Original Items: Only One Lot Available. This collection comprises a set of fascinating items that once belonged to Louis Johnson Jr, who served as a guard at the International Military Tribunal during the Nuremberg War Crimes trials. After spending some time looking into Louis Johnson, we were unfortunately unable to locate service information, making for a wonderful research candidate. The items include a pair of intricately crafted German-made Distinctive Unit Insignia for the 6850th Internal Security Detachment, a plastic cigarette case bearing the inscription "International Military-Tribunal," and a Palace of Justice pass. These artifacts offer a unique and tangible connection to a significant historical event and the individuals involved.

The 6850th Internal Security Detachment and its commander, responsible for the security of the Palace of Justice and the prison within its walls during the trials, have not been extensively documented like the prisoners in question. Colonel Burton C. Andrus was initially assigned by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, in May 1945 as the commandant of a clandestine interrogation center in Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg. This interrogation center, known as "Ashcan," was housed in the former Palace Hotel, which was in the process of being stripped of its luxurious amenities when Andrus arrived. It was at this center that the captured senior officials of NSDAP Germany were individually brought for interrogation.

Despite the intense scrutiny on the mission of the 6850th Internal Security Detachment, the work of prison security was often unappreciated. The constant supervision of high-profile and often obstinate prisoners, long duty hours (twenty-four hours on duty, twenty-four hours off), and the high turnover rate of personnel (estimated to be over 600% by Andrus) made the job very tedious. Throughout it all, Andrus insisted that the prisoners be treated with human dignity regardless of the charges against them. In one incident, Private First Class Joseph Traina had to use a blackjack (the only weapon personnel of the 6850th were armed with inside the prison walls) on Goering when the German general attacked him, but Traina maintained his military discipline and used only the necessary amount of force to subdue Goering.

The Items In This Lot: 
- (2) German Made 6850th Internal Security Detachment DUIs: The insignia of the 6850th Internal Security Detachment is a zinc shield with a hand-painted backdrop, a safety pin style back attachment, and a blue/red shield. It is worn on a garrison cap and lapels and is also known as the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial Badge. The insignia symbolizes prison security, the scales of justice, and a broken NSDAP eagle surrounded by flames. Both of the insignia are marked on the back with L. CHR. LAUER Nürnberg.

Ludwig Christian Lauer was a highly regarded medal maker based in Nuremberg, Germany. His journey in the industry began in 1848, and over time, he significantly expanded his business, eventually rebranding it as 'coin mint L. Chr. Lauer' in 1860. Tragically, Lauer passed away in 1873, but his legacy lived on as his wife and three sons took over the reins of the company, ensuring its continuity.

Lauer's impact extended beyond Germany, as he emerged as a leading 19th-century manufacturer of medals, tokens, play money, and related numismatic products. His reach even stretched to the UK, where he exported his creations, establishing a noteworthy presence amidst the renowned Birmingham mints of the era.

Both of the insignia are in great condition but not without issue. While the colors and details are retained quite nicely on the front, the back of the items are oxidized to a lovely patina. Both of the pins still retain their brass safety-pin style attachments.

- International Military Tribunal Plastic Cigarette Case With Unopened Pack of Lucky Strikes: This is a lovely "Jonny Box" style cigarette case, made of what looks to be translucent "ivoroid" plastic. This design was intended for the standard 70mm unfiltered cigarettes of the time, and is most likely made of an early plastic material such as celluloid or possibly acrylic.

One side of the case has a maroon painted raised area which reads:

INTERNATIONAL
MILITARY-TRIBUNAL
- 1945 -
NÜRNBERG
GERMANY

The other side is marked with the Nuremberg Greater Arms. Nürnberg became a city in 1219 and became one of the most important cities in present Bayern. The city uses two different arms; the greater arms with the eagle with a king's head and the lesser arms with the eagle and red bends. Both were adopted in 1936. The lesser arms are known as the real arms since 1240, where they are first mentioned. The arms showed a shield divided into six bends silver (=white) and red (or: five times divided per bend). The arms are probably derived from the arms of the first Viscounts of Nürnberg. During the centuries the number of bends changed regularly and were finally fixed in 1936.

- Unopened Green Pack of Lucky Strike Cigarettes: The brand was first introduced by R. A. Patterson of Richmond, Virginia, in 1871 as cut plug and later a cigarette. In 1905, the company was acquired by the American Tobacco Company.

In 1917, the brand debuted the slogan "It's Toasted" to tout the manufacturing method of toasting, rather than sun drying, the tobacco, a process claimed to improve the flavor of the product. In an attempt to counter that popular campaign, competitor Camel went in the other direction, claiming that Camel was a "fresh" cigarette "never parched or toasted.

Beginning in the fall of 1944, Lucky Strike was also a sponsor of comedian Jack Benny's radio and TV show, The Jack Benny Program, which was also introduced as The Lucky
Strike Program.

The brand's signature dark-green pack was changed to white in 1942. In a famous advertising campaign that used the slogan "Lucky Strike Green has gone to war", the company claimed the change was made because the copper used in the green color was needed for World War II. American Tobacco actually used chromium to produce the green ink, and copper to produce the gold-colored trim. A limited supply of each was available, and substitute materials made the package look drab.

The white package actually was introduced to modernize the label and to increase the appeal of the package among female smokers; market studies showed that the green package was not found attractive by women, who had become important consumers of tobacco products. The war effort became a convenient way to make the product more marketable while appearing patriotic at the same time.

Idiot Clause - the contents of this pack are pre-1945 manufacture and are NOT suitable for consumption. They are being sold as novelty collector pieces only. Even though some people on YouTube have tried.

Lastly is a paper pass that would have allowed Louis Johnson and other Guards the freedom of movement needed in the Palace of Justice. The pass is in German and the only portion that was filled out is the name of the Security Officer; Lt. John D., Ellis.

The Nuremberg Palace of Justice is a building complex in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany. It was constructed from 1909 to 1916 and houses the appellate court (Oberlandesgericht), the regional court (Landgericht), the local court (Amtsgericht) and the public prosecutor's office (Staatsanwaltschaft).

The building was chosen as the location of the Nuremberg trials (1945–1949) for the main surviving German war criminals of World War II because it was almost undamaged, was large enough, and included a large prison complex. The choice of the city of Nuremberg was symbolic as the NSDAP Party had held its large Nuremberg rallies in the city.

A fantastic assortment of items that comes more than ready for further research and display. 

Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg trials were held by the Allies against representatives of the defeated NSDAP Germany for plotting and carrying out invasions of other countries across Europe and atrocities against their citizens in World War II.

Between 1933 and 1945, NSDAP Germany invaded many countries across Europe, inflicting 27 million deaths in the Soviet Union alone. Proposals for how to punish the defeated NSDAP leaders ranged from a show trial (the Soviet Union) to summary executions (the United Kingdom). In mid-1945, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States agreed to convene a joint tribunal in Nuremberg, occupied Germany, with the Nuremberg Charter as its legal instrument. Between 20 November 1945 and 1 October 1946, the International Military Tribunal (IMT) tried 22 of the most important surviving leaders of NSDAP Germany in the political, military, and economic spheres, as well as six German organizations. The purpose of the trial was not just to convict the defendants but also to assemble irrefutable evidence of NSDAP crimes, offer a history lesson to the defeated Germans, and delegitimize the traditional German elite.

The IMT verdict followed the prosecution in declaring the crime of plotting and waging aggressive war "the supreme international crime" because "it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole". Most of the defendants were also charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, and the systematic murder of millions of Jews in the Holocaust was significant to the trial. Twelve further trials were conducted by the United States against lower-level perpetrators, which focused more on the Holocaust. Controversial at the time for their retroactive criminalization of aggression, the trials' innovation of holding individuals responsible for violations of international law is considered "the true beginning of international criminal law".