Lot 885

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Description:

GORDON GOLLOB (1912-1987) Austrian-born fighter pilot and ace in the Luftwaffe from 1938 to 1945, the first to be credited with 150 "kills". A recipient of the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. A superb and extensive collection of Gollob's Luftwaffe uniform items, medals and documents, includes: Gollob's Luftwaffe officer's "fliegerbluse" ("flyer's blouse"), constructed of blue-grey wool with five black composite buttons in a concealed "fly" arrangement at front. Each hip bears a swooped slash pocket, and no breast pockets are fitted. The interior is lined with dark blue silk and fitted with a dagger loop beneath the left-hand arm. A vertical slash pocket within the lining on the left-hand side contains a white label printed with the maker's name "Averbeck & Broskamp Berlin W.", and bearing the typed name of the owner: "Oberstlt. Gollob", the laundry number "542" and the date "Jan. 1944". At this point in time, Gollob held the rank of "Oberstleutnant" ("Lieutenant-Colonel"), being promoted to "Oberst" ("Colonel") in May of 1944. The uniform reflects this promotion, as it is fitted with collar tabs of embroidered aluminum bullion on yellow wool, indicating the rank of "Oberst". Traces of older yellow wool thread from an earlier set of collar tabs are visible beneath the current insignia, indicating that they were replaced when Gollob received his promotion. Each shoulder also bears a sewn-in shoulder strap of braided aluminum bullion on a yellow wool backing, each fitted with two brass pips, again indicating the rank of "Oberst". An embroidered aluminum bullion Luftwaffe eagle is sewn to the right-hand breast, while the left breast bears two rows of medal bar loops above a set of loops for the Iron Cross, First Class and two additional badges. The Luftwaffe eagle shows some wear and slight loosening of the bullion, while the medal loops show some slight wear, with one minute moth nip to the left-hand sleeve, else fine. The blouse is accompanied by a pair of Luftwaffe officer's Jodhpur-style breeches, constructed of blue-grey wool and fitted with three metal "Solide Elegant" buttons and a steel hook at the fly. They feature a vertical slash pocket at each hip, a horizontal slash watch pocket at the right-hand hip, a single flap-covered slash pocket to the seat at right, adjustment straps with metal buckles at the waist, and black laces at the leg openings. The trousers bear no apparent maker's marks or size information, and are in fine condition. WITH: A Luftwaffe officer's blue-grey wool peaked visor cap with a black mohair band and a black "Vulkanfibre" bill, trimmed with aluminum bullion piping around the crown and at the edges of the band. The peak bears a Luftwaffe eagle embroidered in aluminum wire, above a embroidered aluminum bullion winged wreath encircling a red wool rosette. A braided aluminum bullion chip cord is affixed over the bill by a pebbled metal button on each side. The interior is fitted with a grey faux-leather sweat band and lined with grey rayon, with a large plastic sweat shield protecting the gilt maker's label: "Verkaufsabteilung der Luftwaffe ["Sale Department of the Luftwaffe"] Berlin S W 68 Puttkammerstr. 16-18" with the brand "Erstklassig" ("First Class"). A blank Luftwaffe supply requisition form has been folded up and inserted beneath the sweatband at front as extra padding. The cap show some minor oxidation to the bullion chip cord, with a moth hole to the edge of the crown, else very good to fine. This cap is accompanied by a Luftwaffe officer's "fliegermutze" ("flyer's cap") of blue-grey wool, trimmed with aluminum bullion piping and bearing a bullion and red wool rosette at front. Unusually, the cap lacks the bullion Luftwaffe eagle most often seen above the rosette on these caps, with no sign that one has ever been fitted. The interior is lined with dark blue rayon, with a partial sweat band of brown faux-leather at front, showing a very faint and illegible stamp to the underside. Shows minor wear to the sweatband, else very good to fine. The uniform grouping is rounded out by a Luftwaffe officer's brocade uniform belt, 42" x 1 3/4", backed with blue-grey wool and fitted with a grey leather tongue, bearing the size stamp "95". The belt is fitted with a stamped aluminum Luftwaffe officer's belt buckle with a frosted finish, displaying a gilt Luftwaffe eagle at center. In fine condition. WITH: A superb and most important archive of awards, medals and documents surrounding Gollob's service, including Gollob's promotion to the rank of Major, 4pp. folio, "Fuhrer Headquarters", Berlin, July 2, 1942, bearing lithographed signatures of both Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goering. Although Gollob had technically been promoted to major months earlier, a typed cover note indicates that he has been placed in command of Jagd. 77, so this document was likely "catching up" with him. The fact the Gollob has received such an ornate document likely lies in the fact that at the time of its award, he already had received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, and had over 100 "kills". Also present is a typed list of Gollob's "kills" to Sep. 18, 1942, listing date, type of plane destroyed, type of action, etc., as well as a November, 1942 Hungarian certificate awarding Gollob the Hungarian Pilots Badge, with the badge itself, 3 3/4" long, polished brass in a fitted case from a Budapest jeweler. A related document present is a 1943 notice from an adjutant of Jagdgeschwader 77, Feb. 6, 1943 to Jagdfliegerfuhrer 3 advising that the commander of the Hungarian Air Force had awarded Gollob the Hungarian Pilot's Badge in recognition of his assistance in retraining the Hungarian Air force, and sending the award certificate. He also notes that the badge itself follows. A pencil note instructs that the document be held until Gollob's return. An Iron Cross First Class is also present, in presentation case with ink notation on the satin liner: "13.6.40 Drontheim", the date and place where Gollob's combat would earn him an Iron Cross. The name "Gollob" has been added in black marker below the description. Finally, there are 1951-dated certified copies of extracts from Gollob's soldbuch listing his personal information, promotions, awards, Iron Crosses, Knights Cross awards, etc., with official stamps from Sulingen, Germany. The group is rounded out by Gollob's signature in blue pencil on a 2 1/2" x 3/4" slip of paper, affixed to a 4to. album page along with an 8vo. b/w photo portrait, along with with a 16" x 1 3/4" strip of meal ribbon for the Knight's Cross and and unidentified brown wool electrically-heated flight jacket liner, lacking any labels or identifying markings. An extremely important and detailed group of items emblematic of this hero of the Luftwaffe.

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May 1, 2019 10:00 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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$100 $499 $20
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$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
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$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000