Lot 5556

Description

Trench art souvenir dagger, double sided dagger with piece of battlefield shrapnel as handle (tot length 26cm), blade inscribed on one side, 'Siege De Liege 1914/Fort De Loncin'. Nearly very fine.

The Siege of Liege was the first land battle of WWI starting on 5 August and ending on 16 August. It was during this battle that the Germans introduced their previously secret weapon, namely Big Bertha, a 420mm siege howitzer which they used to nullify the twelve forts at Liege which protected the entrance to Belgium. Fort De Loncin was one of the forts and it was destroyed during the battle when the fort's ammunition magazine was hit by a large calibre German shell which killed most of the occupants. The site of the fort is now a military cemetery.
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Note: Licence to own required in State of Victoria, Australia.

No mail out for this lot, collection only from the Sydney Office.