VERY HISTORICAL GROUPING FOR THE START OF “OPERATION TORCH” NOVEMBER 1942.

These items have never been offered anywhere before and come directly from the family of Marine Corporal James Ritchie. A notarized letter from the family is included. These items include an invasion map showing the coast line areas near Morocco, North Africa where the allies planned to land along with a one of a kind, historic telegram cable. First, let’s give you some historical background. The American forces were led by Rear Admiral Hewitt and none other than Major General George S. Patton. “Operation Torch” was to be the first major Allied land, sea and air offensive of WWII. It needed close cooperation not only between the US army and navy, which was uncommon, but also between the Americans and the British. The invasion force had sailed from Norfolk, VA. Patton was on board the USS Augusta which was the flagship for the task force. During the two week passage, corporal Ritchie had served as an orderly for Patton. The USS Augusta(1931-1959) had an illustrious history including serving as the presidential flagship for both Roosevelt and Truman during WWII. PROVENANCE: On the morning of November 8th, the Allied forces were waiting off the shores of French Morocco, French Algiers facing a very potent Vichy French force whose intentions were unclear. Early that morning, corporal Ritchie was sent to deliver a cable directly from General Eisenhower, who was in Gibraltar, to Major General Patton who was alone in his cabin. The wording was short and to the point. It simply said “PLAY BALL”. That was the code words to start this massive invasion. The Americans had used an iconic American baseball term to launch this historic event that would change the course of the war. After reading the cable, Patton gave it to corporal Ritchie and said “this will make a great souvenir for your family.” He then also handed Ritchie one of the invasion maps as an additional memento of this occasion. CONDITION: This historic lot consists of three items. The first is a large battle map which measures approximately 40 1/2” long by 29” wide. For its age, it is in very sound condition with multiple folds. It depicts the coastline of North Africa along the French Moroccan coastline. There are many pencil and color markings. The back of the map has other markings as well. One says reproduced from French Chart Sept 1942. The telegram cable measures 6 ½” high by 8” wide. It is in sound condition with some damage to the bottom and corners which can be seen in the photo. Then, we have the notarized letter from the family detailing these historic pieces. Significant historical offering 4-50839 BS2 (5,000-15,000) – Lot 3324

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2014

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	3324	$8,625.00	VERY HISTORICAL GROUPING FOR THE START OF “OPERATION TORCH” NOVEMBER 1942. These items have never been offered anywhere before and come directly from the family of Marine Corporal James Ritchie. A notarized letter from the family is included. These items include an invasion map showing the coast line areas near Morocco, North Africa where the allies planned to land along with a one of a kind, historic telegram cable. First, let’s give you some historical background. The American forces were led by Rear Admiral Hewitt and none other than Major General George S. Patton. “Operation Torch” was to be the first major Allied land, sea and air offensive of WWII. It needed close cooperation not only between the US army and navy, which was uncommon, but also between the Americans and the British. The invasion force had sailed from Norfolk, VA. Patton was on board the USS Augusta which was the flagship for the task force. During the two week passage, corporal Ritchie had served as an orderly for Patton. The USS Augusta(1931-1959) had an illustrious history including serving as the presidential flagship for both Roosevelt and Truman during WWII. PROVENANCE: On the morning of November 8th, the Allied forces were waiting off the shores of French Morocco, French Algiers facing a very potent Vichy French force whose intentions were unclear. Early that morning, corporal Ritchie was sent to deliver a cable directly from General Eisenhower, who was in Gibraltar, to Major General Patton who was alone in his cabin. The wording was short and to the point. It simply said “PLAY BALL”. That was the code words to start this massive invasion. The Americans had used an iconic American baseball term to launch this historic event that would change the course of the war. After reading the cable, Patton gave it to corporal Ritchie and said “this will make a great souvenir for your family.” He then also handed Ritchie one of the invasion maps as an additional memento of this occasion. CONDITION: This historic lot consists of three items. The first is a large battle map which measures approximately 40 1/2” long by 29” wide. For its age, it is in very sound condition with multiple folds. It depicts the coastline of North Africa along the French Moroccan coastline. There are many pencil and color markings. The back of the map has other markings as well. One says reproduced from French Chart Sept 1942. The telegram cable measures 6 ½” high by 8” wide. It is in sound condition with some damage to the bottom and corners which can be seen in the photo. Then, we have the notarized letter from the family detailing these historic pieces. Significant historical offering 4-50839 BS2 (5,000-15,000) – Lot 3324 Auction: Firearms - Spring 2014 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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VERY HISTORICAL GROUPING FOR THE START OF “OPERATION TORCH” NOVEMBER 1942.