Chris Boonzaier

Obviously something to do with gliders? Authorised on the 6th of June, so it may have happened a week or two earlier?

I have a special X_MAs gift from one of the officers... will dig it out later and scan it for you.

Stijn=Cholm.

So do I :-) It can from a Guy in the states years ago. Not a collector and it was a family Heirloom. The paint is period, used, abused and rusted. Strangely enough no traces of green under it. I wish I knew who did it, there is no indication that it is anything but period.

Then me be a happy Rastaman! Was given it as a gift :-)

I should probably blush for having to ask this... but why did he get awarded a cloth badge instead of the regular metal ones?

Has a little stand at the back for pens and two things for ink bottles (I assune, I always had a pipe on the one side and matches on the other.

I found this in a drawer.... I assume it is Hungarian writing?? Can anyone translate? Thanks Chris

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I would always have turned down a breadbag with nickle plated rings (dont ask me why!) This bag is really early, nice regt, has brass buttons, that early loop in the strap (never fifured out what that is) ... and nickle plated loops...

This is an old brass and iron period Feldgraue lantern... Does anyone now if it is WW1 or just after?

Ready for the attack...

Very. very nice!!! AHts off to both of you !!!

On their helmets?

I always thought the Train guys had balls instead of spikes... I learn and I go to bed less stupid every day....

What would T.B.8 stand for in a regular Prussian OR Picklehaube? Train? Thanks Chris

About 5-7 years ago i bought my first and only 1813 EK from a dealer at a show.... Going out of the hall (The hall had what we could call "Dealer's light"... I saw something ....well... shocking... There was a slight difference to the black on the back of the cross. Hurried along I put it under the microscope back home... The back was indeed a slightly different black.... Why was it a different black? Because the faker had opened the rims of a 1914 cross, shaved the 1914 side off ... re blackened it, sealed it professionally and made a pretty penny on it. Stupidly, instead of blackening the WHOLE cross, he only did the one side, if he had done both it would have been very, very, very difficult indeed to tell it was bad... it would have been the perfect late private purchase piece.... Have any of you seen anything similar?

What an amazing little gun!! I bet holding that in your hand while watching the history channel and enjoying a nice glass of wine makes for a great evening.... ... man... at what stage of our collecting lives does old metal and wood become more interesting than girls... I think I need a doctor!!!

Hi Tom, i will post some more pics from this series this weekend, would be great if they can be identified. All the best Chris

Is he the guy on the photo with the blue mark? Thanks Chris

Hi Uwe... A superb bit of research and cross referencing! Thanks Chris

Darrel, what info do you have that clearly shows this is NOT postwar?

I always think of this hinge and pin as being a system that was invented in 1940 or so. The very early EK1s do not have it, then Whammo... you see it on EKS1, similar things on Schwerin badges etc. but all after the outbreak of the war. Also very prominent on the early 1957 pieces. Does anyone have any examples of other badges made pre 39 using this pin and hinge?

A nice lot of stuff!!! Can you do more detailed posts of the berets here... http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showforum=166 and the badges! Ever since reading Keegans "Six armies in Normandy" and a bit about Monte Cassino, I have found the Polish units very interesting. Have no way of collecting it myself (either financially (too much other stuff) or being able to find things here) but would be very keen to see yours. (I guess you have read the keegan book?)

I would guess she is a local prominent person handing out medals? Maybe the mayoress? Is a bit of a looker.....