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a display of military memorabilia on display in a casean image of a brown leather wallet with a gold eagle on ita picture of a wallet that has some old money in ita black and white photo of an old airplane on the runwaya pen that is sitting next to a pennytwo brass buttons with a hole in the middle and a hole in the middleblack and white photograph of a man sitting in a chair with a dogtwo old black and white photos of men standing in front of an airplanea black and white photo of a group of men in military uniformsan old photo of a passport with a picture of a man on ita close up of a piece of paper with writing on ita close up of a piece of paper with a list on itan old piece of paper with a list on it on a tablean old american flag and a gold medal on a white surfacetwo pieces of paper and a piece of wood on a white clothan image of a badge with wings on a white backgrounda silver brooch with a bird on it ' s backa small metal object that is on a white surfacean old airplane with the words italy on it is hanging on a wallan image of a white scarf with a picture of a bird on itseveral old black and white photos of people standing in front of an airplaneseveral old black and white photos of men and dogs in front of a tentthree old black and white photos of a man and a woman sitting on a benchseveral old photographs of men and women are on a tableseveral old photos of people and a building on a tablea piece of paper with writing on it on a table
Maître Lydie BRIOULT

Personal collection of Staff Sergeant Ronald P.
See original version (French)

Estimate €300 - €450
Sale commission
Description
Personal collection of Staff Sergeant Ronald P. Weston, 454th Bomb Group – 15th Air Force – Italy (23 original photographs, insignia, ‘Blood Chit’ identity card) Sergeant Weston was posted to the 454th Bomb Group as a gunner on a B-24 Liberator, with which he flew several combat missions from the San Giovanni airbase in Italy, presumably from late 1944 and throughout 1945 until the armistice. Despite extensive research, the total number of his missions could not be determined. This collection comprises a silk scarf decorated with a B-24 Liberator bearing the words ‘Italy 1945’ on one side and the 15th Air Force insignia on the other, with the inscription ‘Wes’ – Sgt Weston’s nickname – original photographs, three badges – two of which are Italian-made, in painted and engraved leather (sold in local souvenir shops, notably in Capri), a pair of USSAF non-commissioned officer collar insignia, one of which is a standard-issue S/Sgt rank insignia, a bar for decoration ribbons including the Air Medal (one of the fastening pins is broken off but is still present in the fastening clip), a small leather wallet decorated with the US eagle, Italian banknotes, Weston’s gunner’s certificate in sterling silver (with a pin fastening), a 15th Air Force identity card featuring an American eagle, a flag and a message in several languages to enable the holder to seek assistance from the civilian population in the event of a landing in an occupied zone. Alongside this identity card is a rare separate document containing the same message requesting assistance, but in other languages, to supplement and expand the list of languages featured on the original identity card. Among the photographs are passport-sized pictures of Weston in civilian clothes, which were included in each airman’s escape kit to facilitate the production of false identity documents. The photographs include a crew photo in which Weston can be seen standing on the left, a photograph showing Weston seated in the rear turret of a B-24 (presumably indicating the position he held on board) and a whole series of photographs illustrating daily life at the San Giovanni airbase in Italy, the tents where the crew members slept, Weston in the cockpit of a B-24, a P-38 fighter on its apron; several photographs are labelled ‘Ron’ or ‘Ronnie’, referring to Weston, a postcard of Cerignola and its church with its famous dome; as this town is situated near numerous American bases in the Puglia region, photographs of it are often found in albums or collections of photographs belonging to airmen of the 15th AF who were stationed in the area. (Grégory Pons Collection)
See original version (French)
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About the sale Sale of the Grégory Pons collection and miscellaneous items (Aviation and WW2 Militaria)
Auction location
Auction time 11/14/2026 at 1:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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