WWII Archive for U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Robert Knies including German period photos, pins, patches. Lot includes one personal letter, hand written on black bordered stationery from Raphaelle Massange de Lollombs to Mister R. Knies of Knoxville thanking him and his comrades, including an individual identified as Mister Lee, for their "courageous" actions during WWII in the Belgian town of Stavelot. The letter is unique in that the writer describes the events of the massacre that occurred in Stavelot on Sunday, December 18, 1944 during the Belgian invasion of General Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt. The writer also inquires about the well being of Mister Knies and Mister Lee and describes the post war economic situation in Brussels, circa March 20, 1947, 5 1/2" H x 7" W two folded pages. The black bordered envelope is addressed to Mister R. Knees in Knoxville from Brussels and features three Belgian stamps c. 1946, 3 3/4" H x 5 3/4" W. Also included are two WWII era photographs of Knies and three color Kodachrome slides of unidentified street scenes. Lot includes original Nazi "DEUTSCHER VOLKSSTURM WEHRMACHT" armband, 3" H x 16 1/2" W. Also included are two Nazi insignia pin (2 1/4" wing width), one French Bronze Combatant's Cross Medal (1 1/2" H), pin-on worker's badge with "FRITZ LEITZ OBERKOCHEN" in silver type (1 1/2" dia.), Nazi War Merit Cross 2nd Class without Swords 1939 (2" H medal), two square lemonade coins for "Martha Leitz-Haus Oberkochen" (1/2" H), one "1942 ECHTERNACK 1. KREISTAG" pin (2" H), one "Ehrenmalweihe Frankenthal 6. Sept. 1936" pin (1 3/4" H), one "Droit et Avant" spinner pin (1 1/4" H), and other German and American military pins and rank insignias. Pink and black Nazi Fire Police badge patch (3 3/4" H) and gold and olive Nazi eagle patch (3" wing width) also included.

Overall good condition. Letter, photographs, and Kodachrome slides in good condition. Fabric of Nazi armband fraying around edges. Some of the metals and pins are tarnished. Ribbon of Nazi War Merit Cross 2nd Class slightly fraying at top. White mold on surface of two square lemonade coins. Two holes (1/4") on either side of laurel wreath and two gouges (1/2") on right side of Fire Police badge patch. Olive and gold Nazi eagle patch fraying around edges.