Box of WWII pistols unearthed

A cache of WWII-era firearms has been unearthed on the Baltic coast following a storm.

Alexander Ladwig, age 23, was walking along the seashore with his father, near the town of Waabs, north of Hamburg and near the border with Denmark, when he made the discovery. A recent storm had stripped away sand from dunes on the beach, revealing a box stuffed with rusty pistols and ammunition. A total of 30 handguns were in the box, which Alexander reported to the local authorities. Rather than restore or put them in a museum though, once confirmed as Wehrmacht issue they were destroyed.

The pictures that Alexander managed to snap before the authorities took them reveal several Walther P-38s, a Browning Hi-Power, a the Pistole 640b plus a number of Astra pistols. Numerous commentators on social media admitted they would have simply taken them home for cleaning, even though Germany has strict gun laws and is hugely sensitive about WWII era weaponry and Nazi iconography.

IT'S HERE! A Guide to Collecting German Militaria is the new bookazine from the publisher of The Armourer and is now on sale. This 132 page, perfect bound magazine is your guide to collecting Imperial and Third Reich militaria, from medals and cuff titles, to uniforms, weapons, personal gear and civic awards. We cover rare awards, how to spot fakes and include current prices. There's limited stock of the print version on our website so if they've sold out either head for your local branch of WH Smith, as the main stockist, or buy a digital version.

Don't forget, 100 Years of the RAF, a commemorative bookazine celebrating 100 years since the formation of the RAF, is now on sale. Order your copy by clicking on 100 RAF.

Catch up on militaria news, order a back issue of The Armourer, or pick up the latest issue, in either print or digital format. Like what you see? Why not take out a subscription, save money and have it delivered to your door.