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LARGE LOT OF EPHEMERA PATCHES & BADGES

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:2,000.00 USD Estimated At:4,000.00 - 7,000.00 USD
LARGE LOT OF EPHEMERA PATCHES & BADGES
LARGE LOT OF EPHEMERA PATCHES & BADGES FROM AN AMERICAN GI GUARD AT THE NUREMBERG WAR CRIMES TRIALS. This lot was purchased by consignor directly from former Sgt. Robert M. Brenneke who was a guard at Nuremberg trials for the 21 Nazi leaders in time frame immediately after cessation of hostilities in WWII. Sgt. Brenneke states, in an undated letter to consignor that he was one of the special group of 35 officers & 60 enlisted men who were hand-picked for that assignment. He states that he had been a member of the 94th Infantry Division until the time they were re-deployed back to the U.S. at the end of the war. Since he did not have sufficient points to merit re-deployment he remained in Germany on this selected special assignment. He states that he arrived at the "Palace of Justice" while renovations & repairs from bomb damage were still underway, prior to arrival of prisoners. After the arrival of 22 prisoners he was one of the prison guards in direct contact with prisoners. He states that almost immediately one of prisoners, Robert Ley, committed suicide so only 21 actually went on trial. He states he spent almost two years in Nuremberg with trials lasting a little over a year. He further states that Herman Goering was the only other prisoner to commit suicide by biting a cyanide capsule supplied by his attorney which he had secreted in a commode. The other 20 prisoners were subsequently executed, cremated & their ashes disposed in a river behind the crematorium. Included in this lot are two letters from Mr. Brenneke, an internet reprint of a 3-page article regarding "Corporal" Brenneke's assignment to war trials; an order signed by Col. B.C. Andrus designing the crest for guards & Chief of Consul heraldic patches & badges; an orig 6-page document dated Nov. 20, 1945 entitled "Warcrime Trials Nurnberg (sic) Germany Nov. 20, 1945" which lists a short biography of all 21 of defendants on trial; a newspaper article from The Sunday Standard-Times, New Bedford, Mass., Dec. 22, 1946, with a picture of Mr. Brenneke holding a book with autographs of all 21 prisoners, which was later sold along with Goering's sword & dagger; a newspaper page where Mr. Brenneke refutes a reporter's claim to have visited Goering in his cell; prints of 15 black & white photos of inside & outside prison and of defendants & courtroom; two orig shield shaped color flashes (metal badges) worn by military personnel in the prison (visible in one of the above photo prints); an arm band for prison guards; one of the orig, extremely rare, shoulder patches as designed by Col Andrus & worn by Sgt. Brenneke while guarding prisoners; two helmet liner decals for military personnel in the prison which Mr. Brenneke states were affixed to the white helmet liners worn only in courtroom; a larger decal for military personnel; a vehicle windshield sticker for authorized vehicles to enter prison grounds; Sgt. Brenneke's orig pass to enter prison grounds; another of Sgt. Brenneke's orig passes; Sgt. Brenneke's orig pass to Palace of Justice; Sgt. Brenneke's off-duty pass; a clear plastic cigarette case with a Germanic crest on one side & inscribed on other "WAR TRIALS / -1945 - / NUREMBERG / GERMANY" & two CD's of an oral interview of Sgt. Brenneke dated 2004. CONDITION: All of orig papers, pictures, etc. are yellowed but completely intact & legible. Collar flashes have some crackling to background white paint. White portion of arm band is slightly yellowed & shoulder patch shows light wear with stitching from having been attached to a uniform. Various passes, ID cards & decals show moderate wear & some light soiling. Cigarette case two or three old cigarette burns, but otherwise is completely intact & sound. A truly rare & unusual grouping of items relating the Nuremberg war crimes trials. 4-57772 JR202