This is a beautiful and most comprehensive uniform and medal grouping to Lieutenant J. Edwin Robbins, an American aviator who flew with the British in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. It is a very early war tunic with one pair of "jopper" riding trousers, one pair of straight leg trousers and his named Sam Brown belt. There is a magnificent set of RFC cloth wings sewn over the left breast pocket below, which are ribbons for the British WWI War and Victory Medals. This early type tunic has the rank pips worn on the cuffs and is for the rank of Flight Lieutenant. It has two blue overseas service chevrons on the right cuff and a single wound strip on the left cuff. Robbin’s VERY scarce Royal Flying Corps side cap with two RFC button on the front and a metal RFC insignia on the side. The set is complete with his RFC FLIGHT LOG, which is extremely rare. The entry for August 8th, 1918 by Robbins states while flying his SE 5a number “C 6997 at “3:15 – 3:40 – Beyond Perrone - Shot down and crashed 400 yards behind the lines”.  Robbins was wounded in action. He spent 6 weeks in the hospital and ended up marrying his nurse. In the book he lists all of his combat and strafing missions, the type of aero planes flown and much more interesting information. The set includes his British War and Victory Medals named to him as Lieutenant in the RAF. The medals have the white cardboard boxes that are named to Lieut. J. E. Robbins, the original telegram stating that he was injured in the crash of his plane, an RFC souvenir pillow that has an embroidered RFC insignia on it and reads, "Remembrance of France", copies of his commission in the RFC, original repatriation papers at the end of the war, casualty returns, copies of a photo of his wife in the 1920s (a real beauty!) and of him with a group of Hollywood motion picture technicians and much more. When this pilot returned home he moved to Hollywood, California and became a member of the VFW there. His VFW hat is included in the grouping. He went on to become a Hollywood film editor and a list of the films he is credited with is included in the grouping. Also included are his union card and many other papers relating to his military service and Hollywood film career. His family related that he purchased a silver mine in Arizona after World War II and after making one of his usual trips there to check on it … was never heard from again! An extremely scarce complete and intriguing grouping to an extremely colorful First World War Aviator

662 - WWI U.S. MODEL 1917 STEEL TRENCH WITH PATRIOTIC PAINTING

Price: $395.00

Here we have a really nice U.S. Model 1917 helmet that has been beautifully painted in a patriotic motif and remains in excellent condition. The helmet is painted in irregular patterns with red, green blue, brown and gray paint. Painted on the front of the helmet is a beautiful image of the Statue of Liberty. To the left is the date “1917” in a pale blue oval outlined red in red and to the right the date, “1919” in a similar pale blue oval. At the feet of the statue, painted in red paint is, “Infantry 1327”. Painted at the top of the helmet is a pale blue circle about 3 inches in diameter. In the center of this circle is a painted a gold 5 point star below which, again, is “Infantry 1327”. The colors are vivid and the art work is excellent. The liner is missing from the interior but the full leather chinstrap is still present. I am unsure if this helmet is from the 77th Division or if the Statue of Liberty represents the gateway to a homecoming from France. A really attractive looking helmet