A weird Leica IIIc K

[250swb]

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6 hours ago, PeLu said:

Hi. 
I have camera 387219 which in mysterious ways have ended up in Sweden. As told by the seller, the grand daughter, it was bought new in Berlin. Delivered to Berlin sept 1942. Is there anyone who might know where this might have ended up? A Swedish civilian shouldn’t have been able to buy a camera like this in 1942/43 as sales to civilians where prohibited. However he was a regular visitor to Berlin so maybe he had contacts who made it possible. 
 

BR

Peter

 

Is there evidence the camera was purchased? Not a gift, a reward, etc.?

[PeLu]

7 hours ago, nitroplait said:

Unfortunately, I don't have a library of Leica Historica, so would you mind sharing for how long that Leica sales to civilians prohibition was in effect, and if possible also the source, please? 

I’ll try to find the source again. 

[PeLu]

1 hour ago, 250swb said:

Is there evidence the camera was purchased? Not a gift, a reward, etc.?

That is the problem. Granddaughter insists that it’s been with her granddad ( and dad) since new. I have been in contact with an organisation consisting of former employees in different secret service agency’s, both ”regular” secret police and military intelligence service. They have discussed this matter (after my full story) and found it interesting.  They sent me to the national archives in Swedens since they think there is a chans that the owner was a German spy or a Swedish informant (camera issued by German or Swedish governmental org.)

I don’t hope to much to find anything that exiting but since there actually is a possibility the camera has an interesting history it’s worth checking. Most of the files I need to read are classified and need to be reviewed before I can see parts of it. Probably will take a few weeks before I can keep digging. 
 

mvh

Peter

 

Edited September 23 by PeLu
Added info.

[250swb]

2 hours ago, PeLu said:

That is the problem. Granddaughter insists that it’s been with her granddad ( and dad) since new. I have been in contact with an organisation consisting of former employees in different secret service agency’s, both ”regular” secret police and military intelligence service. They have discussed this matter (after my full story) and found it interesting.  They sent me to the national archives in Swedens since they think there is a chans that the owner was a German spy or a Swedish informant (camera issued by German or Swedish governmental org.)

I don’t hope to much to find anything that exiting but since there actually is a possibility the camera has an interesting history it’s worth checking. Most of the files I need to read are classified and need to be reviewed before I can see parts of it. Probably will take a few weeks before I can keep digging. 
 

mvh

Peter

 

Even more bizarre that ‘secret service’ people now seem interested in an old Leica camera.  Your story is now going way beyond just a seemingly innocent camera purchase. Lots of things happened in WWII that can never be explained, and spies are one of them, or buying a camera on the black market, or ‘out the back door’ is another. At the moment I’m intrigued but as soon as ‘spies’ are concerned my level of incredulity is tested as to what is real and what is being invented. Many western country’s have a statute of limitations that release state and otherwise secret information after a set period, often fifty years. But either way it’s a big ramp up from the start of your story.