October 1943
Photostat of Capture document, detailing treatment expected as a Prisoner of War if captured.
Request to Chief of Naval Operations for travel overseas February 1944
Head X-Ray showing identifying characteristics (teeth, etc.)
Miscellaneous documents
Lot of items as shown above: $999.99
The MI-9 SOE concealed "stinger" pencil used in "Naughty Packages" shipped to Allied POWs for use in escape and evasion.
Most of these items are shown in the 1942 MOST SECRET classified document Per Ardua Libertas. We have a very high quality copy, printed on slick hard milled paper made from the original available. The letter inside describes the contents. There are 76 pages of narrative and photographic content detailing the escape and evasion aids developed to assist POWs and SOE agents. It is priced at $69.99.
Additional references to items on this page are also seen in Buerlein's book,
Allied Military Fighting
Knifes and the Men Who Made Them Famous. An author signed softbound edition is available for $69.99
For comparison purposes only, we are showing what the stinger dagger looks like when it is dismounted outside of the pencil. The detached stinger is not included in this offering, however, the cutaway has a captive stinger that is identical inside it, as shown. The stinger alone is being offered separately, as is a non-cutaway pencil with a stinger inside it. There is one small chip out of the wood at the front end of the pencil, as shown. The pencil measures 7 inches long overall with the "business part" measuring about 5 inches long.
Shown below are several different styles of crossbow bolt for the OSS and SOE crossbows.
| Thumbnail (Click to Enlarge) | Item Number Item Name |
Description, Size, Condition | Price | Status |
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OSS-05 |
This is an all-metal aluminum shaft with offset fins and a steel needle point, measuring 10 inches overall. There may be very slight cosmentic variations from the one shown at the left. This is a view of the back side. |
$299.99 | Available |
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OSS-06 | This is an all-metal aluminum shaft with offset fins and a steel leaf point shape point,
measuring 14 inches overall.
There may be very slight cosmentic variations from the one shown at the
left. This is a view of the back side. |
$699.99 | Available |
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SOE-07 | This is a wooden quarrel with feather fletches, a metal nock and a steel leaf shaped point.
It measures about 10 inches overall. There is some wear to the feather fletches.
There may be very slight cosmentic variations from the one shown at the
left. This is a view of the back side. |
$599.99 | Available |
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SOE-08 | This is a wooden quarrel with wool fletches, no nock and a
steel needle shaped point. It measures about 10 inches overall.
This is a view of the back side. |
$599.99 | Available |
Shown below are miscellaneous COI, OSS, OSI, and SOE items.
| Thumbnail (Click to Enlarge) | Item Number Item Name |
Description, Size, Condition | Price | Status |
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OSSDET-01 | World War II OSS Demolitions Instructor Demonstration Ordnance Lot This is a large lot of items from the estate of a former OSS demolitions instructor. All ordnance items are inert, non-functional, and have no explosive content. Non-explosive items are in various conditions, from tarnished to near-mint. We have provided a number of detailed close-up images for you to look at. The OSS manual is ORIGINAL 1944 issue (not a post-war reprint). This is the 1944 revision to the original OSS manual with added content. In addition, there are some supplemental data sheets and photographs of items not included in that edition. The technical manuals for some of the German and Russian items are post-war (circa 1950s) to aid in identification of some of the more exotic items. Photos are shown below and by clicking the thumbnails at the left. The timer is a very scarce 12-hour version. It shows significant wear and tarnish.
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SOLD | |
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OSSDET-03 | World War II OSS Demolitions SAC "HONEYMOON" 24-Hour Timer This is an item from the estate of a former OSS demolitions instructor. This ordnance items is inert, and has no explosive content. This is RARE 24-Hour timer. Only 1500 were made (compared to 20,000 of the 12-Hour version. A page from the OSS Weapons book describing details of manufacture and quantities, as well as a photo, is shown here. An image of the wordless instruction sheet showing several different applications is shown here. Please note: Neither the OSS Weapons page nor the instructions are part of this offering. The condition is near-mint, with some slight edge wear of the paint. The key and cap nut are included as shown. |
SOLD | |
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OSSDET-02 OSS Spring Kosh |
This is a World War II OSS Spring Kosh, similar in design to the German SiPo Kosh. This is a completely sterile unmarked kosh, painted black. These are views of the right and left sides (extended) and one of the end cap, showing the slightly different construction from the German models. It measures 17 inches extended and 7 inches closed as shown at the left. The condition is generally very good to near excellent. |
$999.99 | Available |
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OSSDET-05 OSS American Songs In German Propaganda Phonograph Record by Marlene Dietrich |
This is a World War II Rare TWO Record Set American Songs in German for the OSS by Marlene Dietrich. This is a rare two disk 7 inch variant recording in 45 RPM (Columbia A-1081). Usually this record is seen in the larger 10 inch 33-1/3 LP size. This is a view of the back of the sleeve which lists the eight songs and gives the history of the recording. This is a view of one side of one of the record showing condition and the large spindle (standard 45 RPM) construction. The cover measures 7-1/8 inches closed as shown at the left. It unfolds with one disk in each side. The center has a list of Columbia records available at the time. The condition is generally very good to near excellent. |
$149.99 | Available |
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OSSDET-06 OSS American Songs In German Propaganda Record by Marlene Dietrich |
This is a World War II Record American Songs in German for the OSS by Marlene Dietrich. This is BLACK label 10 inch variant recording in 33-1/3 RPM (Columbia GL-105). This is a view of the back of the sleeve which lists the eight songs and gives the history of the recording. This is a view of part of one side of one of the album showing the black label and the small spindle (standard 33-1/3 RPM) construction. The album cover measures 10-1/8 inches as shown at the left. We also have a SLEEVE only (no record) available for the GL-105 for $49.99. The condition is generally very good with cover wear and some scratches from age. |
$99.99 | Available |
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OSSDET-07 OSS American Songs In German Propaganda Record by Marlene Dietrich |
This is a World War II Record American Songs in German for the OSS by Marlene Dietrich. This is BLUE label 10 inch variant recording in 33-1/3 RPM (Columbia ML-2615). This is a view of the back of the sleeve which lists the eight songs and gives the history of the recording. This is a view of part of one side of one of the album showing the blue label and the small spindle (standard 33-1/3 RPM) construction. The album cover measures 10-1/8 inches as shown at the left. The condition is generally very good with cover wear and scratches from age. |
$99.99 | Available |
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OSSDET-08 OSI Office of Security Intelligence Patch |
This is a very rare US Department of State Office of Security Intelligence patch. This patch features a silk floss red, white and blue federal eagle and emblem machine embroidered on black twill. It has a loose woven cheesecloth back. The patch measures 4 by 4-1/2 inches as shown at the left. The condition is generally very good with some wear from age. It was used and removed from a uniform. |
$499.99 | Available |
Shown below are several different styles of crossbows for the OSS, SOE, SAS, and US military crossbows.
| Thumbnail (Click to Enlarge) | Item Number Item Name |
Description, Size, Condition | Price | Status |
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SAS-05 SAS Crossbow |
Cold War SAS Serial Numbered Crossbow. The aluminum bow measures 31 inches with a closed stock & trigger assembly of 16 inches. There is an aluminum handled fighting knife attached to clips on the right side of the receiver. The bow is quickly attachable/detachable for carry or storage. When the shoulder stock is extended the device measures 26 inches. The serial number appears on the top of the sighting device per the image furnished. Please note: there are no bolts (arrows) or string included with this device. |
Price On Request | Available |
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SFCB-01 Special Operations Crossbow |
US Military Special Operations Crossbow. The aluminum bow measures 28-1/2 inches with a solid green painted stock simple trigger assembly of 28-1/2 inches. The stock is machine stamped with the letters TEW on the right side. These are views of the top and bottom. Please note: there are no bolts (arrows) or string included with this device. |
$149.99 | Available |
We have several other escape and evasion maps and some very rare escape route maps available here.
| Thumbnail (Click to Enlarge) | Item Number Item Name |
Description, Size, Condition | Price | Status |
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MAPS-01 MI-6 SOE Escape and Evasion Map North Africa and Southern Europe |
This is a very scarce SOE MI-6 tissue paper escape and evasion map. This is the map that was typically hidden in pencils, dartboards, toothbrushes, and similar innocuous items where space was a primary consideration. It was most usually encountered in "Naughty Packages" sent in as relief supplies to POWs.. It measures 23-1/2 inches across by 16-1/2 inches high. It is printed in three colors: red, green and black. This is a detail view of the key. Note the English spellings. The condition is near excellent, with some signs of minor wear. It is under a removable plastic protective cover wrap which is the source of the glare on the images. |
$499.99 | Available |
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MAPS-02 MI-6 SOE Escape and Evasion Map New Zealand |
This is a very scarce OSS prepared New Zealand infiltration and escape and evasion map. This is the map that was typically used by coast watchers, aircraft spotters and weather observers working for the OSS in the area of Wellington and Christchurch New Zealand. Note the contours are shown inland but no water depth information. This was for use by land-based units. It measures 23-1/2 inches across by 16-1/2 inches high. It is printed in three colors: red, green and black. This is a detail view of the key. Note the OSS hand stamp and OSS and RESTRICTED printed markings. Note also this is a 1942 preliminary map. The condition is near excellent, with some signs of minor wear. The letter opener visible in the images was to hold the map flat and it is not a part of this offering. |
$499.99 | Available |
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EE-100 Escape and Evasion Winged Boot Bullion Patch |
This is a a very scarce winged boot escape and evasion heavy silver bullion on royal blue wool patch. This is a view of the back. This is a very hard item to find. It was awarded to pilots who were shot down and successfully evaded and escaped capture by the enemy. It measures 2-1/4 inches square. It was once on a uniform (typically worn under the lapel) and has threads remaining from when it was attached. The condition is near excellent with some deep tarnish from age. |
$499.99 | Available |
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EE-102 Escape and Evasion Winged Boot Metal Badge |
This is a a very scarce winged boot escape and evasion metal badge. This is a view of the back showing the British style loop attachments. This is a very hard item to find. It was awarded to pilots who were shot down and successfully evaded and escaped capture by the enemy. It measures approximately 2 by 2-1/2 inches. The condition is near excellent with some deep tarnish from age. |
$499.99 | Available |
| Thumbnail (Click to Enlarge) | Item Number Item Name |
Description, Size, Condition | Price | Status |
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OSS-01 Office of Strategic Services Detachment 101 Campaign Badge |
This is the very scarce CBI OSS DET 101 Burma Campaign STERLING Silver Bar. It measures 3 inches across. This is the back view The condition is near excellent, with some signs of routine wear and tarnish from age. |
$499.99 | Available |
Shown below are items used by the Germans before and during WWII.
| Thumbnail (Click to Enlarge) | Item Number Item Name |
Description, Size, Condition | Price | Status |
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GHS-03 | Pre World War II Third Reich Zt.Z.f. SpBü. 37 (Timer, Explosive, (Enemy implied) Espionage Bureau, Model 37) Clockwork Explosive Timing Detonator Mechanism. Please note, this item is INERT. It does not have the explosive primer that sits in the aluminum cup at the bottom of the device. It is in otherwise functional and serviceable condition. THERE IS NO WINDING KEY, however a standard square 2mm clock key will work perfectly. This is a VERY rare explosive detonator, designed to set off a device within 5 hours of being set. The "clock" is calibrated in one hour increments from 0 to 5. It operates by triggering a plunger when time expires to pierce a small primer charge that sets off a larger primer to set off the main charge. This device is extremely difficult to find. The size is 3-1/2 long by 1-1/2 inches in diameter. The casing is brown Bakelite and the mechanism is steel. There is a clear plastic window marked with the elapsed time. There are a number of markings, including a W&A amt proof, a "40" stamped into the metal, and a manufacturing date of 44 6, and a PW maker mark. This is a view of the device disassembled, and this is the opposite side. This is a close-up of the clockwork. |
$449.99 | Available |
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GHS-04 | Pre World War II Third Reich 1930s German Diplomatic Consulate Olympia Simplex Typewriter This is a scarce Olympia Simplex built in the 1930s in Berlin. It has a complete German keyboard, with separate keys for the umlaut letters: Ä, ä, Ö, ö, Ü, ü and the double s ligature: ß. This is a close view of the hammer bank, showing very little wear and good maintenance. The consulates and other Third Reich offices were closed on the declaration of war in December 1941 and the many of contents were confiscated, including this typewriter. There are inventory and control numbers on the side, and bottom. The Berlin maker label is shown here. Items of the Third Reich with US connections are extremely difficult to find. The case is 13-1/2 inches square by 6 inches high. The typewriter fits perfectly and snuggly in the case. There is some deterioration of the natural rubber feet and bumpers, however, the platen rubber in in very good overall condition, with no flat spots. The rollers show some very slight cracks, but are otherwise intact and in round. |
$999.99 | Available |
This is a 24K gold plated serial numbered limited edition commemorative cased presentation model of the famed wrist sleeve dagger used by clandestine forces during World War II. It is serial numbered 0265 of 1945 as noted on the certificate on the hinged wooden top of the custom-made fitted presentation case. The dagger is engraved on the handle to MAJOR CHARLES SNYDER USAF (RET).
The dagger comes complete with a fitted leather sleeve and strap, as shown.
The dagger is identical in all respects to the original dagger, with the exception of gold plating and engraving, which would not be on a WWII dagger. It was issued by the American Historical Foundation, Richmond Virginia some years ago. This is the home of the US Marine Raider Museum and the Military Knife Museum. They are primarily known for their production of limited edition firearms, however, they have on special occasion, made other pieces of historical interest in the last 24 years of their history. You can visit their website here to see the quality of their offerings: http://www.ahfrichmond.com/index.html
The condition is mint, with some very minor external wear on the edges of the stained finish of the case.
$899.99 Complete
This is a Cold War era Vibroplex "Bug" telegraph key. The basic design of this style of code key dates back to 1904, with this particular design dating to June 1905. The serial number absolutely dates this key to the year 1957. The device has been in nearly continuous production from 1905 to the present with only minor -- mostly cosmetic -- variations such as paint color and base design.
The key is VERY heavy, with robust rubber feet to keep it in place during long sessions. All of the parts and pieces are complete, intact and present, including the counterweights and various limit and adjustment screws with knurled retention nuts to prevent drift from preferred settings. This is the non-jeweled model. This is a view looking down from the top of the key.
Variation from the currently manufactured model is that this has US Navy gray crinkle finish paint, rather than black crinkle. It is complete with the original serial numbered manufacturers data plate and it is painted with an orange stencil on the bottom with ORIGINAL Vibroplex markings. It measures 3-1/2 inches by 6-1/2 inches by 3-1/2 inches high.
This key is ready to install. It only requires tuning for the coder's particular keying style and some light burnishing of the electrical contacts. The condition is near excellent throughout.
$199.99
The watch is not functional, however it appears to be a Hanhart chronometer, with a "Made in Germany" marking on the face. The "blank" space is unusual, it does not appear to have been altered in any way. This watch face appears to have been from early in the occupation era.
The internal parts of the watch however, were replaced with a small microphone, and the left side of the watch was fitted with a 55 inch gray cable that was long enough to run up the sleeve and to an inside jacket pocket and attached to a miniature wire recorder by a quick disconnect plug.
The back of the watch has perforations around the entire circumference to allow sound to reach the microphone regardless of the position of the hand and wrist. The watch has a padded tan leather watch strap.
The watch measures 1-5/8 inches in diameter, the strap is 9 inches long.
The condition is generally near excellent. There is some glue on the face of the crystal from when it was mounted to a display, and it should polish off with no difficulty, if needed.
$1,999.99
This is a very rare Russian miniature camera with an external release mechanism used during the Cold War years following the end of WWII.
The F-21 camera was used from 1951 to the 1980s when it was replaced by the MF-1. It remained classified until 1990, about the time of the collapse of the KGB.
This one is unusual in that it has the serial numbers intact on both the camera and the original mount (many were ground off). It comes in the original 5 x 8 Inch black pleather (Naugahyde) handbag case with strap. This is the "issue" version of the handbag camera with the correct case and not a modified or field made version most often encountered.
The camera has the single top button next to the motor winder. The lens can be set easily by remote control. The camera is also triggered by remote control that opens the lens aperture and fires the camera.
The condition is near excellent overall per the image furnished. It should be completely operational, as reasonable care was taken in storing and maintaining it. It used a special film, sliced from 35mm to 24mm, and the film is not commonly available. Most was made in the field with a film slicer (not included).
It is sold as is as a curiosity and collectible piece of spycraft.
There are a number of close-ups of various parts of the camera, mount and case shown at the links below:
Offered for $1,749.99
Complete with accessories shown
The radio transmitter was one of the leading edge technologies of the day - the "suitcase radio" - known with typical British brevity as the "Type 3 MK II." This low-power skywave radio was housed in a cheap pressed fiber suitcase and made to look as innocuous as possible. It has three major component parts.
The most important component was a power supply designed to be adaptable to any of the voltages likely to be encountered in the field. The heart of the radio was a very low power transmitter. While it was adaptable to a fairly wide range of frequencies, in reality it was used in a very narrow band to take advantage of skywave propagation. The final component part was the receiver, which - in a pinch - could be used as a source of parts for the other two primary parts.
The Type 3 MK II radio pictured here is very rare. Roughly one agent in three inserted behind enemy lines was a radio operator, the remainder being specialists in other forms of clandestine warfare. Many radios were destroyed to prevent them from falling into enemy hands, or lost in action.
This particular radio is shown nearly complete. It is extremely rare to see one with all the parts and pieces intact. This one has a couple of the coils and crystals absent.
The transmitter has the proper crystal and oscillator coil for using the skywave frequencies near 3.0 megacycles. Other coils were used for higher frequencies, most often used to communicate with CARPETBAGGER aircraft on final approach to a drop zone.
The receiver, below, is set to the mid-range of the skywave frequency. Note the large connectors to the Power Supply. The receiver could be tuned to a completely different frequency than the transmitter, allowing an agent to listen for incoming messages even as they were sending.
$10,999.99
This is a 1930s made Wilcox-Gay Recordette disk recorder, phonegraph microphone, and radio combination suitcase electronic device.
It has an English-made microphone manufactured by LUSTRAPHONE Model No. X55. It is set to run on 110 volts AC.
It has four modes of operation: Play Radio -- Play Phono -- Record Radio -- Record Phono. The phonograph arm has a heavy steel recording needle present. There is a conventional AM band radio receiver. It has not been tested for functionality, the power cord needs some attention and repair before use is attempted. It is sold AS-IS as a collectible device.
This player was used in England during WWII as a record player, and for off-the-air recording and clandestine recording purposes by the SOE.
There is a recorded disk dated 5-5-41 present, however the content is unknown. It came with the device. The recording may be recoverable with a modern turntable capable of 78 RPM operation.
The suitcase measures 13 by 18 by 6 inches. The case and interior show wear from frequent routine use, transport, and storage.
Offered at $499.99
This is a very early Fort Monmonth Experimental Pre-Production Prototype Special Forces Intrusion Alarm Set AN/GSS-9(XE-1) used for guerilla and counter-guerilla intrusion detection applications.
It is exceptionally difficult to locate prototype units of Special Forces equipment. This is a very rare find. It is complete with the original alarm box and three spools of hair fine copper wire pair complete with shorting clips and an original preliminary Technical Manual numbered with a Fort Monmouth control number MON 5398-62. The "62" indicates it is a 1962 issue. The TM that eventually was issued with the production models has the title: Anti-Intrusion Alarm Set, AN/GSS-9, Operator's Manual and numbered TM 11-6350-200-10 dated 5 Jun 67. This manual is long out of production, but available from several sources. This set predates the manual and does NOT include the 1967 manual.
This is a view of the top and one showing the internal compartments. It is built to run on a single BA-30 1.5VDC battery (commonly known as a civilian "D Cell" battery). These are common batteries in both military and civilian versions. and one is NOT included. It has an audible alarm, on-off switch, volume control, test indicator light and circuit test button.
The manual measures 8-1/2 by 11 inches and has 12 pages (6 printed front and rear, back blank) containing photographs, description, use and operation, and repair parts labeled schematic. All pages are stamped "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY". The manual shows signs of frequent reference and some discoloration from age. It has two deep creases from being folded in quarters and rust on the staples. There was never a cover for it.
The alarm case and interior show minor wear from test use and storage. It measures 3 by 3 by 1-1/2 inches. Each spool measures 1-1/2 inches in diameter. It is serial numbered "18" (of an original run of 20) with a sticker. The only piece not present are the crocus cloth that was originally glued next to the test button (for field expedient use if shorting clips weren't available) and the two small wood screws for the lid (easily found and replaced)
If you are a collector of rare and unusual US Army Special Forces items, this prototype is a superlative addition to your collection.
Offered at $999.99
