Chris Boonzaier

I am very, very happy. I will be calling the seller to see if I can get the Ritter2x document today. I bought the regt history, but it is not very detailed. i guess I am going to have to consider going down to the Bavarian archives at some stage with a list of my bavarian documents. Why do the Mosers all seem to have W?rtemburg medals?

The II. Batl. had lost many men in the fighting the weeks before. At the time when he won the EK2 they were resting in the second line and at the same time formed 16 groups of "carriers" to take stuff forward to the men of the I. and III. Batln's. All trips were done through the heaviest artillery fire and at great risk. A document with Fort Douaumont mentioned on it is pretty much the holy grail of researchable EK docs.

I wish I knew when he joined the Regt :-( Pity there are no ealrier documents to help track his career. The seller still has a couple of things from him including another document, I will be calling him in the morning to beg it off him in trade.

The Price !!! and call them SS-Panzer leather duds... and the price is even more different

And the EK2 just KILLS me.......... I will be able to follow this one step by step in Verdun at the end of the month, to within a few mwters of the actual trail he was on....

OK, I have over 400 EK docs.... about 6-7 have a specific action mentioned (I mena more precise than just the name of a battle)... The EK1 in this group has a very specific action mentioned.....

EK docs to follow.........................................................................

Interesting Promotion document. I am sure Rick will find the wording interesting, probably Glenn as well.... and the altered stamp...

Your man was in the 12th Bavarian Inf. Regt. of the 2nd bavarian Division.... a really well rated assault division....

Nice wound badge doc....

Just landed this one.........

I bought my dream group on Ebay, contacted the seller and asked if he had anything else from the man.... and whammo... this is what he kept back from the auction.... :-(

But what is this? Is it rare? What does it cost and how does it look? Is that enough questions Ritterkreuz II Kl. ( Friedrichsorden) von W?rttemberg im Etui mit Urkunde

Hi This was mine. I think/thought it has obviously "been there" but from the reaction on the auction thread it seems that "there" may not actually be the "there" that I am supposing. I am all ears on this. If I remember correctly t came from a rather woolly dealer in Toronto in the early 90's, but he was not known for having a lot of good stuff...

I always thought the KVM was civilian only?

I would not be sooooooo sure. There are many, many examples of what the British would call "Immediate awards" ie. then and there for an action, or soon after.... and there are many examples of awards for accumulative actions. Most post war ones seem to have been for accumulative actions over a longer period. I have a number of post war awards where the division fought extremely heavily 1916-17 and first couple of months in 1918... then twiddeled its thumbs for the next half a year (plenty of time to make an award then) and the guy finally getting his award long after the war for no specific action, but because of an accumulation of good service from throughout the war. Damned nice group it is :-)

Hi Kev, any chance of closer photos? Thanks Chris

Thats nice indeed! are you bidding on it or can I go for it? Best Chris

Apparantly there is white metal-alloy (early) then brass and also steel handles. in 1915 or so they started cuttin g the Quillions off. Mine unfortunately has no date :-( but it must be pre WW1...

Just had a closer look, it has a white alloy handle, I assume these are older than the brass ones?

I have just been given a long lebel Bayonet, with Quillion and brass handle, cruciform blade. I assume that as the Quillion has not been removed it must be WW1? Best Chris

But is that feature enough to qualify it as "the best" ? Sounds neat, but there are many other things that may be more important to a soldier in the field.

The fireman in the middle, the medal on the left.... looks rather British doesnt it?

Thanks guys, always a pleasure to see the Rick/Glenn machine in action with the left jab and right hook of Information :-)

I think these are pocket badges. Best Chris