Chris Boonzaier

Does anyone know where i can get a fullsized one like Docs?

We spectators still be waiting mon.....

Hi, the helmet itself is Austrian, but the Panish used those german WW2 style helmets as well. Maybe this kind was used as well? I have no idea, it was just suggested in the thread...

Possible I think, 2nd Inf Regt does not qualify for the Inf clasp as they are Mech infantry, but 3rd infantry Regt does... Technically he could have gotten his Defence national in Guyana, then come back to France and joined another regt....

Seen on ebay.... why is it fake?

The link... http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5767&st=20

I am a bit hesitant to bring this up for discussion as I dont want to piss Joe off, but I am sure he wont mind. I find the onyx and silver EK2 to be a fascinating piece, what I am not so convinced of is, is purpos. Having said that, these are just a series of thoughts thrown together on a two hour drive and they may be ripped apart by the members. After some deliberation, my conclusion is that this may be a very exclusive private purchase piece, as opposed to a Willy 2 presentation piece. My reasoning is as follows... Technically "the Iron Cross" is just that, an iron cross with silver rims added for easier wearing. Although an intergral part of the award, the rims are just a frame, the iron core is the symbolic part of the award. Even in WW2 the iron centre was a sacred cow, the brass centered crosses being banned at some point. The rims themselves did not seem to be a big issue, either silver or "some white metal" but that has little to do with the "core" issue. The question that bothers me is... Would Willi, guardian angel of the iron cross tradition, have handed out medals that obliterated the symbolism of the iron cross, because the iron cross was shrouded in symbolism. The tradition of the cross also dictates that all men were equal, a simple cross of iron...and Basta... If there were to be special recipients, who were they? The Kaiser, crown prince, archdukes and generals all have regular awards. So, if the top brass did not get these and I am unaware of foreign dignatories getting the EK... Who did. The figure of 50-200 I assume is based on a rough estimate of how many people may have been in a position to be decorated by the Kaiser, but Willy spent his days pinning these things on in all directions. The really big brass often had 1870 EK2s or recieved the 1914 ones in the first weeks of the war... After that there was noone really of a high rank to award these to, Which would point to these being made as EK1s as well maybe as these would have been needed later in the war more than EK2s for top guys. So, assuming that this cross DOES go against the spirit of the "Iron" cross, and we cannot find a photo of a big cheese wearing one... I would say that it is unlikely that this is a Kaiser award piece and probably an expensive private purchase piece. I would even go as far as to guess it was made between the wars when there was no govt body to control who wore what, I dont think in that form it would have been worn on the chest of a soldier in official uniform. The only person who seems to have worn a visabley Non "Iron" cross in official uniform was Goering, although some folks doubt the originality of the "Onyx" Grosskreuz. If my suppositions and musings are in fact correct, then it could be that any jeweller in Vienna, Berlin (etc.) could have produced this as a one off or ten off or hundred off for the deep pocketed rich and byoooootiful. I am not asking anyone to assume that I automatically know what I am talking about just becase I am posting an opinion, and maybe someone has a pic of the Crownprince wearing one and eye witness reports of the Kaiser pinning them on... At the very limit I hope this stimulates a lively discussion.... Best Chris

Maybe someone here can help.... Can anyone say anything about this being a reissue? http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=9277...mp;#entry145695

When would the Sapnish have used these? Civil war period? Did the spanish ever have a badge on the front?

Can we see a full frontal pic of this? I was just given a really similar lamp, but with no markings...

That is indeed a byooootiful cross. Not that I have any doubts, but is there some kind of documentry proof that these are Wilhelm awards pieces as opposed to very expensive private purchase pieces? Old Willy spent the whole war dishing out crosses, so there must have been a special criteria for these, and the top shelf people are widely photo documented as wearing normal crosses (Crown prince etc). All the best Chris

Well... if Don fired on all VC wearing this... I bet the Navy guys in the area were pretty miffed... ;-)

Thanks Claudio, I have to admit to large knowledge deficits outside of the EK field :-( Nice looking medal !!

Hi, only a few Gehrings Best Chris

If it was the colonel... volume 10 page220 volume 31 page 75, 77 and 93. If it was the Genmaj... volume 26 page 61 and 270 Best Chris

Have you tried German Ebay?

Some nice photos... and some scarce tallies... Are all of them in your collection?

I was flipping through the Medal yearbook.... and there it was.... (almost pocked my eye out!)

Once agaim, thanks for the new info... I am storing it all :-)))

In same case it is awarded just for service... in some cases gallantry IS the order of the day......

The Mothers cross/ Mothers medal.... we dont get it... do we? Sure.... sure.... sure.... we all know what a MILF is.... but they are not ALL Milfs.... are they? When Brunhilda has her 8th Sprog, and Olga has her 7th future Commisar and Clenentine is Honoured by la Republique for producing a 10th little runner up for the academie francaise... I mean. they may all be nice ladies and all.... but they will be getting on in years.... At some point there is the "I dont fancy yours mate..." reaction...... But the Brits have sorted this out years ago...... For the tired bank employee who comes home at 6:00 P.M to cold pea soup, 14 rugrats running around and breaking the china plates.... and a wife who is aiming for a 15th..... the drive and desire may wane a little bit in the poor man...... But to keep the ecomony growing, his input is needed!!!! And so they created a medal for just such a case.....

:-) indeed....

Unless 1) The folks that picked it up were ot really the family 2) They were family, but they sent it right on to Manions to turn it into money 3) The family did not REALLY pick it up, the guy who had the stuff was offered USD100 more by another collector and he jumped at the chance....

Made it through... no problemo... once again, many, many thhanks... Here is the small group... http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1484...mp;#entry145247

The details of his war in Tonkin and the shipwrecking are here... A huge thank you to our fellow member for all the research he put into this... and in record time!!!! http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=14829&hl=