Welcome to The Vault Militaria
Welcome to
The Vault Militaria
Authentic pieces. Timeless stories. Exceptional service.
The Vault Militaria is the UK’s newest destination for authentic wartime memorabilia and collectables. Specialising in rare and hard-to-find items from World War I and World War II, we offer history enthusiasts and collectors a carefully curated selection of genuine artefacts.
new items every week
Rare finds
Our team of experts meticulously sources, authenticates, and catalogues each piece, ensuring that you receive only the finest quality items with verified provenance. And we’re adding more and more items on a regular basis.
From battle-worn uniforms and medals to vintage weapons, field equipment, and personal effects, The Vault Militaria brings you closer to the tangible remnants of wartime history.
knowledge & experience
We buy & sell
The founders of The Vault Militaria bring over 50 years of combined collecting experience to the table. They have a pair of keen eyes for the unusual together with an extensive knowledge of wartime collectables to ensure that every item offered is both authentic and exceptional.
With decades spent honing their expertise, they’ve developed an unparalleled ability to source and validate rare military artifacts, making The Vault Militaria a trusted name in the field.
Contact Mark on 07471 058445 or Andrew on 07944 609319
Contact Mark on 07471 058445
or Andrew on 07944 609319
latest additions
Browse our latest items
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Alamein Programme (signed by Montgomery)
£50.00 SKU: 0070AThis Alamein programme has been signed by Bernard Montgomery himself. He was the General (later, Field Marshal) who led the second battle of El Alamein which resulted in a decisive Allied victory. Known for meticulous planning, boosting troop morale, and ensuring logistical superiority before attacking it’s no wonder that someone got him to sign their programme in 1959 at the Royal Festival Hall. Included with this programme, is a newspaper cutting including a photo of Montgomery, the festival ticket, a ‘with compliments of’ slip from John Player and lastly, a significant thank-you card from Montgomery which has also been signed. An amazing collection in its own right, and it’s lovely that there are TWO inked signatures by Montgomery too. The newspaper cutting is a lovely addition and looking through the programme is like stepping back in time and makes for a lovely read. There’s a fold on the cover, though its not prominent. Thankfully, none of the pages have been dog-eared, torn, ripped out or damaged. The cover is present and intact, both signatures are clear too. -
WW2 Ministry of Supply Poster
£95.00 SKU: 0068This poster, from the Ministry of Supply, depicts Hitler and other notable Nazi’s being bombarded and overwhelmed by piles of waste materials. The idea of this poster was contribute materials to the war effort. Metal, plastic and even bones (animal bones can be used to make glue) could be recycled. Under the slogan “UP HOUSEWIVES AND AT ‘EM!” it’s noted that this is something Herbert Morrison says. Morrison, (1888 – 1965) was a British Labour politician known for his significant influence in mid-20th-century UK politics. This poster comes with a card backing, (which is it NOT stuck to thankfully) that helps to protect it. It’s in overall good condition, with three small rips at the top only a few millimetres in length. The back is completely plain, and it has NOT been folded, nor have any of the corners been dog-eared. This is a lovely piece, well worth a place in any Home Front collection. -
WW1 & WW2 Grouping (photographs & paperwork)
£355.00 SKU: 0226MHere we have an interesting grouping of medals that span WW1/WW2 with photographs and paperwork belonging to Philip Henry Crannis. Medals. British War & Victory Medal: J.41089 P H CRANNIS O TEL RN Naval General service Medal: J.41089 P H CRANNIS TEL RN 1939/1945 Star, Atlantic Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, War Medal: Unnamed as issued Long Service & Good Conduct Medal Royal Navy GV 3rd type: J.41089 P H CRANNIS TEL HMS DELI British War and Victory Medals awarded 21st July 1922. Long Service and Good Conduct Medal awarded 10th February 1933. Crannis served his whole Navel service as Telegrapher. The package includes two original service certificates and a quantity of original photographs, some including the recipient. See photos. The condition of the medals is very good, although the British War & Victory Medal have been heavily polished. A very interesting career that span WW1 & WW2.
We sell to the USA, Europe, and most worldwide destinations.
All items are securely packed for safe transit.
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WW2 Japanese Arisaka Type 30 Bayonet (wooden scabbard)
£495.00 SKU: 0224MThis is a fine example of a rare Japanese Arisaka Type 30 bayonet. Due to the rushed wartime production and material shortages, these bayonets often featured lower-quality finishes, including an unfullered blade and wooden scabbard. The blade has been lightly sharpened along the last two-thirds of the edge. which was standard practise at the factory. It exhibits some wear, including minor scratches and light pitting, but overall, it remains in decent condition. The arsenal markings on the ricasso indicate that this bayonet was manufactured by Toyoda Automatic Loom Works (TALW) under supervision of the Nagoya arsenal. This company would later become Toyota Motor Corporation. The wooden grips are in very good condition, showing only minor wear. This bayonet features the late-war straight crossguard with a muzzle ring. A design change from the early models that had a hooked quillon guard that gave it a distinct appearance. The hilt is equipped with a functioning rifle retaining button and bears a stamped serial number: 6016024, with an inspection stamp positioned above it. The wooden scabbard is undamaged and retains the vast majority of its original olive-green paint. It includes the correct metal top and bottom fittings, with the original string secured wrappings still intact around the body. A very good example.
We sell to the USA, Europe, and most worldwide destinations.
All items are securely packed for safe transit.
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RAF Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (boxed)
£75.00 SKU: 0223MRAF Long Service & Good Conduct Medal. Here we have an excellent-condition boxed RAF medal, with correct ribbon. The medal is housed in its original box, which features the Elizabeth II crown on the lid. The recipient's name and regiment number are typed on the underside of the box. Included in the box is the original medal envelope and the Ministry Of Defence issue paperwork. The medal reads, CPL D H TWINEHAM (Y4288101) RAF. The medal exhibits a beautiful aged patina and is complete with its original ribbon and attachment. Excellent condition. -
WW2 German Babies Gas Jacket (very rare)
£125.00 SKU: 0222MWW2 German Babies Gas Mask. This is a very rare and seldom-seen WW2 German babies gas mask suit. Designed for children aged 1 to 4 years. These gas masks were originally issued with a portable air pump and pipe system that supplied oxygen, ensuring the child could breath safely in hazardous conditions. Unfortunately, the additional equipment, including the pump and pipe, is missing. This sale includes only the items shown in the photos. The gas mask and filter feature several original markings, including those from the German manufacturer Auer, a company known for producing gas masks for the military during both WW1, and WW2. Additionally, a waffenamp stamp is present on the filter. The white material is in good condition, however, there is some unusual staining to the plastic visor, which has been considered when pricing the item. Although, there "maybe" a way of cleaning this up, or improving it with the right method, we at The Vault Militaria choose to preserve items in their original state as they comes to us. A very rare piece of WW2 History.
We sell to the USA, Europe, and most worldwide destinations.
All items are securely packed for safe transit.
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A.R.P… and all that Book
£20.00 SKU: 0067ACompiled by C. Kent Wright, this "A.R.P… and all that" book was first published in 1940 by George Allen & Unwin Ltd. A satirical book, spanning 130 pages of black and white text and pictures it offers a humorous take on Air Raid Precautions during the early years of WW2, providing a light-hearted perspective on the civil defence measures implemented in Britain at the time. The title playfully references the popular 1930 satirical book "1066 and All That," suggesting a similar comedic approach to historical events. Included is a cello style cover for protection. He paper cover has some damage including, missing corners on the spine (top and bottom), one of which leads into a small tear. However, the pages themselves are fine. No damage, they’ve not been dog-eared, ripped out or torn. Each illustration, along with all the text is perfectly fine. Satirical books like this are an important part of British history and represent a different take on how other cultures deal with historical times of hardship. -
NAAFI Ashtray
£38.00 SKU: 0066AThe NAAFI (Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes) is a British organisation established in 1920 (6th December) to provide canteens, retail stores, and recreational services for the British Armed Forces. It played a crucial role in ensuring that servicemen and women had access to food, supplies, and leisure facilities, both in peacetime and wartime. During WW2 the NAAFI expanded hugely to support British and Commonwealth forces worldwide. Today, the NAAFI still exists, but with the reduction of British overseas bases, their role has declined. Now, they mainly support UK based military bases, NATO deployments and even some British forces in overseas garrisons. A “NAAFI break” is a famous saying (along with a few others, look them up!) which describes a short break for tea and snacks. So, it makes sense that this ashtray would be used in a NAAFI break too. This one has a very simple “NAAFI” marking on the base, devoid of any chips, cracks, scrapes or scratches to the glass. It’s solid aside from one or two small air bubbles – typical of older glass products. It’s very difficult to date this ashtray, however we know that they were produced from the 1920’s, all the way up to the late 20th century. We also know that later produced ashtrays (1950 – 1970) were made from thinner glass. The thicker glass typical of glass production of the 1920’s is present with this piece, but also, the grooves for the cigarettes are quite deep. Which is another characteristic of earlier pieces from the 1920’s.
