ostprussenmann_new

First off, nice ribbon bar. This guys was most likely an officer, WW2 and Korean Veteran. Silver Stars are pretty easy to track down because they are all recorded, however, without a name, you may have a tough time. To answer your questions 1) Oakleaf on the NSDM: Means a second award, however, this owner did not know the regulations because the NDSM normally has a Bronze Service star on it. 2) The Korean Service medal seems to have one Silver Campaign star and one Bronze and does the EMEACM (has one Bronze Star) This means that this person qualified for 6 battle campaigns during the Korean Conflict. My Grandpa has 4x Bronze Campaign Stars on his. 3) The last ribbon is the UN Medal for Korea. Hope this helps.

Is it just me or do the Bronze IABs look better than the Silver ones. Very nice Stew

Huck, thanks for the reply. I will pass this to my friend.

Recently my friend acquired a GJR 137 Waffenrock for Adolf Frank (name in tunic). We are trying to find out if this officer was awarded any medals or badges either from WW1 or WW2. This is what we have found so far: ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED!!! This website lists all the key leaders for GJR 137 in early 1939, and confirms that Hauptmann Dr. Frank was the Kompanie Chef for 2nd CO / I. Battalion / GJR 137 http://gliederungundstellenbesetzung.blogspot.com/2008/07/gebirgsjger-regiment-137-gebjgrgt137-d.html However I hit the jackpot with this research from the Axis History Forum. This guy in Austria compiled a master list of all the Austrian officers from the Bundesheer who transferred into the Wehrmacht in 1938. http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=208886 After looking through all of his spreadsheets I found a Dr. Adolf Frank who must be the same guy. According to the spreadsheet, Dr. Adolf Frank lived from 14 June 1901 - 12 September 1939. His date of ranks are: Oberleutnant on 1 September 1934 (Austrian Bundesheer), Hauptmann on 1 April 1937 (Austrian Bundesheer), and Major on 1 January 1939 (German Wehrmacht). Last known assignment was GJR 137. Former unit in the Austrian Bundesheer was AJR 10. This article on Feldgrau.com lists what Austrian units were incorporated into the Wehrmacht in 1938. http://www.feldgrau.com/articles.php?ID=7 According to this website, in 1938 the Steiermarkischen Alpenjäger-Regiment 10 "Feldmarschall Conrad von Hötzendorf" (5th Austrian Division) re-flagged to become III./GJR 138 This is from his email: "So what I learned from all this is that Dr. Adolf Frank was an Austrian officer from at least 1934-1938, in 1938 his unit (AJR 10 5th Austrian Division) transferred to III./GJR 138, and then shortly thereafter (late 1938/early 1939) he transferred to 2./I./GJR 137 as Company Commander. Then apparently he died in the Polish campaign after only two weeks of war??? What doesn't make sense is that according to the spreadsheet he promoted to Major in January 1939, however according to other sources he was still Kompanie Chef in early 1939. In addition the tailor label in the Waffenrock says it's from 1939 and the rank on the shoulders is still Hauptmann. I wonder if he was still a Company Commander when the Polish campaign kicked off.....or maybe he promoted to Major and got bumped up to a staff position? If he was really born in 1901 then he was a fairly old Company Commander (38 years old). This means he would have been only 17 when WW1 ended, so I wonder if he would have been too young to participate in that war? Was the Austro-Hungarian Empire drafting 17 year-olds in 1918? That sucks if he died in the second week of the Polish campaign. I looked up the history of the 2nd Mountain Division in the 1939 Polish Campaign in Kaltenegger's history of the Gebirgsjager and it seems that 2nd GJ DIV and 1st GJ DIV both jumped off from Slovakia and marched nearly 300km to capture Lemberg in far southeastern Poland (modern-day Ukraine). I understand that 1st GJ DIV took a lot of casualties capturing Lemberg, and apparently GJR 137 was re-assigned to 1st GJ DIV during this operation. However the battle for Lemberg occurred at least a week after this officer died (supposedly 12 September 1939). At any rate they lost a ton of guys fighting for Lemberg, and then had to hand it over to the Red Army as per the secret diplomatic agreement with the Soviets. Now I just need to figure out what awards were appropriate for an Austrian officer in peacetime (1934-1938), and if this guy served in WW1 as a young teenager. Also if he died in the Polish campaign then maybe there is a record somewhere of the casualty lists by unit, and maybe awards he might have received. Would it have been standard practice if you are an infantrymen who dies in active combat that you receive the Infantry Assault and Wound Badge posthumously? (and maybe EKII if you are a combat leader like a company commander?)" Thanks.

That looks pretty sharp Andreas. I am so confused on the many different placements of these badges. Was there a regulation on placement of these?

Andreas, Thanks. BTW are you going to the MAX show this year and are you setting up a table?

Go to Medals of America Website and go to "Rack Builder" and you can see the authorized order of precedence.

Andreas, That is exactly what I was looking for and thank you for posting. I find it interesting that I have seen some photos of these "trade badges" on either arm lower and upper sleeves. A collector friend of my mine stated that he believed they were supposed to be posted on the upper Right sleeve, however I saw some on the lower sleeves. So I figured that I would get a correct answer (with examples) on here. Was there an actual regulation for this? The photo that you so kindly shared is for an infantry radio operator correct?

Pretty neat. I have always wanted to do that.

Lately I have been reading about the special trades (and patches associated with them) for the entire Wehrmacht. I am assuming some of you have some amazing tunics out there that have trade badges on them. What was the regulation of where they were supposed to be located on the sleeve. I have seen some on the lower Right, lower left, and upper right on the sleeves. I am a little confuse with their placement. I thought that all trade insignia were located on the lower left of the sleeve on tunics and waffenrocks. if you have one of these tunics I would love to see it. Thanks for taking the time to read my topic. I am looking forward to a great conversation.

That is quite a set up. Did you build the wood shelves? There are some hidden gems in there. If I didn't have three young ones taking up the basement as a Play one, I would do my display a little different thank I have. I have a multiple leveled bookshelf that takes up the entire small wall of our basement. The top shelves contain my collection by period and service and the bottom shelves are my books. My three tunics that I have are on heavy duty hangers on the wall where the kids can't grab (even though they never mess with my stuff) until I buy me three torsos. Eventually, when I retire from and we build our permanent home, I am going to store all of my stuff in a Fire Room in case our house ever burns down. I want to Red Light also. Hopefully my collection continues to grow. All of my hobbies (Militaria related to Family and guns (working) are expensive so it happens a little at a time. This has turned out to be a great conversation.

Stuka, I looked at your book. That is a pretty amazing collection. I assume that you Metal Detect and found a lot of that stuff. I really liked the Suit of Armor (pp 2-3), the display (pp 28-29), Compass (pp 40-41), the Pike (pp 56-57), and your edged weapons. Quite amazing. Thanks for sharing.

No, Jock, I sold it as an "unknown tab" with the possibility of it being SS/SD. I made that very clear in the item description on the auction sight. When the guy originally emailed me afterwards, I told him that at the time I did not have a clue what it was, but it was original and he bought under that accord. I am sure that he thought it was SD or something, but after the conversation on here, I told what I found out so he can do what he wants with it. I am just glad that I made money off of it is what I was saying because I had no use for it. It came in a lot that I bought at an estate auction in the US that bidded on. I use the stuff from large lots that I buy at auctions to fund my personal collecting. Why would I post something on here to brag that I intentionally ripped someone off? I posted it in order to get validation for the buyer. The community of militaria collecting is too small and there are too many jerks already out there selling fakes and crap of the sort and I am not one of them. And why after finding out the true nature of the tab, would I get back in contact with the man who bought it if I was trying to rip him off? I appreciate your comment and concern, but please don't accuse me of something that I did not do.

What is the background on it? Looks to be a Badener.

That is quite a unique ensemble. Congrats.

I completely understand that and respect you for it. Most of my collection have come from family members or relate to Family members units. This is my first and last SS item unless she sends me more. I am still trying to find a Waffenrock or Combat tunic for Pioneer Battalion NR. 22 (Part of the 22d Infanterie Division) because my great grandpa's youngest brother was in that. After that, I am most likely done with TRM. I barely can afford the stuff. This recent tunic restoration was the most money that I have dropped on something since 2010. Another Nice to have thing would be to have an Algerian French Foreign Legion Uniform (always had a thing for the FFL). I haven't bought anything new in years. When you have kids, they become the priority. What do you collect and what is your rarest item? I would love to hear about what you have.

I doubt it is something that extreme. Hell...it could just be junk. Even his issued items would be great. This is probably the climax of the find. The original "stripped" (minus Cuff Title and rank tab) tunic was found in a box in the closet along with some patches and stuff. It was being used as padding for some old Coo-Koo clocks and pocket watches brought back from Germany. Glad that she pulled if out instead of just throwing the box away.

Spasm, I am hoping she finds that German pistol and some other goodies. I also told her to not dismiss any paperwork in order to prove providence for everything. I still can't believe she was going to throw it all away. As I get more stuff in, I will post pictures. Thanks for your interest.

Can you believe Stuka that she called me and asked if I wanted it because she was going to throw all of the German stuff away? She is 60 and just wanted to hold onto her Dad's stuff (the US stuff). When I get all of the stuff that she is sending I will post more photos. I also got a EM SS Buckle and some other smaller things in the last package, so once I get my mannequin (upper torso) I am going to place the SS tunic on that. She told me that there are two more Cedar Chests in the attic that her father always told her and her siblings to never open, so I am thinking there may be some more treasures waiting to be discovered. Things that I have seen before that I know she has are a SS Dagger, HJ Knife, Sword (unknown), and another edged weapon. She does remember as a kid that he also used to shoot a German handgun (unknown what it was) that he used to shoot with my Grandpa and his brother along with his brothers so I am waiting for her to find that. It is definitely nice that she is giving me all of it. Before her dad got hurt during Market Garden (he was in gliders), he was in the 101st ABN Division then finally ended in 100th (Light Infantry) so I am hoping that he kept his uniforms because I would like to have those also. You live in Europe so I am sure something will pop up. It seems to always do.

Love the Panzer Uniform Bob. Lucky man.

Awesome find. Even better than mine!

Given to members of the LW HG Division authorized by HG himself.

Stuka thanks man. This and some of my Baden WW1 stuff are prized pieces in my collection. I really need to get my tunic onto a Male Torso Mannequin and put a SS M43 or Overseas hat with it along with my SS Belt. Not too bad for something from a family member.

Hello About two months ago, my second Cousin sent me some of her father's stuff that he brought back during the War. (There are photos of him on here in the family photo section.)Inside one package was a a Obershutze GvB tunic that. Family story was he gave the German POW food for it after he was captured during Operation Nordwind. I have her looking for the Bringback Certificate now. When I got it, the collar tabs and sleeve eagle were missing. I had the tunic verified as original by some US Waffen SS Collectors whose names all well known in the community. It is a definitely combat worn. I had the pocket resewn (was torn) the collar tabs and sleeve eagle resewn to complete the tunic (professional restorer who does stuff for the Ruptured Duck). I am quite happy with everything since it will most likely be the only WSS tunic that I will ever own. It was really neat that that this was found in my Great Uncle's attic after all of these years. I am working on getting some more stuff in the mail. I hope that all of you enjoy the pictures. BTW. The Badge locations on the pocket are exactly where the Soldier had them pinned through the pocket so yes they are that close.

Nice group. What do you know about him. I see a German Wound Badge in Gold. Did a wound disfigure him and he was let go of service? Would love to hear the story about it. Thanks for sharing.