Historama Autumn Mail Auction #5

Israel: service pin of "Carmel Brigade", 1948; 1.55g. Unit one of 6 regular 'Hagana' bgds created at informal outbreak of War of Independence, Nov. 1947; orig. designated "2nd Brigade" & known as "Levanoni", commanded by Moshe Carmel, defending area north of Zichron Yaakov; end Feb. 1948, split into "Golani" & "Carmeli" bgds, latter assigned Western Galilee, Haifa & Mt. Carmel,...

War of Independence pin of the "Kiryati" Brigade, c.1948-49; 2.05g. Depicts the unit's emblem of Sword surrounded by wreath, here set against walls of ancient Jerusalem. unit formed Feb. 1948 from "field companies" of Hagana + infantry, secular & religious 'Gadna' graduates; served in the TLV-Jaffo region & protected start of transport artery to Jerusalem.

Pin probably belonging to the Lechi underground organization, with the twin-fingered emblem of the organization & legend below "If I Forget Thee O Jerusalem", circa. 1948; size: 31mm high, 1.75g. Lechi's emblem was only adopted in 1948 and org. was disbanded the same year. This pin should not to be confused with a near-identical but different pin of the 21st (1939) Zionist Congress.

Palestine/Israel: numbered decoration of Irgun/Etzel, c. late 1940s-early 1950's; not maker-marked; 25.25 x 12.50mm, 3.3g. Single curved rectangular metal piece w/2 stripes on coarse surface, w/Etzel's emblem in circle in center. Rev.: stamped number (4656) & screw. Undocumented: some say issued to members in Jewish Brigade, but serial numbers higher than Brigade's size. Probably awarded during/after 1948...

Pin of the "Exhibition of the Revolt", 1958; 1.6 x 2.4cm, 1.05g. Design of torch held by hand & legend "Exhibition of the Revolt". Event took place 14 Dec. 1958 (last day of Chanukka) at the Jabotinski Institute in TLV. Menachem Begin (leader of the Freedom ['Herut'] Party) delivered a speech expounding on the miracle of the victory of underground fighters of the Etzel, and their steadfastness as the few...

Original photo of a soldier participating in the first IDF parade (in Tel Aviv) of 27 July 1948 (this evidenced by orderly surrounding: the next parade of 4 May 1949 was cancelled when the crowds burst into the streets at the start of the parade); here soldier wears what appears to be a British paratrooper helmet with Star of David painted on (non-regulation design). Printed on postcard stationary.

War of Independence "Occupied Zone in South J'lem" [civilian] pass: numbered pass made out to "the Military Governor [eg. Dov Yosef] | Occupied Zone in South J'lem" dated 26 JUN 1948 (c. 2 weeks after end of siege on city), made out to "Shmuel [surname unclear]" whose ID number was 57283, assigned to unit 'Hizkiyahu' (a military engineer unit formed of members of Etzioni Brigade...