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Where to find them - By ERNEST A. OSTRO - aus Off Duty / Europe / October 1974
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LONDON is a paradise for collectors of all kinds of things. Nazi memorabilia is no exception. Probably one of the best collections of German war souvenirs can be found at Oliver's shop in the Jones Arcade, which runs from Portobello Road through to Westbourne Grove, in the heart of the famous flea market. Oliver's stand is about in the middle. It's more of a shop than a stand, but the only day the owner is guaranteed to be there is Saturday, during the flea market.

Oliver is matter-of-fact about his stock. "I'm onto a good thing," he says. He has an almost unlimited selection of Nazi decorations, ranging in price from a few pennies for an unadorned Iron Cross to about $100 for a Ritterkreuz with diamonds. Uniforms range in price from about $10 to hundreds of dollars, depending on their age and rarity. Wehrmacht helmets cost about $25.

He also has lots of Lugers from about $40; a few rifles from about $75. All weapons are inoperative to conform with the rigid British gun laws. Oliver says they could be reactivated with little difficulty.

Other items on sale at Oliver's include autographs and autographed photos of Nazi figures, a substantial variety of books about the Third Reich in German and English and a hodgepodge of other artifacts, including a Wehrmacht field kit, coins and stamps from the Nazi period and a number of hideously colored plates with Nazi decorations and sayings like Kraft Dutch Freude (Strength Through Joy) printed on them.

A smaller and out-of-London source is S. Gurney's collection at Weir, 82 Oldrield Road, Hampton-on-Thames, a charming village near Windsor, about half an hour's train ride from the center of London.

Gurney is not in it for the money, he says. He considers his store of Nazi memorabilia merely "a self-supporting hobby." He buys and sells items that he comes across. But talking with sellers and buyers is, for him, the most entertaining and rewarding part of his mini-business.

You might telephone Gurney at (London) 979-9913 before heading for Hampton, as his collection changes frequently and he feels no obligation to retain the sort of stock that Oliver can be counted upon to have on hand.
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A visit to the Imperial War Museum (Lambeth North subway station on the Northern Line) is extremely rewarding for war buffs. The collection of German and British aircraft, ranks, guns, uniforms, paintings, reconstructions of battle scenes and a host of other items from both world wars is perhaps unique in the world.

An intrepid student of either war could literally spend days here without viewing everything - and it's all free except for a special reconstruction of the famous Nazi prisoner-of-war camp at Colditz Castle, where the most dangerous Allied captives were housed, and where at least one memorable escape was effected in 1943 after dozens of attempts were thwarted. But even this exhibit is only about 25 cents, and certainly well worth it.

Not that you have to come away from the Imperial War Museum with only a guidebook. On sale are reproductions of wartime posters from both sides - guaranteeing German victory and urging Britons both to avoid loose talk and to enlist - postcards with "Huns" grinning at you, and a collection of serious books. All these items are incredibly inexpensive.

Finally, a look through Charing Cross Road's legendary used-books stores will harvest another rich assortment of material on the Third Reich.
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By ERNEST A. OSTRO - aus Off Duty / Europe / October 1974
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