Chris Boonzaier

It may be, but what surprised me was... his combat days for the GAB were for support with 2 cm flak in Infantry/Anti partisan operations in a forest in Russia... was awarded the GAB for this. IF the Ground Cbt was to replace it, it should just have been exchanged? But the cbt days for his Luft Ground Cbt were extra/different days.... almost as if they had said "those other three dont count...." The GAB was awarded by the army in his case. I wish I had kept copies of the docs...

Thanks, It is the most complete set I have ever owned. i have all his documents, tunic, awards, dagger, photos, house, granddaughter... hell, as I write, my computer is even on his old desk... Talk about not splitting a group !

Hi, it is the exact twin of the one I posted before. All from the same officer. Will dig out the tunic, it is stored away at the moment. best Chris best Chris

Realting to the thread here.. http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=2839...mp;#entry268344 When did they stop making dark green shoulderboards? Are they more or less desirable than field grey? Thanks Chris

have just seen the 1250 are black ones. Are the ones pictured above valued higher as they are really early dark green? Before GD became a mass produced product? Thanks Chris

I contacted him, we had spoken about these years ago. Weitze has the same boards with Uffz tresses added, in condition 2- for EUR1250 ! Also single ones on field grey for EUR350.

I dont have the pics anymore... but I did have the documents to this combination of awards (not the real medals pictured). Interesting thing was... the days calculated for the General assault badge were not counted for the 2 luftwaffe combat badges and the Heer badge was not recognised in his Milit?rpass or Soldbuch.....

Hi, I am maybe going to trade these to a guy who wants them to resell them. I am trying to convince him that they are worth a fortune. I think maybe they are. i have seem not as nice ones for EUR600 and more. These are REAL, and REAlly nice panzer ones with dark green background. Can anyone tell me what the WW2 guys would pay for a set like this? Thanks chris

2

Hi jacket with 2nd shield...

That must indeed be a rare one !!!!

Hi, I can pinpoint mine to one of 5 shields given to the Ships Doctor on the Bernd von Arnim. All were the same and he never bought any others. So they were amongst the first issued (I assume). best Chris

Thanks :-) All the best Chris

Have just bought this one... 27026 CPL. M.CAREY R.D.F?S can anyone tell me the secret to this man and where he served? I assume it is Royal Dublin Fusiliers? Thanks Chris

You mean, a catalog printed in WW2 pointing out what fakes will look like in 2000? If you find a copy, can you buy one for me as well? Thanks Chris

Huh? What kind of Writing do you expect to find?

Friggin disgusting.... people in skirts, without underwear, riding on bicycles.... is all very well when they are a girls volleyball team going home after practice... but disgusting when it is a hairy bunch of Jocks. I mean for Gods sakes laddy... can you imagine being the storeroom clerk... having to persuade some new recruit that the bicycle seat just given in by Wee Jock Mactavish after a maraton ride from lands end to Knocandoo is in any fit state to be issued to the new arrivals!!! Give them trousers.... or take away the bluidy bicycles!

Hi, I dont want to appear dense, I dont really collect these, just happen to have them, so all the collector knowledge is a bit vague to me. Thanks Chris

I need to be talked through this... what are we looking at? A copy? Thanks Chris

5) With 6 men of the 11th Kompagnie I took over the post and installed myself in the guardroom (the laundry!). Soon the number of our post grew. One of the reservists lived within 500m of our post and his wife soon found her way to us. Whenever Reservist Soldirer stood guard his wife stood with him. On occasion she would take his rifle with its bayonet and stop people she knew. It was war, certain things had to be allowed. There was no shortage of food. Frau Pfeiffer looked after us. There was little traffic on the road and it soon became boring. On the evening of the 4th of August I went to check my sentries and saw our relief arriving. Smiling and singing the ?Wacht am Rhein? we marched back into Trier.

4) Reservists flooded in the whole night long, they came from Trier and the surrounding areas. Tunics and trousers were tried on. Each man got a pair of underpants, 2 shirts, an overcoat and a hat. They got one pair of lace up boots, a helmet with its fieldgrey cover, a backpack with its contents, a Zeltbahn with tent pegs, a canteen, a Kochgeschirr (mess tin), a brotbeutel (Breadbag), belt, fat and coffee tins, a saltbag, a white armband and other smaller items. The next morning the weapons were handed out. At 8:00 am came the news that the regiment was having problems in Luxembourg and all the reservists must get ready to move out. Each man received an Erkennungsmarke (dogtag) and bullets. We were ready t move out. At noon we were still in the barracks. We waited impatiently for the orders to move out. At 5:00pm Leutnant d.Res Pley came to give new orders. The Unteroffiziere were given posts and men to guard them with. Mine was at the tobacco dealer ?Pfeiffer?. Anyone entering or leaving Trier by that road had to be able to identify themselves. Anyone causing problems would be arrested.

3) At 6:00 pm it happened. I hurried to the printers with my colleague Hoffamnn, there was till no news. On the marketplace, in front of the main post office, there was a throng of people. Here there was no news either. Suddenly, at 6:15 a ripple went through the crowd? ?Mobilisation!? A sudden silence, then cries of ?Hurra!? I said goodbye to Hoffmann and my colleagues and hurried to my lodgings. As I entered I called ?See! Mobilisation! I was right!?. They still did not believe me. In the blink of an eye I was a warrior again and my civilian affairs were packed away. A quick goodbye and by 7:00pm I was at the barracks. I was posted to the 10./69 (10th Kompagnie / Infanterie Regiment 69) and I reported to the Feldwebel. The active regiment had already left to secure the border to Luxembourg on the 31st of July. Vizefeldwebel Adawitz and he Feldwebel were the only NCOs of the 10th Kompagnie that were still there. I was ordered to see to the uniforms and equipment of the newly arriving reservists. Not a job I was keen on, but this was war and everyone had to do their job.

2) I had already sent a message home requesting that they forward my Feldgrau jacket, boots and binoculars from my service days. On the 31st of July I was on my way to work with my colleague Lenz. As we passed the Paulinus Printing press we saw preparations in motion. I gave a loud ?Hurra!? mobilisation would surely follow in 2-3 hours. A quick handshake and I left may friend as I hurried home. I changed into my Feldgrau and packed up my civilian clothes in a parcel to be sent home.. I waited for the mobilization call? it did not come. At midnight I lay down. All through the night I thought I heard the call ?Alarm?, but it was only my imagination. The next morning, to my big disappointment, I had to put on my civilian clothes again. My landlady was waiting for me with coffee. The teasing and jokes made over my eagerness are best not mentioned. The day passed slowly, I could barely work, I thought only of the coming war. From time to time I took out my Milit?rpass and reread the mobilisation instructions. ?Report as soon as the mobilisation order is given?. Indeed? but the order had still not been given. This day to passed by?.

TomY will correct the grammar and spelling by email with me, so just enjoy the diary and dont worry about howling errors :-) Mobilisation 1) It was towards the end of July 1914. Dark clouds hung over European politics brought on by the terrible crime that had been carried out in Sarajevo. Austria had as a result made demands on Serbia in order to assure her national security. At first it looked as if Serbia would agree but at the last moment things changed. With Russia backing her Serbia refused the demands and Austria was forced to mobilise her troops. For the rest of Europe the question was? would Russian stay Neutral? For anyone following the politics of the past few years the outcome was sure. The long expected, long dreaded world crisis was unavoidable. Only the na?ve and the spineless souls still hoped for peace. As in the rest of the German Fatherland the spirit in the noble town of Trier was undescribable. The newspaper printers were under siege as the population waited eagerly for the message ?Krieg!?,

I will be adding it to Kaisers cross with some pics, but here... bit by bit, is the diary of our man. It is a nice read, shows the spirit of the times....