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The Colonel Farnes Collection

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Lot 1360

Date of Auction: 8th May 2019

Sold for £440

Estimate: £300 - £400

The Colonel Farnes Collection

A Rare Second World War S.S. Fez of the German/ Muslim 13th Gebirgs Division. A distinctive Fez in red felt, with black tassel and standard machine woven skull and crossbones cloth insignia, with leather inner band; together with a small ‘Axis Powers’ printed flag, depicting the flags of Germany, Japan, Spain, and Italy, mounted in a glazed display frame, slight moth damage to Fez otherwise in good condition and rare (2) £300-£400

Footnote

Provenance: The vendor states that these two items were given to him by the late Sir Christopher Lee, the celebrated film and stage actor, whom he had met in the Special Forces Club, and that the Fez had been acquired by Sir Christopher ‘when he was serving as a translator to the S.A.S. forces operating in Europe in 1944-45’; and the flag, issued to the crowds to wave on sticks, ‘had been retained by Sir Christopher after visit to a parade in pre-War German celebrating the forming of the Axis.’ (vendor’s own account refers).