WWII history - $10 for the box
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Top-secret WWII maps used by Allied troops for the famous D-Day landings were found in a cardboard box after being purchased for just $10.
Five of the six maps provide restricted-access detail of the five landing beaches of Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword, with the sixth one—for landing craft pilots—showing all the beaches
Each map features the French terrain—hills, woods, villages, and roads—but most importantly, they outline in chilling detail the German defenses, including barbed wire, minefields marked in purple ink, and even flamethrowers.
The collection had been in the possession of Royal Naval sub-lieutenant Walter Page who served on Landing Craft Tank 2138. His landing craft was one of 900 which played a vital role in transporting men and supplies across the English Channel on that fateful day.
The maps only came to light when their current owner finally looked through a box of memorabilia purchased at a previous auction—for which he paid just ten bucks.