Joe forwarded this unusual pin story. Anyone familiar with it?
“Handmade
This unique ww2 jeep brooch is handmade in ww2 by hiders (refugees from the Nazi) in The Netherlands.
The production took place in secret in a factory in De Meern, a small Dutch place. The same factory where the first laundry pegs with an iron spring were produced. The owners operated in the resistance working together with The Allied Forces.
Production history
Many hiders worked in this factory. An underground was available, where they could hide in case of danger and where the brooches were stored. All metal pieces of the jeep brooch were made at the metal department. The owner’s mother transported these pieces in secret to hiders in the environment. They soldered the pieces together for a small amount of money.
These hiders had little to do, due to their circumstances. ‘Putting the jeeps together’ was a useful spending of time while waiting for their liberation by the Allied Forces.
The brooches got lightly silver or gold plated afterwards but it is not known where this was done. It was the hiders’ goal to sell these jeep brooches during the liberation days for a combination of remembering, celebration and rebuilding purposes.
They did not sell them all
It happened that they did not sell them all. Family of the factory owner recently discovered some of these brooches. I wish you a happy wearing.
And please think of the hiders, the veterans, the Allied Forces and your freedom now and than. In this way the brooch gets a good destination. And the hiders realize their goal at last, despite some delay…”
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