Posted 11 years ago
Jayblade
(2 items)
My husband was given this mess tin passed down from his grandad Captain Oxenham. This was given to him when at war in the battle of Keren by a POW.
The mess tin reads ( to the best of my knowledge)
Ricordo della prigionia ...al forte baldissera all'amico Adini
Hy cerati ( I think as not sure of the letters)
328 357
12-5-42
....DI FRONTE E IN CONTRASTO ALLA SCHIFOSA SINAGOGO CHE LA CITTA'DI ASMARA SI STANDEE LO SPIRTO DEL NOSTRI MORTI CHE FA ANCORA AMARE QUESTA TERRA D'ERITREA E CI DICA LA VIA DEL DOMANI
DECAMERE 7-7-42
Which I believe translates to :
Remembrance of the captivity ....the strong baldissera friend hw. Cerati
328 357
12-5-42
....IN FRONT OF AND IN CONTRAST TO THE FILTHY SYNAGOGUE AND THE CITY OF ASMARA LIES THE SPIRIT OF OUR DEAD, WHICH DOES STILL LOVE THIS LAND OF ERITREA AND TELLS US THE WAY OF THE FUTURE.
DECAMERE 7-7-
Very nice!!!
Thanks Sean68
Your very welcome Jayblade and welcome to cw!!
Wonderful piece!
FANTASTIC!!
This is called TRENCH ART and is highly collected genre of militaria. I am a serious collector of trench art. Here is an AEF mess kit that may be of interest:
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/21950-ww1-trench-art-diary-mess-kit-and-dog
scott
This type of quality engraved work is much more typical of WW1 era trench art-- it is unusual to find in WW2 trench art.
scott
What a treasure to have passed down in family ! love it Priceless
Thanks Chrisnp & manikin!
I only recently developed a love for trench art scottves, after finding this in my husbands things. He has the full story that was pased down by his aunty to him along with his grandads things, (flare gun, sword, binocolus, medals) which also confirms he was there at the battle of keren where this was given to him around 1942. Do you know what the 6 didget number is? Maybe a P.O.W number??
Hi!
There were a couple of errors that I picked up from your transcription of the bottom of the mess tin.
This is what I read:
DI FRONTE E IN CONTRASTO ALLA SCHIFOSA SINAGOGA CHE E' LA CITTA' DI ASMARA SI STENDE LO SPIRTO DEI NOSTRI MORTI CHE FA ANCORA AMARE QUESTA TERRA D'ERITREA E CI DICA LA VIA DEL DOMANI DECAMERE 7-7-42
Decamerè is a town in Eritrea, aka Dekemhare is south east of Asmara.
The earlier part of the inscription on the sides is a bit confusing to me.
There is no Y in Italian.
is Hy cerati " Liberati"?
Is it possible to put some other pictures of the side's inscription?
The inscription is fascinating!
It looks to be dated July 7, 1942 in Decamere.
Fascinating piece!
Thanks blunderbuss2
vetraio50 I don't have an option to add more images?? It's always good to have a person that knows italian take a look !
Amazing!!
I have some of my Dad's Trench Art here too (wood) from his RCAF days
......Oh ......and WELCOME!!
I can give you a translation of what I see but the earlier side pieces give context.
Ricordo della prigionia ...al forte baldissera
This looks correct.
But "all'amico Adini HY cerati" is not correct.
It would be that section that needs to be viewed somehow.
The alternative is to put up a second posting ..... It is done often on some of the more challenging items.
What an awesome piece of history.
The second image has the symbols of the Axis Powers: Japan, Italy & Germany.
Could be that the "y" is really oxidation/corrosion that is giving a letter a tail.
Great item,
T A
How Wonderful to have a thing with so much history and personnel meaning ......welcome to CW!....:-)
Thanks guys, I have added a second post, so hopefully you can see the letters a bit better.
Hi, I just had a look at the new posting! Thanks!
I have a thought!
Perhaps underneath the Decamere is a device, a monogram that I think is his signature: Cerati.
It does look like a signature/ monogram, Ati from what I can see. More research to be done I think on my part. Thanks again
The other thing I have noted a spelling mistake on my own part with the transcription above. It should read:
DI FRONTE E IN CONTRASTO ALLA SCHIFOSA SINAGOGA CHE E' LA CITTA' DI ASMARA SI STENDE LO SPIRITO DEI NOSTRI MORTI CHE FA ANCORA AMARE QUESTA TERRA D'ERITREA E CI DICA LA VIA DEL DOMANI DECAMERE 7-7-42
An Image I found:
http://www.delcampe.net/page/item/id,198007353,var,R7606-ERITREA-COLONIA-ASMARA-ENTRATA-AL-FORTE-BALDISSERA-SOLDATI-MILITARI-RIPRODUZIONE,language,E.html#.U0czL15Vkag
I am beginning to get some interesting sites together.
An important word for your research will be "Regio Esercito".
The Regio Esercito (English: Royal Army) was the army of the Kingdom of Italy from the unification of Italy in 1861 to the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946.
Data about the army can be found in a great number of sites. There is one site here in Australia and I have informed them of your mess tin.
http://www.rehistorygroup.com/default.htm
By the way, the image in between the Japanes and German symbols is the one used by the "Regio Esercito".
There is a great set of images of Asmara here from the period:
http://blog.libero.it/wrnzla/5317849.html
It includes the image of the gate to the Forte Baldissera.
I have found some pix of undecorated "gavette" too.
The Italian term for a mess-tin is "gavetta".
I have found a forum for Italian Militaria too.
IL FORUM DEI COLLEZIONISTI DI MILITARIA
- The Italian Forum for Military Collectors -
You might like to join it.
I have done so and am willing to help if you wish to get involved with them.
Translations and such ....
Vetraio50, this is what CW is supposed to be like! True collectables and people like you who are willing to help instead of kitchen junk-drawer stuff. Thanks for keeping the spirit alive.
I am at it BLUNDERBUSS! I am learning all the time.
I have just found out that there is still a prison camp in Eritrea near Dekemhare, Debub, Dek'emhare, Decamere, Dekemehare, Decamhare. Alla (Ala) .
There are still problems there!
Blunderbuss I agree vetraio50 has been amazing with help on this! I have so much to look at today thanks vetraio50
Vetraio50 I have left message and added more images on the other thread as this pinpoints exactly which camp the italian must have come from.
I'll have a look thanks!
Looking closely at the lettering on the bottom that at 1st glance look stamped. Looking closely, it looks as if it is possibly hand engraved lettering.
I agree BLUNDERBUSS. The engraving was done by a very skilled hand.
I can see CERATI in that monogram. The letters CER all become one followed by -ati, imho.
The way that monogram is constructed suggests a person who was a professional artist. The block lettering on the lid is extremely well done. He was also quite literate.
But did he survive?
I have seen on an Italian site that many of these Italian prisoners from the Battle of Keren and civilians in the area were transported to India and to other British Colonies.
http://www.ilcornodafrica.it/st-sci01.htm
"The period between 1941 and 1943 was also characterized by the creation of the refugee camps, concentration camps and by the transfer of Italians to military and civilian prison camps in the various British colonies - for example the fatal sinking of the transport ship "Nova Scotia", unknowingly torpedoed by a German U-boats in the waters of Lorenço Marques on November 28, 1942, which claimed the lives of, among others, 651 Italians. ......
"Il periodo tra il 1941 ed il 1943 fu caratterizzato anche dalla creazione dei campi profughi, dei campi di concentramento, dal trasferimento nei campi di prigionia nelle varie colonie inglesi di militari e civili - come quello funesto legato all’affondamento del trasporto “Nova Scotia”, silurato da un inconsapevole U-boot tedesco nelle acque di Lorenço Marques il 28 novembre del 1942, che costò la vita, tra gli altri, a 651 italiani - dalla disintegrazione di migliaia di famiglie, dall’inizio dei rimpatri con le “Navi Bianche” per decine di migliaia di donne, bambini, vecchi ed infermi e dallo smantellamento sistematico delle più importanti infrastrutture dell’economia del paese con il solo evidente scopo di ridurre al minimo possibile la presenza degli italiani in Eritrea."
There is an update of the fate of those on board the Nova Scotia here:
http://www.witness.co.za/?showcontent&global%5B_id%5D=15123
excellent work vetraio50 and an lovely item of memory
thats an amazing piece of Trench Art , very nice details, whoever did the art work had excellent talent!