German Paratrooper Helmet. Paratroops were used extensively by the Germans in Norway to capture strategic targets such as airfields, ports, railway lines and road junctions. This is a later war camouflage version as used in North Africa, Italy and the Balkans.
The Narvik Shield was a German military decoration awarded to all German forces that took part in the battles of Narvik between 9 April and 8 June, 1940. This one is an army version.
Artur von Casimir KGr 100 Heinkel 111 panel
Gruppenkommandeur Oberst Artur Von Casimir
Small panel from from the tail fin of a German Heinkel HE 111 bomber 6N + BA, which was shot down on the 29th May 1940 by Hurricane fighters from No 46 squadron during an attack on Skanland, Norway. The aircraft made an emergency landing on the coastline at Ulsvag, south-west of Narvik. The panel was taken at the time of the crash as a souvenir by a local man and retains all of its original grey and black paint.
The aircraft came from Kampfgruppe 100 which was the German equivalent of British "pathfinder" units. The crews of this unit were hand-picked and specially trained in the latest navigation techniques. Whilst this particular aircraft was piloted by Oberleutnant Wolfgang Metzke, the senior officer on board was Gruppenkommandeur Oberst Artur Von Casimir who had taken over command of KGr 100 on 16th February 1940. Von Casimir had led an earlier raid on Namsos on 20th April 1940 when he had also been shot down. One crew member was killed in the crash, with the other four including Von Casimir and Metzke being taken prisoner by Norwegian forces, before being handed over to the British.
The two British pilots credited with shooting down the Heinkel were Pilot Officer Neville Banks (Hurricane L1816) and Flying Officer Jack Wykeham Lydall (Hurricane L1988). Unfortunately, both were shot down and killed in this engagement and were buried at Narvik New Cemetery.
