D-Day flag declares victory as top lot of Milestone’s $900K Premier Military Auction

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – June 29 was an exciting day for war historians who attended or bid remotely in Milestone Auctions’ Premier Military Auction. Collectors boldly stepped up to claim their unique prizes from a widely-varied 700-lot selection that represented conflicts from the Civil War through Vietnam era. The auction closed the books at $900,000 and, as predicted, the top-lot position was claimed by a US Navy D-Day archive whose centerpiece was a 48-star Ensign #10 American Battle Flag.

The iconic red, white and blue textile was flying on LCI-538 as the “first wave” of naval craft landed at Omaha Beach during the Invasion of Normandy, on June 6, 1944. A near-sacred symbol of the coordinated effort in which the Allied Armies’ land, air and sea forces united to achieve the largest military invasion in history, the flag was retrieved as a souvenir by Motor Machinist’s Mate First Class Frank R Maratea, who was aboard LCI-538 as it made landfall on that fateful day. The archive also included a WWII US Navy Commission streamer flag, Maratea’s own Honorable Discharge and military papers; original photographs taken on Omaha Beach and on the deck of LCI-538, ephemera from the D-Day Landings 50th Anniversary Reunion (including a photo with then-President Bill Clinton), and more. A unique grouping with impeccable documentation, it sold for $73,800 against a pre-sale estimate of $40,000-$60,000.

Another highly important D-Day memento was a map critical to the Omaha Beach West assault phase of “Operation Neptune,” the code name for the Battle of Normandy. Showing the area in and around the community of Vierville-sur-Mer, the map also included landing and associated airborne plans for the  D-Day invasion. It was marked “TOP SECRET BIGOT” – BIGOT being an acronym for “British Invasion of German Occupied Territory.” Carefully preserved for 80 years, the map came to auction in mint condition and easily found its way to $23,370 against an estimate of $4,000-$5,000.

A WWII Nazi German Luftwaffe “honor” goblet dating to circa 1941/1942-1944 was die-struck, hammered and of silverplate over nickel/silver construction. Its obverse was embossed with the image of two eagles engaged in aerial combat, while its reverse showed the 1939 Iron Cross. The German inscription included the recipient’s name, rank and date of the award plus a German phrase that translates to “For Exceptional Achievement in the Air War.” It sold near the high estimate for $6,765.

The auction included many significant items from the now-closed American Armored Foundation Inc Tank and Ordnance Memorial Museum of Danville, Virginia. With a mission to display and preserve as many tank and cavalry artifacts as possible, the 333,000-square-foot museum’s core holding was the private collection donated by high-tech entrepreneur and military history expert William Gasser. Among the museum’s artillery holdings was a 1940s 20mm Orlikon MK II “cutaway” cannon of a type that was used for instruction by both sides during World II. Mounted on a 4-legged stand, the teaching device became a staple on US Navy warships. The auction example displayed ship/anchor proofs throughout and was marked GM for its manufacturer, General Motors. It sold within estimate for $11,070.

The museum selection also included several remarkable uniforms and other military apparel. A uniform grouping of US Army Three-Star General Bruce C. Clarke (later promoted to Four-Star General) consisted of doeskin riding breeches, an officer’s shirt, and an “Ike” jacket with bullion Lt. General’s Stars to the epaulets and a 12-place ribbon bar that included a Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star with three Oak Leaf Clusters, and many additional awards. A 4th Armored walking cane and selection of ephemera accompanied the uniform lot, which sold above high estimate for $3,393.

Headwear formerly held in the museum’s collection included a WWII Spanish Condor Legion “Panzergruppe Drohne” black wool beret with a totenkopf (skull and crossbones) insignia above a separate static swastika. Against an estimate of $600-$1,200, it battled its way to a noteworthy $3,567. Also, a WWII Nazi German Luftwaffe general’s Panzer M43 cap, circa 1936/1937-1945, embellished with the Luftwaffe eagle in gold bullion threads, finished within estimate at $6,457.

Helmets inspired bidding competition, with one of the highlights being a WWII US Army 1st Division swivel-bail helmet with the distinctive 1st Division Unit Insignia painted to its front. Formerly part of the museum’s collection, it was bid to $2,398 against an estimate of $800-$1,200.

From other sources, a WWII Nazi German M35 double-decal Polizei (“Police”) steel helmet in very nice condition, retaining most of its original smooth field-gray paint and Police eagle decal, sold for $5,535 against an estimate of $1,500-$2,500; but it was an unusual-looking WWII Nazi German totenkopf (skull and crossbones) helmet painted with the skull shield of the Finnish 4th Division, Kev Os 4 (Light Unit No. 4), that rose to the top of the helmet category. Soviets nicknamed the unit “Belaya Smjert,” or “White Death” in reference to the accomplished ski troops who painted the macabre skull motif on their helmets to intimidate the enemy. The helmet surpassed its $1,000-$5,000 estimate to achieve $6,900.

There is no way to overstate the wartime contributions of the fabled Tuskegee Airmen – the African American military pilots who skillfully escorted WWII Allied bombers into enemy territory and were in constant demand due to their record of low losses. At the June 29 auction, Milestone took particular pride in presenting a US Army Air Corps pilot grouping identified to Tuskegee Airman Hiram E. Mann. The grouping included a leather Type B-3 flight jacket, officer’s uniform jacket and dress shirt; silk flight scarf, two flight suits, the officer’s wool visor hat and overseas cap with captain’s insignia, and several items of ephemera. This outstanding and especially-complete archive associated with a member of a legendary air unit realized $6,150 against an estimate of $3,500-$4,500.

To discuss consigning a collection or single item to a future Milestone military auction, call Miles King at 440-527-8060 or email info@milestoneauctions.com. All enquiries are kept strictly confidential and there is never an obligation to consign. Online: www.milestoneauctions.com