506th PIR Officer Cups

According to MG(R) Matheson, silver coins from a German SS payroll found at a
railroad siding by the Landsberg, Bavaria, Germany, area work camp liberated by
the 506th PIR in April 1945 were later used to make cups for 506th PIR Officers,
and the additional silver needed to make these cups was liberated from Hitler's private
dining room in the famed Eagle's Nest atop Kehlstein Mountain near Berchtesgaden,
Bavaria, Germany in May 1945.

However, according to Mark Bando, author of several books about the 101st
Airborne Division in WWII, "In May, 1945, when troops of the 506th occupied
Fischhorn Castle at Bruck, Austria (adjacent to the SS Horse Farm), a quantity of
silver chalices were liberated. These were marked on the base as having been man-
ufactured at Innsbruck, Austria, and the silver content was .900 fine. An Austrian
silversmith near Zell am Zee was commissioned to customize these drinking vessels
as follows: One style, having an overall hammered surface, was adopted by the 506th
and engraving was done for every officer in the regiment, with each officer's name and
rank, the words '506th Parachute Infantry Regt', and a set of facsimilie parachute jump
wings (slightly smaller than actual) were attached to the center front. Around the top of
the base were engraved the campaigns in which the officer had participated."

According to Mark Bando, the 506th PIR officers sent the chalices to a silver-
smith in Saalbach, Austria, northwest of Zell Am See, where for 7 Reichs-
marks per chalice, the silversmith added the under-sized jump wings and
engraved the name, rank and campaigns of each officer.

The officers also had a wooden case made to hold the cups and the Sink Grail.
The case had an inlaid wood Parachute Reserve on the front. As each officer
left the 506th, they took their cups with them.

NOTE the memorabilia from the World Premiere HBO Band of Brothers trip.
lLT Matheson had been the 2nd Battalion S1 before being promoted to Major
and becoming Regimental S3.