Description
WWII U.S. 36TH INFANTRY DIVISION – PFC DOUGLAS E. FERGUSON – ORIGINAL SEND-HOME SOUVENIR GROUPING – GERMAN LUFTSCHUTZ HELMET, ITALIAN INSIGNIA, MEDALS, COINS & ORIGINAL SHIPPING CRATE
An exceptional and historically interesting WWII souvenir grouping personally sent home by PFC Douglas E. Ferguson of Company C, 111th Engineer Combat Battalion, 36th Infantry Division, the famous Texas “T-Patch” Division. The centerpiece is an original German Luftschutz helmet with dark blue finish, prominent winged Luftschutz decal, original leather liner, chinstrap, and interior markings including “Vertrieb genehmigt gemäß § 8 Luftschutzgesetz” and “Kopfweite: 56.” Remarkably, the helmet remains accompanied by the original patterned curtain used by Ferguson to wrap and protect it for shipment, together with the original wooden shipping crate bearing his handwritten return identification, “PFC Douglas E. Ferguson, C-Co 111th Eng APO 36, c/o PM New York N.Y.,” and the recipient’s address, “Mrs. Edith Mercer, RR #2, Sabina, Ohio.” The crate itself is a repurposed German commercial wooden box with original German factory markings, including “Henkel & Cie A.G.” The grouping also includes a small vintage carrying case containing an assortment of Italian Fascist-era embroidered insignia, including bullion fasces collar insignia, GIL and ONB youth organization patches, and additional military insignia, together with Italian and French coins, a separate group of Third Reich German coins, and other personal souvenirs. Also included are two Italian commemorative medals associated with the Allied entry into Naples on October 1, 1943, one bearing the inscription “NAPLES GRATEFUL TO THE VALIANT ALLIED TROOPS – 1st OCTOBER 1943” and the other “COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL OF THE ENTRANCE OF THE ALLIED ARMIES IN NAPLES – 1st OCTOBER 1943.” Additional American military memorabilia includes a 36th Infantry Division T-Patch, U.S. insignia, a Rifle qualification badge, a CROSSETO souvenir badge, and a ribbon bar with campaign stars. An especially interesting component is an original cardboard box containing Ferguson’s personal wartime papers and souvenirs, including a December 9, 1942 issue of Camp Edwards News, the November 25, 1944 mobilization anniversary issue of T-Patch – 36th Division News, and an April 8, 1945 issue of Beachhead News reporting on the Allied breakthrough of the Siegfried Line. The grouping also contains an original military shipping authorization certificate signed by Captain James H. Mueller, Commanding Officer of Company C, 111th Engineer Combat Battalion, authorizing captured enemy articles to be shipped to the United States. Accompanying research identifies Ferguson as a Maryland serviceman of the 111th Engineer Combat Battalion and provides additional documentation of his wartime service. The 111th Engineer Combat Battalion served with the 36th Infantry Division during its campaigns through Italy, southern France, and Germany, making this grouping particularly representative of the souvenirs and personal effects collected by an American combat engineer during the European campaign. What makes this assemblage especially desirable is its remarkable continuity of provenance: the named veteran, his original shipping crate with handwritten addresses, the actual curtain used to wrap the helmet, his captured enemy souvenirs, and the wartime authorization paperwork have all remained together, offering a compelling historical record of how a frontline American soldier gathered and shipped his souvenirs home during WWII.
