November 7-8, 2018 Edged Weapons, Armor, & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/7/2018
Very rare World War I U.S. Marine Officer aviation grouping. This group is from a small private historical society and has never before been on the military collector market. All items in lot are named to Capt. Gustav H. Kaemmering, Fleet Marine Air Forces (FMAF) Northern Bombing Group. He was Marine Aviator No. 592 and after initial flight training was assigned to No. 4 Squadron, 1st Marine Aviation Force. He later commanded the No. 4 squadron in France. He was discharged February 8, 1919. Grouping consists of his private purchase, tailor made winter service coat and Jodhpur style trousers. Collar retains both matched pin backed bronze officer P1914 EGA devices, sterling EGA capped rosewood swagger stick, and a set of aluminum identity disks both stamped with his name and service entry date. Officer's private purchase high lace-up leather boots. Pinned to the uniform is a World War I Victory Medal with AVIATION bar, early Naval aviator gold gilt pin backed wings, a Kansas City 3rd Annual Convention medal named to Kaemmering, and a sterling pistol expert badge. Souvenir items include a small embroidered wool 9" by 6.5" "US MARINE - OVER THERE" banner, a small wartime framed photo of Kaemmering, a First Marine Veteran's Association Book and history of Marine Aviation in World War I. A wonderful, theater made, hand carved, French keepsakes box with black painted lettering to front that reads, "Lt. G.H. KAEMMERING 1ST MARINE AVIATION FORCE", and in faint red paint, "NORTHERN BOMBING GROUP, LA FRESNE" along with the FMAF EGA emblem in color. The Northern Bombing Group consisted of United States Navy and United States Marine Corps squadrons conducting strategic bombing of German U-boat bases along the Belgian coast during World War I. The first United States military unit sent to Europe was the First Aeronautic Detachment of seven naval officers and 122 enlisted men who arrived in France on June 5, 1917. These men became the nucleus of the United States Naval Forces in Europe. They formulated a strategic bombing plan approved by the Secretary of the Navy on April 30, 1918, but chronic difficulties in obtaining aircraft prevented establishment of an effective bombing campaign before the war ended six months later. Overall, a very scarce grouping related to some of the earliest days of USMC aviation. CONDITION: All items are excellent and were acquired direct from the Kaemmering family decades ago.