Chris William

Chris William has been a long-time member of the collecting community, contributor to Military Trader, and author of the book, Third Reich Collectibles: Identification and Price Guide.

"I love to learn new facts about the world wars, and have had the good fortune to know many veterans and collectors over the years."

"Please keep their history alive to pass on to future generations".

Articles From This Author

The Germans used small flags adorned with skulls and crossbones to indicate the presence of land mines.
Firearms and Ordnance

Collecting Inert German anti-personnel and tank mines of WWII

This was carved by a Buchenwald Concentration Camp inmate who put his name and date on the reverse.
Militaria Collecting 101

Wooden Relics of the Reich

Religion Opener
Military History

Overcoming Doctrine in the Third Reich

Germany’s Nazi Party relied on a vast network of “political leaders.” Working as civil servants, they provided a network to educate the public about Party doctrines. The party leader above wears a standard armband on a tunic with no tunic piping — not uncommon for lower ranking officials.
Patches / Insignia

Political leaders of the Third Reich

germany-awaken-1933_01 copy copy
Military History

WW2 relics show how Germany used sports to prepare for War

The infantry officer’s cap is made of high quality doeskin material, finely formed, and sewn with a dark green headband and white (infantry) piping.
Militaria Collecting 101

Favorite Find: An officer's Visor Cap With Messages

The pommel cap of the NCO sword contained double SS runes.
Knives / Swords / Bayonets

Blades of the Black Guard

When Germany began to mobilize of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, it had to devise a system to of meticulous record keeping. One method was to issue each conscript a book — a Wehrpass — in which personal information was maintained. After the person was accepted into a branch of service, the Wehrpass was exchanged for a Soldbuch.
Photographs and Ephemera

The Wehrpass

Propaganda card showing members of Himmler’s SS Technische Nothilfe / Technical Emergency Aid organization. The TENO (Technische Nothilfe —Technical Emergency Relief) had been founded in 1919. Today, the organization still exists as the Technische Hilfswerke (Technical Assistance).
Medals

Teno

Police formations march past dignitaries in Krakow, including Heinrich Himmler and Hans Frank. When dressed for such occasions, some German NCOs and enlisted soldiers would wear brass or wood handled “dress” bayonets decorated with colored tassels that designated their individual units.
Knives / Swords / Bayonets

German Dress Bayonets

A Cleveland,Ohio, delegate wore this badge to the Die Freunde des Neuen Deutschland (FDND)Gau-Tag meeting held at the Palmer House in Chicago on October 20, 1934.
Patches / Insignia

The German American Bund: The Enemy Within

A three-man crew at the ready of their MG 08. Members of the MG-Scharfschuetzen (machine gun sharpshooters) who mastered their training were awarded a proficiency badge, first authorized in January, 1916.
Militaria Collecting 101

Maschinengewehr Abzeichen

In a phrase popularized in movies, “Papers please” ultimately led to the full identity disclosure of thousands of former SS members. But one form didn’t fit all — there were many different documents carried by the various soldiers, members, and workers of the Third Reich.
Photographs and Ephemera

Show Me Your Papers!

A group of British soldiers clown for the camera, ca. 1916. The soldier wearing a captured German helmet is also holding an Austrian Hebel Pattern flare pistol. Flare guns were valuable to both sides during WWI, being used by aviators, ground troops, and naval forces to illuminate, communicate, and signal — roles that signal guns fulfill to this day. John Adams-Graf Collection
Firearms and Ordnance

Very Pistols Illuminated

Hitler’s elite members of the Allgemeine SS wore austere, black and white visor caps to incite feelings of pride, discipline, and fear. Mark Pulaski Collection
Headgear

Skulls & Eagles

While giving final instruction before going into the fray, the King of Saxony is seen conversing with one of his men who has just received an Iron Cross.
Medals

The Iconic Iron Cross

This Totenkopf member wears his complete uniform with death’s head collar tabs.
Headgear

Black Knights of the third Reich: Part II

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Headgear

Lili of the Lamplight

During the years of the Third Reich, many of Europe’s young men found themselves in the ranks of the Waffen-SS, whether by enlistment or conscription. Günther Wiese was one German who chose to join. The decision would cost him his life.
Photographs and Ephemera

Günther Wiese

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Patches / Insignia

Black Knights of the Third Reich

As the Great War bogged down into a trench slug- fest, armies of both sides produced and carried a vast array of close-combat weapons including small, versatile weapons that the combatants would come to call, “trench knives.” This Belgian soldier wearing body armor and a Farina-style helmet, carries a modified Mauser bayonet in his teeth. John Adams-Graf collection
Militaria Collectibles

Trench Knives of the Great War

Helen Ann Mangold of Racine, Wisconsin, volunteered for service in early 1943. By the end of the war, she had treated hundreds of wounded and sick patients throughout the Pacific Theater.
Photographs and Ephemera

Lt. Helen Mangold: U.S. Army Nurse

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Photographs and Ephemera

Ideology Through the Mail

The American Red Cross actually began its aid work before the United States entered into WWII. At the request of the U.S. government, the Red Cross set up a Blood Donor Service for the armed forces. By the end of the War, more than 40,000 employees of the Red Cross directed the efforts of 7.5 million civilian volunteers, serving the Armed Forces both overseas and at home. 1945 Red Cross poster by Jes Schlaikjer
Uniforms

Catherine “Kitty” Chappel

An army NCO on his beautiful black mare with dress saberattached to the saddle at the ready.
Patches / Insignia

Riders for the Reich

The NS-Frauenschaft empowered women to take part in the national movement as it swept over Germany. This photo was taken at the NS-Gaufrauenschaft Berlin rally in the Sportpalast. It shows Reichsfrauenführerin GertrudScholtz-Klink standing with (from left) Joseph Goebbels; the Italian Ambassador Dino Alfieri; Deutschen Arbeitsfront (DAF) leader Robert Ley; and the leader of the NS-Hauptamts NS-Frauenschaft, Erich Hilgenfeldt (Photo by Ullstein Bild via Getty Images)
Patches / Insignia

Frauenschaft: The Nazi’s Women’s League

Becoming popular in the late 19th century, decorated silk objects were popular with soldiers want to send something home that would cast a “softer” side to the realities of military life.
Flags, Banners

Silk in Service

A well-decorated veteran of the Russian front sports a wound badge along with his other awards in this Soldbuch photo.
Medals

German
 Wound Badges

This proud NCO wears a pilot’s badge on his flight tunic as prescribed by regulations.
Medals

WWII Luftwaffe Badges

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Photographs and Ephemera

Foreign Workers in the Reich

smoking
Photographs and Ephemera

Zigarettenbilder - Collecting German Cigarette Card albums

german_prisoners_ss-panzerdivision_totenkopf
Patches / Insignia

Totenkopf: Nazi Germany's 'death head' of WWII

Rudolf Gercke (1884-1947), General der Infanterie, Chef des Transportwesens OKH wearing the Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross with swords,
Medals

Kriegsverdienstkreuz: Germany’s WWII War Merit Cross

Sekret‰rin an Schreibmaschine
Photographs and Ephemera

Reich’s Recorders: The German Stenographers’ Union

Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, President of the German Republic,established the Honor Cross of the World War 1914/1918 by an order dated 13 July 1934, to commemorate the distinguished deeds of the German people during WWI. This was Germany’s first official service medal for soldiers of Imperial Germany who had taken part in the war. It is also known as the “Hindenburg Cross.”
Medals

Cross of Honor

Scherl Bilderdienst K¸nstlertr‰ume nach Feierabend. Tags¸ber bedienen die geschickten M‰dchenh‰nde im B¸ro die Schreibmaschine.
Patches / Insignia

Reich's Recorders

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Medals

German NSDAP Gau Tradition Badges of WWII

A silver Mother’s Cross with long issue ribbon, the ends sewn together to enable the award to be worn around the recipients neck.
Medals

The Mother’s Cross of Honor

Flugzeug Focke-Wulf Fw 190, Bewaffnung
Patches / Insignia

Not all Pilots

The whole idea of “V-Mail” was to reduce the volume of shipping overseas. One sack of V-Mail film equaled 37 bags letters. National Archives
Photographs and Ephemera

Just a word to tell you...

Hitlers-Chair-3
Militaria Collectibles

Could this be Hitler's chair?

Johann Frintrop’s photo inside his well-worn Army Soldbuch reveals a man in his thirties who was called up to serve his country.
Photographs and Ephemera

Simply A Soldier: He served his nation in mines, on battlefield

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