Original U.S. WWII 20th Armored Division 138th Ordnance Bn. German Souvenir Bringback Group with Field Gear, Insignia, Bayonets and Artillery Fuze - S/Sgt. Wilbur E. Strassburg
In stock
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Original Items. One-of-a-Kind Group. This is an exceptionally extensive and well-provenanced WWII souvenir grouping associated with Staff Sergeant Wilbur Emerson Strassburg, Headquarters Company, 138th Armored Ordnance Maintenance Battalion, 20th Armored Division, who served overseas in Europe during the closing months of WWII. Rather than surviving simply as an assortment of loose German and Allied equipment, the grouping remains housed in the original German wooden ammunition crate that Strassburg used to send souvenirs home to his wife in Michigan. His name, Army serial number, unit, APO address, and his wife's home address are painted directly onto the lid, creating unusually strong period provenance for the group as a whole.
Not Available for Export.
The 138th Armored Ordnance Battalion was part of the 20th Armored Division, which was activated on March 15, 1943, at Camp Campbell, Kentucky. The 20th was the final U.S. armored division to enter combat during World War II. On April 29, 1945, elements of the 20th Armored Division, alongside the 42nd and 45th Infantry Divisions, liberated the infamous Dachau concentration camp near Munich, Germany.
The crate’s contents include:
- German WWII Heer 98k Rifle Long Dress Bayonet by ALCOSO of Solingen with Scabbard and Frog. Good plating retention but wear overall. Button works fine.
- German Heer 2nd Pattern Marksmanship Lanyard with sewn backing. Great shape.
- German WWII M30 Size 2 Gas Mask with FE41 Filter and Can. Great shape with name on interior lid “Ogerfr. Hilke”.
- Gas cape bag for gas mask, snaps work fine, retains loops on bag, no cape.
- German WWII DRK Medical Pouch dated 1936 by maker in Duren. Inside are two 1942-dated twine-wrapped bandaged. Interior lid of pouch has written 1940 date of packing. Inside of the pouch were also several German medals and insignia.
- Insignia in the pouch including German DRL Sports Badge, War Merit Cross 2nd class with ribbon, small tinnie of German soldier bust over oak leaves, small swas in white circle taken off of flag, cut Army Heer Sports Shirt Eagle Insignia, and Waffen-SS Hauptsturmfuhrer (Captain) camo rank sleeve insignia, screen-printed.
- Kriegsmarine rank patches including medical, messenger, and carpenter with a chevron.
- Heer sleeve rank insignia including Oberschütze, Gefreiter, and Obergefreiter.
- German WWII Deutsche Wehrmacht Machine Embroidered Armband.
- Pair of K98 ammunition pouches, both pebbled by different makers. One is by Lohman Werk A.G., dated 1942, and the other is by Franz…, dated 1940. Good pair.
- German WWII Enameled steel canteen with very moth-damaged cover, straps okay, bakelite cap is cracked. Very very rough.
- U.S. WWII M54 Fuze, Time and Superquick, battle-damaged, dated March 1942.
- U.S. 37mm M16 Anti-tank round dated 1942 with projectile. Inert.
- Italian WWII M30 Mess kit in green with leather strap. Good service-worn example.
- U.S. M1905 bayonet by Springfield dated 1918 with original configuration and heavy oxidation and edge nicking. Comes in incorrect 1917 Enfield rifle bayonet scabbard, but fits fine. Rough set.
The rifle grenade crate itself retains the original issue slip attached under the lid, reading:
100
2cm Brand-Sprenggr.-Patreonen
L’spur W (rot) quz. 11/45
Geschofigewicht: 131g
38,1g Nz. R.P. (3.3. 0,5) blz. 1944/41
+0,5g Nz. Bell. P. (1,5/0,75) rdf. 1944/5
…
Abgenommen am 6.Marz 1945 (Waffenamt) WaA494
This means the crate was meant to store 100 Sprengpatrone rifle grenades, and was filled on March 6th, 1945. The crate measures 27 ½ x 10 ½ x 8” and both of the rope carry handles are now broken, with one hanging onto one side and the other entirely gone. Both closure latches still work well, but there is heavy wear and cracking in the box as shown, and some of the dovetail pieces are loose.
The crate is marked on the lid:
FROM:
S/SGT. W.E. STRASSBURG 36130842
HQ. CO. 138 ORD. BN. APO 444
℅ P.M. NEW YORK, N.Y.
TO:
MRS. W.E. STRASSBURG
11075 ESSEX AVE.
VAN DYKE, MICHIGAN
There is a box labeled CENSORED with nothing inside, where the original censor approval would have been placed. There is heavy wear and scuffing to the exterior of the crate.
Wilbur Emmerson Strassburg was born on November 17th, 1919 in Detroit, Michigan. He enlisted in the Army on October 18th, 1941 and was assigned to the Headquarters Company, 138th Armored Ordnance Battalion, 20th Armored Division Trains, 20th Armored Division. He left for overseas on 6 February and arrived at Le Havre, France, 19 February 1945. He saw combat in the final days of the war and returned in August 1945, being discharged shortly after. He passed away on April 13th, 1993 at the age of 73.
We were able to find a photograph online of Strassburg, but it is not an original photo included with this set. It is only shown for reference.
Few souvenir groups preserve their wartime method of shipment as convincingly as this one. The German March 1945 ammunition crate, S/Sgt. Strassburg's painted military return address, APO 444 identification, his wife's Michigan destination address, original German ammunition label, and extensive collection of German, Italian, and American field equipment combine to preserve both the objects themselves and the circumstances under which a U.S. soldier brought wartime souvenirs home. The individual condition of the contents ranges from very good to extremely rough, but as a documented assemblage connected to a named member of the 138th Armored Ordnance Maintenance Battalion, the grouping offers exceptional research and display potential within a collection focused on the 20th Armored Division, WWII bring-backs, late-war Germany, or named American servicemen.
- This product is not available for international shipping.
- Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon
Totally inert, cannot be converted to an explosive device, not available for export. This item is completely legal within the USA. International Military Antiques, Inc observes all Federal, State and Local laws. Everything for sale on ima-usa.com is completely legal to own, trade, transport and sell within the United States of America.
All deactivated ordnance sold by IMA, Inc is engineered to be inoperable according to guidelines provided by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF).
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