An interesting article prompted by a recent criminal case in the UK. There will always be souvenir taking/collecting, but what we'll probably see now is the end of collecting working firearms as souvenirs IMHO. "The release on appeal of an SAS soldier detained for keeping a pistol from Iraq has thrown a spotlight on war trophies. Are victory souvenirs now a thing of the past? In the wake of the Napoleonic Wars, some members of the French Imperial Guard stopped at nothing to make sure the British would not get their hands on their most prized military possessions. In their desperation, it was said Napoleon's elite soldiers burned their regimental colours, mixed the ashes with wine and drank the concoction. The bronze eagle standards would supposedly be broken up in similar circumstances. But the French sometimes failed and to this day some British Army regiments' uniforms feature the eagle motif to record a victory. At the end of the Falklands conflict, the 5th Regiment of Argentine Marines are also said to have burned their colours as they surrendered to the British. But why do some soldiers collect the belongings of a defeated enemy? Maj Gen Julian Thompson, who led 3 Commando Brigade during the Falklands War, believes the "irresistible urge" of taking mementos is deeply rooted in human nature." BBC News - Danny Nightingale case: Is the era of the war trophy over?
