Original U.S. WWII Bastogne Ephemera Grouping with NUTS Poster, Congratulations Letter, and More
In stock
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Original Items. One-of-a-Kind Group. This is a tremendous lot of ephemera items relating to Bastogne. Bastogne is a small Belgian town liberated by the Allies in late 1944 during World War II. Shortly afterwards, German forces attacked Bastogne. AH was attempting to seize control of the Ardennes in order to advance to Antwerp, cut off supply, and separate British and American troops. On December 16, German artillery launched an attack on the sparsely deployed American troops around Bastogne, kicking off the Battle of the Bulge. A few days later, Brigadier General McAuliffe and the 101st Airborne Division, along with elements of the 10th Armored Division and the 82nd Airborne Division, arrived to counter-attack but were encircled within the town after heavy fighting. On December 22, the Germans demanded American surrender, to which McAuliffe replied, "Nuts!" The weather cleared the next day, allowing for airstrikes and the parachuting of much-needed supplies.
The items include:
- 8 x 10½” trace paper letter congratulating men of the 101st Airborne Division, 9th & 10th Armored Divisions, 707th Tank Battalion and others on being led into a death trap in Bastogne. This may have been dropped to the soldiers by Germans surrounding the town. “But it is inevitable that you boys shed your blood for the interests of a bunch of Wallstreet Warmongers”. We could not find another example online. This might just be a U.S. soldier having typed out what was on one of the leaflets dropped. We cannot guarantee its authenticity to the period.
- November 1950 issue of Screaming Eagle, 101st Airborne Division association announcing Belgian Memorial at Bastogne. 8 ½ x 11”. Named on the back Corp. James L. Hartung(?) 101st Airborne Div.
- 4 x 6” postcard showing Mac Auliffe kicking a German soldier in the butt, “Mac Auliffe to Bastogne”.
- 10 x 13” poster printed in Belgium commemorating the Nuts letter and showing German soldiers walking away with a white flag. Shows Belgian citizens happy and a little girl with a pig. Top shows the 101st Airborne and town crest of Bastogne over a V for Victory. Fantastic poster.
- 10 x 13 ¾” January 7th, 1945 copy of YANK Weekly, “Blunting the German Counterattack in Eastern Belgium”. Great read.
A great lot of Bastogne items, ready for display.
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