Aldwyn

Yep... 199 was my post. I can't claim it was my mistake, though... captions were added before I was born. These pics are supposed to be from the Sweedish intelligence. Doesnt really matter to me if they are or not... I just like the pictures, and find some of them to be rather unique! - Aldwyn

I hope no one minds a flood:

Well, you learn something new every day! Thanks Gordon!

Clasp looks great! But is that u-boat badge a fake? I have never seen a pin and clasp such as that before. The uboat doesnt look right either... the propeller/rudder area seems to have no details... like no scew at all!

So far, not so good... I have found nadda as far as U108 and a tradition pin goes. But at least we know that early in the boat career, it used the polar bear. I suspect that the shield came after the skipper won the knights cross, or, when the second skipper took over.

I take it back... the polar bear was NOT when it was sunk in 44, but was from a British report after the sinking of the steamer Michael E. on June 2nd, 1941! I honestly dont know what the crew wore as their tradition pin, if they wore any at all. I did a quick look through my photos and books, as well as the members section of uboat.net, and cant find any pictures of the crew wearing a pin, or even a picture of either the shield or the polar bear on the conning tower! I will keep digging around though... maybe I will come up with something.

Hogel shows these two images for U108. At time time of her sinking, the boat was using the polar bear on her conning tower. - Aldwyn

That's a rare find... good luck! There IS one at emedals, but it has a broken clasp. http://emedals.ca/catalog.asp?item=GRN156

Dark ship... gilt wreath... cut-out lower gun barrel... I am pretty sure it's a Foerster and Barth. The bubbling on the back may be due to F&B painting the back of the badge silver, rather then leaving the raw metal. With age, I suppose the paint is bubbling? Donno about that, honestly... makes me a little suspicious. There isn't an L/21 stamped on the bottom of the badge below the pin?

Hi, Jan. Do you have any info at all on this flotilla? I have never heard of it before, and checking all of my texts, and online resources, no one mentions at 17th at all. Thanks! Aldwyn