RARE! WWII Pvt. Suddith Soldier's Heart Shield Bible with Original Factory Cover

This original and'salty' condition WWII'Heart-Shield' or'Heart-Guard' bible was carried into battle by Pvt. Suddith over the entire course of WWII. These bibles were gifted to soldiers usually by their families, significant other, friends, etc. What makes this particular heart shield Bible incredibly rare and collectible is the original WWII era factory cardboard cover used to enclose the heart shield Bible. Because this was only loose and thin cardboard these covers were often immediately discarded by the soldiers as they were not durable. While the cover does show heavy usage it appears that Pvt. Suddith was able to preserve the cover as he kept his Bible placed inside. The cover itself is remarkable as it has the original hand and scribe notations filled with information about Pvt. This is an almost unseen pairing and an incredible collection. These bibles were carried on the inside uniform or combat jacket pocket of an active duty soldier and were meant to be located near their heart. These bibles were thought to provide extra protection in case an enemy bullet struck it.

It is recorded of these bibles actually stopping a bullet with its hard steel plate and inside pages stopping the velocity of the round. This bible is in a'salty' and'been there' condition with lots of wear on the front cover were it would have been rubbed against the fabric of the inside jacket pockets. The front metal plate is readable and the inside New Testament pages are in great condition.

This item is in the category "Collectibles\Militaria\WW II (1939-45)\Original Period Items\United States\Other US WWII Original Items". The seller is "premierrelics" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped worldwide.

• Theme: Militaria
• Original/Reproduction: Original
• Conflict: WW II (1939-45)