Chris Boonzaier

Hi, It was unfortunately an area that many, many people moved through, no way to tell. I guess there was a 50/50 chance that he would have his name engraved... bummer he did not....

I think they refer t the Legion Magazine "Kepi Blanc".... but I dont know if they actually ordered and sold restrikes?

Hi, does anyone by any chance has a Photo of him? Thanks Chris

A couple more photos including other things found on the slope surrounding the place where i found the watch....

Hi Alex, do you do it commercially as well? I have about 4-5 of the guys fom my better groupings that I would love to have in color... Best Chris

Hi, 41mm, so close enough I guess :-) How where they worn? On a metal bar ? or just loops on the tunic? Best Chris

How many firms outside of Berlin? Scharfenberg has 8 Firms outside of Berlin already in the 2nd Quartal of 1916. How many could there have been in the 3rd Quartal? Here is a question.... if Fr and FR are the same firm, surely there would be a crossover point when you find both the Fr and FR stamps on the same cross type? It is unlikely that with the core in the cross in post one ALL had FR, and ALL with the core in post 2 had Fr.... Best Chris

Hi Sascha, I went back and read the article again, it is a very interesting one, but it answers none of the questions I try to raise above. Nowhere does it discuss the reasons for esoteric letters stamped on EK2 rings, and their purpose. I am dead keen on having the known facts, but still do not have them ;-) My question remains.... what was the purpose of the ring stamps, if not to facilitate quality control. best Chris

very nice, :-) Ask Nick, I think you can download it here and people can get it directly in the computer? Best Chris

me to ;-)

I dont think anyone doubte Fr as Friedländer, but I have now heard 3 suggestions for FR. I dont claim to be any expert on makers marks, so I am all ears... Best Chris

Hi, I just wonder if a firm that specialises in metal work would bother to do its own enamel work, or outsource it. It is probably financially more viable to have someone else do that, same way as someone else makes the bags. I can't say for sure, but if they only made a handful of awards with enamel, it would not pay to specially employ a person and the tools needed on site. Enamel strikes me as more a jewellers work. Best Chris

Hi, have indeed the article, but think that it may be a good discussion theme :-) Best Chris

Indeed... but we let that one through as an exception ;-)

Probier mal..... :-)

On the SDA forum they have similar, withouththe red and white tape, as Jungstahlhelm, there is an added sword on the pictured ones though...

Thanks Andy! I will do my bit as well, we will probably seldom need word for word, but the gist will probably be enough in most cases. Best Chris

A note to the above, as we have some good solid German collectors who read a lot, but suffer due to a language barrier and end up not posting, I would like to run a test, allowing them to post in "Denglish" which is broken English mixed with German when they run out of Vocab, or if there is no other possibility, they can answer in German, and one or other member can translate the important bits. That way our English speakers will profit from the experiance of collectors they could otherwise not communicate with. Anyone that is logged on to German language forums as well sees that there is a wealth of knowledge on English language forums, and on German forums, but quite often it is not transfered between the two... I hope somehow to facilitate a bit of information transfer. Best Chris

Hi Rudi, So viel Denglish wie möglich ist best, aber im Notfall... ;-)

Agreed... it was a good move.... The company name on its own makes it worth having... James Wagstaffe Old English Jams and Jellies I wonder if james was a prtly lad.... probably called "Jelly" Wagstaff at school ;-)

Hallo, wir freuen uns über jeder Deutscher muttersprachler hier in "Imperial German". Viele sind nur Leser, ist selbstverständlich dass Sprache manchmal ein Hinderniss ist. Dafür würde ich gerne anbieten, dass Man auch auf Denglish oder Deutsch antworten/posten kann. Irgendwie wird mann sich verständigen... es gibt genug Mitglieder die bereit sind die wichtige Teile zu übersetzen. MfG Chris

Hi, its by a canadian named Robert W Service http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_of_a_Sourdough Best Chris

I can only repeat... :-) the following poem.... seems to be a comman thread ... There's a race of men that don't fit in, A race that can't stay still; So they break the hearts of kith and kin, And they roam the world at will. They range the field and they rove the flood, And they climb the mountain's crest; Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood, And they don't know how to rest. If they just went straight they might go far; They are strong and brave and true; But they're always tired of the things that are, And they want the strange and new. They say: "Could I find my proper groove, What a deep mark I would make!" So they chop and change, and each fresh move Is only a fresh mistake. And each forgets, as he strips and runs With a brilliant, fitful pace, It's the steady, quiet, plodding ones Who win in the lifelong race. And each forgets that his youth has fled, Forgets that his prime is past, Till he stands one day, with a hope that's dead, In the glare of the truth at last. He has failed, he has failed; he has missed his chance; He has just done things by half. Life's been a jolly good joke on him, And now is the time to laugh. Ha, ha! He is one of the Legion Lost; He was never meant to win; He's a rolling stone, and it's bred in the bone; He's a man who won't fit in.

Very nice indeed. Nowdays it is easier to "get around" like that, but you really had to be an adventure stud to do it back then... When i read things like that it reminds me of one of my favourite poems.. There's a race of men that don't fit in, A race that can't stay still; So they break the hearts of kith and kin, And they roam the world at will. They range the field and they rove the flood, And they climb the mountain's crest; Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood, And they don't know how to rest. If they just went straight they might go far; They are strong and brave and true; But they're always tired of the things that are, And they want the strange and new. They say: "Could I find my proper groove, What a deep mark I would make!" So they chop and change, and each fresh move Is only a fresh mistake. And each forgets, as he strips and runs With a brilliant, fitful pace, It's the steady, quiet, plodding ones Who win in the lifelong race. And each forgets that his youth has fled, Forgets that his prime is past, Till he stands one day, with a hope that's dead, In the glare of the truth at last. He has failed, he has failed; he has missed his chance; He has just done things by half. Life's been a jolly good joke on him, And now is the time to laugh. Ha, ha! He is one of the Legion Lost; He was never meant to win; He's a rolling stone, and it's bred in the bone; He's a man who won't fit in.

Here is the real background to the photo... http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121670-Modern-Warfare-Mask-Lands-French-Soldier-in-Trouble