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James N. I can mostly be described as an accumulator. Growing up in an aviation family in a Naval Aviation community, a lot of my early collecting involved aviation artifacts. My most prized artifact is Tom Blackburn's personal Colt 1911 and holster that he carried in combat in the South Pacific when he commanded VF-17, also known as the Jolly Rogers. It's a long story, but I got to know Tom in his later years, and got first hand the story of his life, his combat experiences, his carrier command, and so much more. He specifically mentioned his Colt 1911 3 times in his book about the Jolly Rogers. He really valued it. I treasure it.
My CW collection is again, an accumulation. In my collection are muskets, pistols, a cartridge box (Union), bullets, gun tools, a large stash of primers from a CSA blockade runner known as the Minho, a few things from the Maple Leaf, a Union Navy ammunition box, the cabin bible from the USS Shokokan, Enfield accoutrements, a first edition set of the ORs, some UCV pieces, a Union Cavalry sabre with initials scratched on it, and so much more. Going forward I would like to add some definite CSA identified muskets.
I collected some German WW2 pistols and other items as well. I got burned on some faked stuff which really turned me off. I still have most of my Mauser pistol collection. I say most because my wife convinced me to sell some of them, and I don't know why as we have never really needed the money. I let go of an awesome Broomhandle Mauser, fully matched rig, a super nice Walther P-38 AC-43, a Femaru Luftwaffe marked, a Radom, a Waffenampt PPK, and some more that I care not to remember. I still have my unissued Knight's Cross. Growing up on the Westside of Jacksonville Florida, I got involved with the glider club at the local airport. In the club were some German WW2 pilots who were working for Volkswagen of America. I got to know several of them. One in particular had stopped flying alone because of his age and would ask to fly along in the 2 place gliders and he would spring for the tow fee and glider use fee. I flew him with me a number of times. At the end of day we would consume some brewskis and enjoy the fellowship. One day when the flying was at an end and the beers were consumed I allowed that I had a nice collection of Mauser pistols. We adjourned to my house to have a show and tell of my collection. The German gentleman, I wish I could remember his name, took particular interest in my Mauser HSC. A few weeks later he said he had something he wanted me to add to my collection. He gave me his shoulder holster he had carried in aerial combat in WW2. In his last action he was attacking a B-25 down low and got hit in the head by the return fire from the tail gunner. He remembers nothing after that and when he regained consciousness the war was over and he was being cared for by his wife. At some point he had bailed out and still had all his gear except for the pistol in his holster which was a Mauser HSC. He kept the holster through the years and through his move to the US. It was quite an honor for him to give me that holster. From the marks inside the holster it was clear that an HSC once resided there.
Maybe that's enough for now, it's getting late.