Avitas

Thanks for the great info Mike, the two colour writing seemed a little strange to me as well. Are these books rare or fairly common (fake dedication notwithstanding) as they were published wartime, but I don't know how widely distributed they were. A great book nonetheless and I found it in a used book store for $3 so it was a heck of a deal any way you look at it, and the patch was in a bin for 50 cents, so another good find. Sometimes you get lucky and don't have to pay a fortune for wartime memorabilia!

Cheers and thanks again,

Pat

Hice thread, I just picked up an Army Flak-Artillerie one and the green army one with the iron cross, wreath and eagle in the center marked on the back"Jager 22 su." I do not know what the second one is for so if someone could let me know or even name all of Don Scowen's in a list that would be very helpful and a great reference. I am going to pick up the blue navy flag pin on Sunday hopefully if he still has it. These are pretty cheap and look pretty good so they are a great addition to the tinnie collection.

Cheers!

Pat

Thanks for posting my badge Larry, and maybe you can make it to a show next year over here! There was a nice TR police shako helmet there as well as an SS customs border security armbadge made of a gilted metal and about 4 inches tall oval (instituted after the 1944 attempt on Hitler's life), which was a fascinating piece and I wish I had a seasoned veteran with me to judge it. They were asking $525 for it, so a little out of my league, but probably a good deal if original.

But anyways, my new badge I picked up last weekend (the one Larry just posted pics for) isn't as coppery a colour as it looks in the pic, the auto levels and my scanner add a bit of that tinge to it for some reason. You can see on the reverse after adjusting the "auto levels" in photoshop just how many bubbles are on the back in the finish (and a few on the front). I take it that this is a good sign of a zinc badge, but the pin appears to be tombak, as I thought the badge was made of tombak but now due to the bubbling I found out about I think it is a zinc one (I am really bad with metals, I am trying to get better!). Like I said before, the details are really sharp and it is a heavy, well made badge with the correct pin, hinge and catch (albeit a bent catch and pin!) and an unfortunate denazification probably done so the owner could keep it post war I assume. If anyone can confirm its authenticity or lend any opinions on it I would be most appreciated. Any and all comments are great!

Cheers,

Pat

Thanks for the comments gents, I guess we can put a nail in the coffin of this badge! I just emailed Larry Strong my pics of the new Schwerin Blockade Breaker (unfortunately, it has been denazified, but the price was right!) which I believe is an original due to the sharp details, correct pin and catch (slightly bent so I can't open the pin up without risk of damage) and bubbling of the finish on the reverse. Please let me know what you think when Larry posts the pics (thanks again to Larry, you rule!)

Cheers,

Pat

Just an update on this thread, now I would probably have to agree with Don on it being a cast repro, as I recenctly picked up an original Tombak Schwerin Blockade Breaker badge and the details on my new badge are much crisper and the badge is much heavier, and it has most of the silvering left. Sorry I can't post a pic yet, still saving up for a new IMAC so I can post pics on the site!

Cheers,

Pat

Hello gents, just thought I would bump this one up as I have had no responses on it yet. Somebody has to know something about this regiment and photo album, I have mentioned everything I know about it in the previous posts, so any confirmation or clarification of those facts are great, as well as ANY additional information. Please share your knowledge!

Cheers and thanks in advance!

Pat

thanks Tynesideirish for your response, do you have any info on the book or cloth patch? Any and all information would be great!

Cheers,

Pat

Hi, just got back from vacation and noticed no replies yet on this one, anybody have ANY info or leads?

CHeers,

Pat

Just bumping this up on the list, any leads are great as I have reached a dead end in my searches. Or is what I have already come up with correct and about all the info there is on this company? Am I the only one interested in this early Panzer-Abwehr (Tank Defense) unit?

Anyways, thanks in advance for any and all help!

Cheers,

Pat

Thanks for posting my pics for me Larry, you are a true gentleman! As you can see, the name is very hard to decipher, but maybe one of you experts on German handwriting can get a clearer picture for me. Also, like I mentioned before, and links or info on the German 2nd Infantry Regiment in 1936 are greatly appreciated, even if anyone knows what it was renamed or absorbed into later on. Like I said, the 14th Motorized PanzerAbwehr company is mentioned quite profusely in connection with Kurt Panzer Meyer, but I am not sure if it is the exact same unit (I am no expert on German hierarchy, obviously, so any help is awesome!) so any clarification would be very helpful. Overall, it is a great little photo album and I would post more pics of the actual wartime photos but it is quite fragile and I don't want to risk any further damage to the binding. ANY comments on the album itself, the signature, or the specific Kompanee and Regiment are very welcome and appreciated!

Cheers,

Pat

Anybody able to help out? Links or any specific info is greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

Pat

This is a companion post to the one I posted in the Personal Research Facility:

Hello fellows,

I recently picked up a great little "Erinnerung an Meine Wehrdienstzeit" official Heer Photo album dated Weihnacht (Christmas) 1936 to a soldier in the 14th Tank Defence Company (Anti-tank unit) of the 2nd Infantry Regiment. I have searched online for many hours and have not been able to find much of anything on the 2nd Infantry Regiment at all, just on a list of Reichsheer regiments from the 1930's. I assume this regiment was renamed and absorbed into another division or regiment so I was wondering if anyone knew which one? As for the 14.Panzer-Abwehr Kompanee (mot.), I have seen a lot of info about this company with regards to Kurt (Panzer) Meyer as he took over this company (or another company with the exact same name?) in 1936 and was commander of it through the invasion of Poland in 1939. I was wondering if this is the same motorized panzerabwehr company? I could not really find a detailed description of individual regiments and companys, so any links or some information to start out with would be greatly helpful.

The 3rd page in the book has a picture of Field Marshall Blomberg and two other higher ups that I couldn't identify are on page 2 and 4, and the soldiers name is handwritten but I cannot decipher it (It looks like Pritzen von Flugh) or something like that. There will be a close-up of the signature coming. There are many pictures of officers hanging out and setting up tents for the motorized division (all what appear to be Mercedez-Benz's cars with big skinny mudder tires on them with heavy treads) and a couple nice shots of the whole Kompanee in cars ready for inspection. In total there are about 100 pictures and a few postcards and AH collector cards in the book, about 25 of the pics are the Canadian soldiers who "obtained" the book from the German Infantryman.

In summary, please lend any information (no matter how small it may seem, I am still very short in resource material!) about this specific 2nd Infantry Regiment (marked on cover Inf.-Rgt.2) and more specifcally, the 14th Motorized Panzer-Abwehr Kompanee (marked 14. (mot. Pz.-Abw.) Komp on the album. I have not been able to find any good info on it at all. Sorry, I still cannot post pics but I will get them to Larry as soon as I can so he can post them for me.

Cheers and thanks for any help and links!

Pat

Better late than never Richard! I apprectiate any information at any time, that's why the topics stay on the site for so long, new people come along and have good comments for some old topics that have reached partial endings. Don't hesitate to just start at the beginning of a section and just check them all out, you might have more help to lend.

Cheers,

Pat

Hello fellows,

I recently picked up a great little "Erinnerung an Meine Wehrdienstzeit" official Heer Photo album dated Weihnacht (Christmas) 1936 to a soldier in the 14th Tank Defence Company (Anti-tank unit) of the 2nd Infantry Regiment. I have searched online for many hours and have not been able to find much of anything on the 2nd Infantry Regiment at all, just on a list of Reichsheer regiments from the 1930's. I assume this regiment was renamed and absorbed into another division or regiment so I was wondering if anyone knew which one? As for the 14.Panzer-Abwehr Kompanee (mot.), I have seen a lot of info about this company with regards to Kurt (Panzer) Meyer as he took over this company (or another company with the exact same name?) in 1936 and was commander of it through the invasion of Poland in 1939. I was wondering if this is the same motorized panzerabwehr company? I could not really find a detailed description of individual regiments and companys, so any links or some information to start out with would be greatly helpful. I will post the album itself on the Heer section of this site as soon as I can. It has a picture of Field Marshall Blomberg and two other higher ups that I couldn't identify, and the soldiers name is handwritten but I cannot decipher it (It looks like Pritzen von Flugh) or something like that. There are many pictures of officers hanging out and setting up tents for the motorized division (all what appear to be Mercedez-Benz's cars with big skinny mudder tires on them with heavy treads) and a couple nice shots of the whole Kompanee in cars ready for inspection.

In summary, please lend any information (no matter how small it may seem, I am still very short in resource material!) about this specific 2nd Infantry Regiment (marked on cover Inf.-Rgt.2) and more specifcally, the 14th Motorized Panzer-Abwehr Kompanee (marked 14. (mot. Pz.-Abw.) Komp on the album. I have not been able to find any good info on it at all. Sorry, I still cannot post pics but I will get them to Larry as soon as I scan them in.

Cheers and thanks for any help and links!

Pat

Thanks for doing that Larry! I take it S&L is Steinhauer and Luck from Ludenscheid and it appears to me mid-war period from the description. If anyone has further info on the badge please leave your comments, no tidbit of info is too small.

Cheers,

Pat

Thanks again Larry!

I also forgot to mention the pin is magnetic, which may help in determining a maker. Any info and opinions on the badge are much appreciated, as well as info on the motorcycle troops as mentioned above.

CHeers,

Pat

It does appear very close. The eagles head and wings are a perfect match, and even the wear patterns on the eagles legs and the other high parts are similar. I cannot really discern any apparent differences, so it could be indeed of the same maker. I also see yours has just a touch of the rust starting that has already rusted a bit of mine. I take it your example is an unknown maker, Peter?

Cheers,

Pat

Thanks Peter, and welcome to the forum!

I was pretty confident in it as well, and I'm glad you agree on its originality. Like I mentioned, it may or may not be maker marked as I do not dare to peel the pins back as they appear very brittle so any guesses on maker will have to be by design and production only. Seems to be a daunting task to me, but perhaps someone has an idea on the maker.

Cheers and thanks for all comments!

Pat

Hello Gentlemen,

Well I just got my new (and only) Panzer Assault badge in Bronze in the mail a couple days ago from a respected online dealer. I love the amount of bronze finish remaining, it is in quite good shape and has only minor zinc oxidation. So I assume then this is a zinc alloy later war model but I do not know the maker of it. It seems the pin and catch set-up should lend some clues to you experts out there, as it has distinctive areas on the badge itself for the pins to be attached to. It is also slightly concave to give the impression of the tank coming out at you. Larry will post the pics when he has a chance for me (what a guy!) and then hopefully someone can help me out with identifying the maker of this great badge.

Also, a side question, did motorcycle troops receive the bronze PAB? or did they just get Infantry badges? From the description in Ailsby's book it does not mention motorcycle troops as recipients of the Panzer badge, but it seems like they might qualify to me. Any help on either of my queries or just some general remarks on its originality etc are greatly appreciated!

Cheers (and please be patient and look again when Larry gets a chance to post the pics, thanks!)

Pat

By comparing the scan and my badge I am certain it is a good one now, the pin and catch set-up are the same (besides as Larry mentioned it looks like the pin fell off and was replaced backwards) and the MM is identical. Also, the finish on the back is similar with the tiny bumps. I don't mind having the denazified example, it shows it has been through a lot!

Cheers,

Pat

Wow, now that is a nice belt buckle! I have actually never seen one of these Stahlhelm issues, I assume they are fairly hard to come by. Crisp details for sure and rightly made of steel it looks to me. I'll have to keep an eye out for one of these. What is the difference between this version adn the "more common" examples you mentioned?

Cheers,

Pat

No need to apologize Larry! Thunderstorms are forecast here in BC tonight as well. Kind of an ugly duckling, but I feel good about its authenticity, any comments?

Cheers,

Pat

Thanks Larry, I think we're due for some thunderstorms tonight over the mountains here in BC too. Any opinions on the shield?

Cheers,

Pat

Hello Gents,

Here is another of my pick-ups from my trip to Vancouver Island last month, a slightly beat up denazified KM Minesweeper badge for a really affordable price with the maker mark of ?? , just recently determined to be the logo of E.Ferd. Wiedmann/Frankfurt. It is a zinc alloy and is showing some zinc rot thanks to the denazification process and a couple other small trouble spots. It has a very small amount of gilting left on the oakleave wreath, but otherwise it is in fairly decent shape. I read in Chris Ailsbys book that ?? is one of the more common accepted marking for this badge, and I am pretty confident in its originality. There are many nicer examples out there but this one has character and has obviously seen some hard times after the war, maybe a post-war POW camp example, but who really can tell for sure. Any opinions are greatly appreciated on its originality or any more info about it. The pics will show up when Larry gets a chance to post them for me, so hang in there until they show up!

Cheers,

Pat

Another mystery solved! This is great to know as I have a GAB and a KM Minesweeper with this mark. Hopefully eventually more and more tidbits of info will come out and solve some other mysteries as well as more and more items from attics etc. come out to shed light on this relatively hard to find area of expertise (thanks mainly to all the burning of documents etc. during and after the war in Germany).

Cheers,

Pat