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 Author  Topic: Named Ron 8 Knife Sheath on Ebay Not War Relic
Allan

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Allan   Send Email To Allan Posted on: Jan 31, 2020 - 4:07pm
Members:
There is a listing on Ebay that member Ted Walther made me aware of. It is a knife sheath that I formerly owned. I sent a message to the seller of the item to inform him of its provenance. I am copying that message into this forum for your information so that if anyone here is bidding, that person will know exactly what he/she is bidding on.

The message:
Good Evening Jrettwood:
I am Allan Lawrence and I am aware, obviously, of your knife sheath as listed on Ebay. I feel obligated to let you know that the sheath was made by my father long after the war and he simply stamped his name and information into the sheath for reasons known only to him. While he was a PT Boat veteran who served in the Southwest Pacific (New Guinea) and saw much action, the subject sheath has no connection to PT Boat service or the war itself beyond that fact that it was made by a PT Boat service war veteran. I wrote a very detailed book on his service in the war. It is of 417 pages, 8.5 X 11-inch format, 54 chapters, 200+ wartime photos and 6 maps which I am selling on Ebay under the title: Deadly PT Boat Patrols. I tell you this so that you might review that listing and find useful information to add to your listing which might even make the sheath even more attractive while providing factual information to potential bidders. I hope that you will correct the details of your listing so that bidders will know what they are actually bidding on. I also hope that you do well with the sale.
Best regards,
Allan Lawrence, Jr.

The message is, I believe, self-explanatory. I am certain that the seller has listed the sheath with best intentions, describing it as to what he believed he was offering. I am simply trying to right what I perceive is an ambiguous situation.

Allan


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Jeff D

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jeff D   Send Email To Jeff D Posted on: Feb 1, 2020 - 5:39am
I think this is the one, it's nicely made. Do you know if he made the RON number?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/WW2-US-Navy-named-PT-Boat-torpedo-squadron-8-trench-art-leather-knife-sheath/372929457189?hash=item56d453ec25:g:gL0AAOSw4qNeLkM9


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David Waples

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Waples  Posted on: Feb 1, 2020 - 8:05am
Thanks for sharing Allan. Do you have any idea how it made its way to eBay?
Dave

David Waples

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Dick

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Dick   Send Email To Dick Posted on: Feb 1, 2020 - 11:53am
Thanks for the heads-up. This has happened several times before, where members have noted, to their surprise, items showing up on eBay.

Please keep us updated as to any info you find out.

Dick . . .


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Jeff D

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jeff D   Send Email To Jeff D Posted on: Feb 1, 2020 - 5:08pm
I see the seller added your "not WW2 PT related" email Allen. At the very bottom of the description, in small text, after 2 space breaks that makes it look like "nothing more to see here", and still the opening line is "This auction is for a WW2 US Navy named PT Boat torpedo squadron 8 trench art leather knife sheath." Ah well at least he added your information.



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David Waples

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Waples  Posted on: Feb 2, 2020 - 6:30am
This is not right. Allan, I saw where the seller copied your message at the bottom of the listing. The seller ignores the fact that this is NOT "trench art" as still has it listed in the description. That is such an easy fix the seller could make. Did the seller notify the bidders? We'll never know. I also noticed that this posting doesn't allow viewing of questions. I thought that was odd. At the end of the day leaving the description as it is constitutes fraud.

Allan, good on you for bringing it to the attention of the seller and us. Hopefully we can get this person to correctly list the true nature of what your father created and not try to sell it as a war or even wartime artifact.

David Waples

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Shaneo2

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Shaneo2  Posted on: Feb 2, 2020 - 8:44am
Oh Boy online sellers...,

A couple years back working with another we were able to convince an overseas person to remove a listing of some USMC dog tags "Killed in Action" (KIA), from Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands- found there on island by locals and given to an foreign expat living there.

For those looking at memorabilia- *please* try to scan the dog tag sections/offerings occasionally. Frequently you can read the names on the tags.

Compare the name against the: DPAA WW-2 "Missing in Action" (MIA) listing online, or go to the: WW-2 Memorial registry online and enter the name(s).

Dog tags from overseas can make it to online vendors, through collectors, or people who just came across them (like I mentioned above), also *nefarious individuals*, or even family just trying to do something with them...If you see such, let the seller know, or even the vendors website if you so chose to do so.

Because of that there a real chance of KIA/MIA etc. tags being listed- this to including the possibility of USN PT boat servicemen. The dog tags I physically came across while down island were held by locals & represented individuals from the: USN, USA/USAAF and USMC, numbering almost a couple dozen from several visits.

Several of my locally recovered dog tags were KIA. There were also a few MIA, one died of wounds from an air accident, and one later died in the Korean war, but most veterans made it back home. One KIA was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (second highest after the Medal of Honor) along with the Purple Heart. From the condition of several of the dog tags I was of no doubt the servicemen was wearing them at the time of death.

Only "one" of my return's was to a living veteran (most of rest have since passed on from age). To date, and with occasional help of others I have been able to return most of my dog tags to the "families"- and I do not accept anything financial etc. in return. I always thank their families from my own> for the/that veterans service to our country.

The USMC and USN tags are the oval shape and either "monel", or aluminum and the USA/USAAF are similar to today's (WW-2 either monel or aluminum), with different info listed- you can see many examples online.

So in your quest for something PT give the dog tags section a gander from time to time- you can be really surprised in what might turn up. *We can all help make others aware.*

Regards & please take time to look once in awhile- and if you are doing so already > "Thank You"


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