Marcus H

Weitze example reverse

The Weitze example

The careful soldering

Catch

hinge

Cleaned

The reverse (Before cleaning)

Here's mine Jacques, I don't you had this in hand at Stuttgart did you......you'd gone by the time I bought this one I think ? Weitze had a silver one exactly the same as this one (a month or two ago I may still have the pic), and Frank has a bronze which you've seen too, that one was issued to a Naval guy and he has the other awards too, a very nice looking one that !!!! This one is different to the reverse of your example as you say, two different types as such. These spanish Crosses have caused the odd deabate and deliberation, some say, that the eagles are to close to the sword hilts and others the quality of the pin is not acceptable, even the swastika size. All fair comment I guess, but unfounded in premise of any relateable sense in the fake and genuine argument in my novice prognosis. It's apples and oranges comparing a Juncker and S&L to this paticular cross in my opinion, when arguing qaulity. One point though is that has been mentioned, is the solder on these is of of a more careful application and by all means more tidy than say the two makers as an example above. Here's mine of this type.

This policy of the British Forces was always a form of contention, the absurdity of it, although today it may be suggested it was implemented because of a 'health & safety' aspect, this is not true but it alas covers that realm of that thought only in the blanket ban. During and post WW2 it was also a big no no ! My father flew in the Berlin airlifts for several years, the usual alcohol and cigarretes where sort of accepted, as this often was distributed in the Officers mess for use off. But each time they landed back at Hendon, they were searched for contraban. The biggest frown was anything connected with the TR, where as with the Americans........they freely aquired all sorts ! They to, flew from Hendon also. Dad remembers them with weapons and 'awards', daggers and all sorts, not that he was interested in them. At the end of WW2, when troops were being ferried home, to the Isle of White one of the numerous demobilisation camps where troops were relieved of their military gear, they were warned before they docked to get rid of any trophies or items they had picked up, subsequently they threw a many a dagger and badge over board for fear of being searched and getting into trouble before being released on leave as such. As it was they weren't searched and could have kept the items !!!! This story was from a friends Father, and to add to that other veterans have said similar to me. In the Gulf conflcit of 1990/91 we were told under no circumstance to touch, take or think about it !! In this day and age of course, with all ages and all sorts in the army. There are those who would bring back a live fireing RPG or tank mine.......and I've heard a multitude stories in the past when I was in the regular army of such like. From the 90-91 episode some time after I heard that one lad had stripped a weapon and put it in the sump of his 432 AFV, an RAF loadmaster had several boxes of ammo and a weapon on his C-130 etc etc etc. I think the latter one was even in the media. These stories and others, true or not, only add to the fuel of the fire. And where true, dictates the stance and supports this British policy. I think the British policy is designed to the effect and seen in the light, that to aquire such items as badges and helmets etc is in effect tantamount to looting, i.e theft of items from a country, black and white full stop, as much so as stealing a silver dinner service from a family home, or whats the difference between a fallen soldiers wedding ring to his cap badge ? The greatest contradiction of all this is in every mess of the Britsh armies remit, museum's too.........those being the regimantal and corps museums that still survive on camp. Personally, I always thought there are shades of grey, a piece of webbing, helmet etc discarded on the roadside, where's the harm in that ??? Even purchased, like in the early days of Bosnia you could, post '95 it all seemed to dry up quickly as we had every other army there when the mortar and bullet rounds stopped flying, gettng their duration medals. I always brought back as much as I could, most ranks did (or tried too), I've a couple of helmets and other military effects from countries and places, I would and could have had more, but with space and then searches it was the fear of being caught. Kr Marcus

It's a shame there are no pictures of him

Lastly two post war letters, dated 1955 and 1970

13.........

12......

11 His trade and skills book

10 A rather late EK 2 citation of the small size, 14.5cm x 10.5cm

9 Blockade Breaker citation.

8.This a large 'humerous' document, even at this stage of the war.

7........

6. Reference to English worded sources !

5. Second letter

4........... These letters I think are in relation to effects he lost when sunk ? This is on the back of the first letter.

3.........

2........

More of a group to a mans life, but never the less a very interesting group. Ricky it's been a long time coming posting this, you know more about this guy than I do I'll let you explain how many times he was sunk Firstly swimming certificates.

Kapit?nleutnant (MN) Kurt K?nig has an entry in "Die Deutsche Kriegsmarine 1939-1945" by Lohmann & Hildebrand as follows: Born on the 2nd of November 1906 in Klostermannsfeld in Saxony and entered the Reichsmarine in 1925. He was asssigned as the Flottillenfunkmeister on the destroyer Hans Lody from Feb 39 - Nov 40 and in the same appointment on the destroyer Karl Galster from Nov 40 - Jan 41. He attended a course at the Naval Signals School at Murwik from Jan - Feb 41 as was then assigned as an assistant instructor and officers' instructor there for underwater detection and direction finding until Jan 44. Signals officer aboard the light Cruiser Leipzig from Jan 44 - Oct 44 and in November on the staff of the F.d.Z. (Destroyer Leader) as the 4. Asto (4th Admiral's Staff Officer). From December 44 - Feb 45 he was again at the Naval Signals School as an instructor and his final appointment was as a radio expert in Wehrmacht Nachrichten-Regiment West until the war's end Kr Marcus