Chris Boonzaier

Fantastic and bombastic.... He was on the Somme with 28th Reserve Division!!

Hi Alex, I would really love to have a few done for the Book project, could you PM me your email, I will send you some to look at and you can see if they would be of interest. This is the most fantastic work I have seem on old photos!!

In a couple of references it says the EK was devalued in part because from the start of WW1 the awards were in the hands of generals, and not the Kaiser.... Is there ANY proof that this was different in 1870? From what I see, awards were made (by who?) and the Kaiser rubber stamped the docs after the event.... Is there any period reference which deals with who was entitled to award the EK in 1870`? Thanks Chris

Ok... I added up... i divided 650 EK award docs into award dates before and after June 1917.... it was an astounding even split down the middle.... 325 before, 325 after... this included post war awards and the deck was stacked because I actually go for post war ones.... I also favoured the post June 17 side when docs were issued after that dae, but the awards were potentially earlier... If we use that as a rough statistic, the sum should be about 4 400 000 and not 5 400 000 as often quoted when including postwar EK awards... That leaves me wondering where we get the figures from... and what are they based on?

I have often seen the following..... award totals for the EK 1.Verleihungsabschnitt 5.8.1914-30.4.1915 5 Großkreuze 7810 Eiserne Kreuze 1.Klasse 360 000 Eiserne Kreuze 2.Klasse 2. Verleihungsabschnitt 1.5.1916-20.9.1916 29 000 Eiserne Kreuze 1.Klasse 1 327 000 Eiserne Kreuze 2.Klasse 3. Verleihungsabschnitt 21.9.1916-4.6.1917 12 790 Eiserne Kreuze 1.Klasse 513 000 Eiserne Kreuze 2.Klasse I am guessing the first guy to quote this made a typo and the 2. Verleihungsabschnitt was actually 1.5. 1915 till 20.9.16? Does anyone have the original source of these? What it does add up to is 2 200 000 crosses by June 1917? For some reason this makes me begin to doubt the 5 200 000 awards we always read about...... It would mean 3 000 000 crosses in the last year and a half? That is cannot be correct. Just to question what we "Know".... where do the numbers above come from... I assume they are correct but with a typo... and how do we KNOW that 5 200 000 million crosses were awarded? One of the two just does not add up........

Lets see what you have ... :-) I will get mine done when i get home. Best Chris

wow... THAT is a nice bit of History.

I think the Mons is the best part about, you can surely find accounts from the British units facing them. It was the event of the year for the BEF

Hi, Seems the Verden battalion had by far the greatest losses of the Hannover units.... http://www.denkmalprojekt.org/Verlustlisten/waterloo_vl_60.htm Best Chris

Hi, just a note... the award was made in December 1914, but the doc was issued in 1916. They had taken part in the well known "Mons" batle aginst the brits in August 1914 and were on the Aisne in December when the award was made. Best Chris

Will he be allowed to wear it?

I am guessing post war as in post WW1, worn in the Weimar time as in Post WW2 repro? I have some docs here... http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/42335-bavarian-mvk-mvo-award-documents/page-2 Where the Vet wrote post WW1 to the Groß Kanzler asking for a replacement and he was told there were no more in stock, he should please contact Deschler to buy one. Deschler may have been the official dudes to contact for a replacement post WW1? Best Chris

I wonder if this award was simply because of the kings connection to the regt? I guess the easiest way for a non bavarian to get one would t be a Prussian in a Non bavarian regt of the Alpenkorps? I have a couple of awards of EKs by Bavarian Generals to non bavarians....

Here is another one, pre war, also just a letter... http://www.ebay.de/itm/Dokument-Urkunde-Ritterkreuz-Friedrichsorden-Wurttemberg-Stockenburg-Schw-Hall-/230915611142?pt=Militaria&hash=item35c3a49a06

Indeed. those witht he badge on are really killers!

This would be not bad if he had left the outside blank... of course, the materiel is probably a give away.... but it is geting closer.... the major difference, it is all new... not an old cutlery box redone for awards... http://www.ebay.de/itm/Etui-fur-EK-1914-ohne-Inhalt-/360579541171?pt=Militaria&hash=item53f43728b3

THAT one is nice!!!! Most of them are... but I really like that one,,,,

I was sure we had a thread with 3 bavarians somewhere... but so far this was the best i could find.....

You may find what you are looking for on page 20 or 21 of the MG photo album... http://www.kaiserscross.com/246801/home.html Best Chris

Hi Leute, zeig mal eure Stadt/Dorf! http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/56755-by-the-numbers-numbered-helmet-covers/ Ihr habt sicherlich Fotos.....

I dunno.... plenty of places where Religion trumps Nationalism... even in Europe...

How many variations of this are there? Does anyone have a real gold one? Older models? Copies and Spangenstucke etc also welcomre on the thread. Thanks Chris

I dont know here, i think this was the mixed one Andreas?

This is I think a Deschler one...

Hi, the Alpenkorps one has the date A Reich 1917, so it is that late. my earliest one is to an award in 1914! The Alpenkorps did not even exist then ;-) My 1st Jäger regt ones are also Mid 1917 for 1916 awards, The one is a 2. Jäger an EK1, awarded October 1916, doc in 15th July 1917... then a hand written doc from the 2. Jager, issued 2 days later, 17th July 1917 for an award made in November 1914. I dont think Alpenkorps guys got EK docs before mid 1917, just militärpass entrys for the EK. I do have a 10th reserve Jäger doc from August 1916, but no mention of the date of the award....