Chris Boonzaier

And a couple more..... an old one of an officer, and en enticing one with a name.... but I cannot find his career on ancestry.....

Just picked these up.... there were very active groups in Germany who did everything to scare germans off the idea of joining the legion......

I know the most comman ones we see are the zillions of fake Vietnam era ones.... but here is a factory one. it is for the French Division in Desert Storm. I bought one back when they came out... lost it... and picked another one up on ebay, also original from back then.....

Is that the guys name top left? "Lt RAM??"

I saw those into the 90s, maybe old stock

Nice! What is the 2nd ribbon on the bar?

'tis a noble gesture to donate items, but very often they are better off in loving collectors hands :-)

Here you go.... a classic "Gaucho knife"... with what looks to be armory stamps of Uruguay

Just received this interesting photo..... An NCO from Hessen....

True dat..... fighting to preserve history is a thankless task!! ;-)

Nah, I think I paid about EUR120 for mine on ebay, postage included....

Still 20 minutes to go.... https://www.ebay.de/itm/Schulterstück-Bayern-Leibregiment-SET-Mannschaft-Infanterie-Reg-1-WK-650/352371774531?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

It may very well be uruguay

I just saw what I understand to be a "Gaucho Knife" I am not sure if it is Brazillian or Argentinian, but it does have some prrofmarks. On the back, is a Crown above the letter D, on the front is a F.G. in an oval. My non existent spanish makes me think the seller was saying the Drown above the D dates up until 1912. It also has the makermark Scholberg whish was apparently present in South America and Belgium. Does anyone have any ideas? Thans Chrias

I put in about 50 low bids at a postcard auction house... expecting to get 2-3 cards... and ended up getting 28! The wife was not happy......

I accidently picked up some more Sturm related cards.......

Nice cap.... a kind of "Beginning of the end" production...

Hi Dave, thanks for the info! ... yup, of course the Bavarian connection was the main driver. I find it fascinating that he was only 1.55cm.... I dont know if you can join any western army in the world today if you are 1.55...

Not that comman to find a Prussian group with a bavarian medal..... and a very early one.... probably because he was on the regt staff..... and he was 1.55m !

Very nice indeed!

Very interesting! Thank you for the photos!

I shoulda had a camera with me yesterday... I spent a couple of hours in my canoe on the Main river yesterday... A Wasserschutzpolizei boat overtook me (barely).... it was a small motorboot with a canvas roof... both of the guys were just in pants catching rays. One standing and steering, one guy laying in the front sunning himself... if there had not been a blue light and siren you would not have recognised them as cops! :-)

Very nice! I assume he was civil defence or first aider in WW2?

As for the "Eigentum" German army issue version.... there is one on ebay, but just with the company stamp......

Thanks Andy, Poor lad was KIA in august 1917 with the 1st Jäger Battalion then....