Martin W

A gem indeed Gordon. As we can see the guilding has faded,but it is all there.The reverse view looks oustanding.Probably the finest looking RS&S zincer i have seen. Great looking images you have provided here,BTW. Regards,Martin.

Beautiful badge Gordon,as you say they do not come much better.The finish on the globe is outstanding,and the "blackened" mainpin looks untouched. Thank you for showing this example. I wonder if this "blue box" award was a retail piece? I say this because as far as i know all "officialy" awarded examples came in a light brown cardboard box,at least to the crewmembers of the ATLANTIS. Regards,Martin.

Great grouping from a Komet crewman and i really like that postwar plaque,excellent.It not only includes the names of the other HK's but also the names of the ships that the Komet sank or captured. After going through the many files i have on the Komet,including the ships log and "tons" of postwar Kameradschaft documents,i noticed that Theodor Eisenhuth's name came up quite often. One document mentions that he was born in 1920 and i found this 1998 Kameradschaft document that shows his age as 78. it is nice to be able to put a face behind the name of the crewman,i think. I wonder if he is still alive? Regards,Martin.

Typical flat wire stock on the HK award Norm. Although,as i mentioned at GCA there are slight variations in the thickness and width of the flatwire stock that can be seen on these HK awards. Regards,Martin.

Thanks for posting the close up images Jan Arne. It is a very similar hinge block as seen here on one of my S&L attributed Hilfskreuzer badges. As i mentioned above the hinge on the HK is "laid down",whereas the hinge on your HSF badge is mounted "upright". Regards,Martin.

Norm, this is why i asked for a close up of the hinge. On my HK award the hinge is "laid down" on this badge that Jan Arne has posted i think this may be the same type of hinge but mounted in an "upright" position. It is definately not the same type of hinge that is on the HK that i just posted at GCA. Regards,Martin.

Hi Jan Arne, i agree with Norm,a probable S&L Piece. Can you provide close up shots of the hinge and catch? Regards,Martin.

Thanks for the replies gents. Dan, the wound badge is not cut out.I have posted a detail image below. Norm, i had fun printing these old glass neg's.I had not been in the darkroom for some months,so it was fun to get in there and "splash around in chemicals" for a while. I think i mentioned to you that i was in the photo buisness for over 35 years.I got out when everything went digital. I guess i was "old school". Large format B&W photography was my love and guys like Adams and Weston were my mentors. Hardy, i really like that photo with the BB badge in wear.Too bad you still do not have it. Regards,Martin.

I managed to pick up a couple of these glass 9x12 cm negatives that came from a studio in Ventspils,Latvia. Here is a nicely detailed print from another negative that shows the HSF badge in wear. Regards,Martin.

The negative of the above print.

Here is another recent addition. It is hard to find just one photo with the 2nd pattern S-Boat badge in wear and here we have five 2nd pattern's in one image. This is not an original print but one i just made in the darkroom from the original glass negative. Regards,Martin.

Hi Joe, here is the photo of Dr Ulrich Mohr,the man responsible for the compilation of the Atlantis book. As you know he was the Ship's Adjutant on the Atlantis. You told me that signed photo's of Mohr are very rare and that he was a very reluctant to sign anything after the war. This reluctance can be seen in his accompanying letter that came with the signed photo. Regards,Martin.

Or perhaps a Hilfskreuzer??? I would certainly like to purchase one of the U-Boats though. Cheers,Martin.

It looks to be a good tombak half-size miniature by Schwerin. As Gordon mentioned these are quite scarce with the maker mark. Regards,Martin.

I can't wait for this one Gordon. I know you put a lot of time and effort into this project. I would suggest that if anyone is interested in a copy of this book then go to Bender's website in the next few weeks for updates on release and eventually,prices? www.bender-publishing,com Regards,Martin.

Here in the US i would expect to see HK awards in this condition to sell for at least $1000.-$1200. Regards,Martin.

Hi William, from what we know Beco (Boerger & Co,L/57 of Berlin) produced the U-Boat,Destroyer amd Minesweeper KM awards,all in tombak. Examples of these awards can be seen in the KM database at GCA. Regards,Martin.

Hi Gordon, well,i do not think i am cornering the market but i am on the way to acheive my goal of obtaining at least one document from the nine ships. So far i have doc's from the Kormoran,Stier,Orion,Michel and Thor. None of these HK documents are easy to obtain,but i am a patient person and i hope that eventually i can get the doc's from the Atlantis,Komet,Pinguin and Widder. I think that the Kormoran document is probably one of the hardest to obtain as all of her 320 survivors were interned as POW's in Australia. Documents from the Pinguin and the 2nd Michel cruise will also be tough to get,i think,as most of the awards were posthumus? Joe, As always i will look forward to you input. Regards.Martin.

This one just arrived Erik.It is for a crewman on the MICHEL's 1st cruise. The MICHEL docked at Kobe,Japan on March 2nd 1943. From what i understand her Commander,Hellmuth von Ruckteschell fell ill and was hospitalized in Tokyo? Most of the 1st MICHEL award documents i have seen are signed by a F.Kapt Dr Karl Bohme of the Heimatstab Ausland on behalf of Ruckteschell. This one is signed on March 26 1943. Regards,Martin.

Intersting photo of the Thor crewmen wearing Kimono's.A few Japanese girls can be sen in the photo also. Regards,Martin.

I think if i ever got down to writing a book it would be on Hilfskreuzer awards. Perhaps not my place to say,but i think Joe already has an idea for another HK book,and it is not the THOR. Anyway here are a couple of more photo's from Japan. The writing on the reverse of this image says,"Internierungslagen der Kriegsmarine,Ashinoyu-Japan"

Hi Eric, i can only agree with Gordon's comments above. This badge is a definate fake. Regards,Martin.

This second photo was taken,i beleive on the shore of Lake Ashi,which according to Google diplays spectacular views of Mt Fuji,which can be seen in the background.The Hakone Hotel on Lake Ashi was established in 1926,so i am sure this the Hotel that housed the crewmen of the Thor? Regards,Martin.

Now that we no longer have a KM photo forum i was not sure where to post these images,so i thought i would post them here. These are pic's i have just obtained that show the crewmen of the Hilfskreuzer Thor in Japan. This first photo was taken outside of the Hakone Hotel on the shore of Lake Ashi,where i beleive they were billeted. Regards,Martin.

Kuhn was known as a hard but fair instructor with a lot of knowledge and well respected by his students. The dedication in the front of the book is written to "Papa Kuhn" from his "gangser" crew. Regards,Martin.