WWII - a danish war hero

[Hose_dk]

I don’t really need help with this item. This is a story from World War 2 and it is a true story. Denmark was occupied from April 9th 1940 until May 5th 1945.

The Nazi regime occupied Denmark and as we are a small country very little resistance was possible. However the Danish soldiers fought a battle on April 9th. The Royal palace (Amalienborg castle) was defended by the Royal Guard and three soldiers were wounded by gun fire. The 3 soldiers survived and on September 14th they were back from hospital. On September 14th they were rewarded for their braveness and as a token of gratitude each of them received 3 gifts.
- 1 silver cup from his majesty King Christian X
- 1 silver mach box from the other soldiers
- 1 large silver bowl (not the correct word, but see from picture)
Each of the 3 items was engraved so the story should never be forgotten. Each soldier received a set — so 3 sets exists. One of these sets were given to a museum “The Royal guards historical collection”. 2 sets are therefore still available at the market.

I am in the position that I have bought the silver bowl. It says
“AMALIENBORG 9 APRIL 1940.”
“FRA DE DANSKE GARDERFORENINGER”
“315-2-1939 I”

That is:
Amalienborg April 9th 1940
From the Danish Royal Guards associasition
For the Royal Guard no 315, Team May 1939 J.C.C. Berthelsen (name of this soldier)


13,7 cm high — 12 cm on top 8,5 cm bottom — 375 gram


This identifies the soldier


Place and date of the event


This was given by.


Made by Michelsen Danish royal accredited silversmith in 1940, the 3 towers for silver, 925S for sterling, assayers mark.

I find it very sad that no one from his family wanted to keep this piece. I bought it from the “Church Mission” and investigated the story afterwards. I suspected that it was a good piece of silver. The story I knew in advance, but I did not know that I should be the beholder of a piece of Danish war history.

Know I don’t know what to do with this. I keep a note what it is so the story will never be forgotten. Perhaps I should give it away — to the Museum of liberation...
For the time being it is safe at my home.

Now this was not a question. A story of a Danish war hero, unknown to me, but still a good history.

[Bahner]

Hello, would You consider lending it to the "Frihedsmuseet" in Copenhagen ? That would be the place for people to see it and grasp its significance. Best wishes, Bahner

[Hose_dk]

Hello Bahner
That was precicely my thinking. I just translated Frihedsmuseet into "Museum of liberation" - for the "International audience".

You are right it belongs in a museum.

[Rion007]

Hello Bahner
That was precicely my thinking. I just translated Frihedsmuseet into "Museum of liberation" - for the "International audience".

You are right it belongs in a museum.

I would have thought the piece would sit comfortably alongside the work of Anton Michaelsen in Koldinghaus Museum providing an example of the link between different generations of Michaelsen's and their work in silver when Denmark was underseige from Germans across two different centuries.

Cheers