Martin W

2 - WW2 medals had to be applied for, so perhaps application was never made, through oversight or deliberate inaction (not everyone could be bothered or even wanted them). In which case, NOK can apply for it.

Hi Jesse,

i agree with Gordon.Not a bad looking attempt from the obverse view,but the reverse is the giveaway,as explained by Gordon.

Regards,Martin.

This is a recent arrival.This HK document is from the "Stier" and signed by the Commander Horst Gerlach.

I guess i am getting kinda "hooked" on these HK documents.I think it would be great to have one award document from all of the nine main ships?

Regards,Martin.

It is indeed a repro Kev,and a very bad one too.

The reverse hardware is incorrect and notice how poor the detail is compared to the original that Gordon posted above.

Regards,Martin.

The full size badge is not an original Schwerin.There are many thing wrong,but the maker mark is the giveaway.I do not like the look of the mini either.

Regards,Martin.

Does anybody have an opinion on the maker of this badge? Reverse shot not possible as it is sewn onto a leather jacket. John

John,

i have seen this type of badge before,with the large head on the eagle.I beleive it is an original zinc award but the maker iis unknown to me?

Regards,Martin.

For the reasons poined out above by Gordon,i am not too keen on this one myself.

From the obverse view,i do not recall seeing a tombak Schwerin with a "silvered" anchor?

Also,most tombak Schwerin badges i have looked at have seven distinct portholes in the second row from the bottom.I only count six here.

It would be nice a sharper image of the reverse though.

Regards,Martin.

Hi Justin,

it makes perfect sense and a very good question.

if you notice in the photo's posted above you can see that the EK1 takes precidence over all of the other awards.

How the recipients decided to display their other awards seems to vary from each individual.

I have seen awards worn above each other and side by side?

I am not sure what the regulations dictate,but something worth looking into now.

It could also be just a personal preference on behalf of the recipients?

I think that combat awards,according to regulations were worn above Sports badges,etc.

However,i have photo's with individuals wearing their wound badges above and below their combat awards?

Regards,Martin,

Here's a nice group portrait with several awards shown -

Flak Badge, U-Boat, Minesweeper, Para, Ground Combat, Wound Badge - and Golden HJ Badge.

Gordon,

i really like the photo's that show multiple awards,quite a collection on your photo.

Here is one of my favorites.

Regards,Martin.

Am I seeing that correctly? Is that a photo of an Army guy wearing a KM Blockade Breaker badge?

What would be the story behind that?

Best regards,

---Norm

Not that unusual Norm,

here is one that i have showing the BB award on a Heer uniform.

Gordon pointed out to me when i posted this photo that he was probably a member of the Merchant Navy when the badge was awarded and then later drafted into the Heer when they needed more "manpower".

BTW,Ulsterman,great photo.

Regards,Martin.

Great looking Blockade Breaker plaque Richard.

First one i have ever seen.It seems that these plaques were produced by all branches of the Kriegsmarine?

Now here is one i would like have in my collection.

Regards,Martin.

Interesting items Erik and i would imagine very rare.

I would also presume that they were produced in small numbers and not mass produced?

Regards,Martin.

There is something wrong here! The medal index card seems to indicate that he went to France on 16 August 1914 with 20th Brigade, RFA but 20th Brigade, RFA was in India at that time and came back to England and joined the 27th Division at Winchester on 19 November 1914. It went to France in December 1914, too late to qualify for the 1914-15 Star. I have looked at his Medal Index Card on Ancestry and at the highest magnification there appears to be an upward moving line on the left side of the zero that could well be forming a six rather than a zero, and thus I think he went to France with 26th Brigade, RFA in the 1st Division, rather than 20th Brigade in the 27th Division. Gunner 1

Gunner,

you may well be correct here.All i know is that he was there.Sometime during the Mons conflict his horses head was taken off by an artillery shell.The horse collapsed,naturally,and grandads leg was broken in two places.

Regards,Martin.

These may be completely the wrong people - 1901 Census - is this him?

Name: James Westley

Age: 4

Estimated birth year: abt 1897

Relation: Son

Mother's Name: Martha M

Gender: Male

Where born: Aldershot, Hampshire, England

Civil parish: Aldershot

Ecclesiastical parish: St Michael

Town: Aldershot

County/Island: Hampshire

Country: England

Registration district: Farnham

Sub-registration district: Aldershot

Address No. 2 Redan(?) Gardens

Household Members: Name Age

Martha M Westley 34 (Widow)

Frederick T Westley 14

Stephen Westley 11

Arthur Westley 9

James Westley 4

No trades listed for the children.

Martha M Westley Head aged 34 born abt 1867 Female born Staffordshire England

Frederick T Westley Son 14 abt 1887 Male Aldershot Hampshire England

Add Update 5 Stephen Westley Son 11 abt 1890 Male Aldershot Hampshire England

Add Update 5 Arthur Westley Son 9 abt 1892 Male Aldershot Hampshire England

Add Update 5 James Westley Son 4 abt 1897 Male Aldershot Hampshire

Leigh,

this has to be the one.

I do have a great uncle Steve,(Black Watch}.

Also a great uncle Arthur,(RA).

From what i recall,Steve ended up as a high ranking officer in the Black Watch.

Great uncle Arthur,moved to Canada after WW1 and was an instructor at the Royal Canadian Military Academy,in Ottowa,i think.

Regards,Martin.

Thanks Tony,

just had a quick word with dad who recalled that grandad was born in Aldershot,probably 1898?

He went to the "Duke of York School"

He did say that grandad was 16 years and two days old when he arrived in France in 1914.

Regards,Martin.

Leigh,

thank you so much for the improved image.I really appreciate that you took the time to do this.

I will send a copy to dad.I will try to find out exactly how old my grandfather was in August 1914.

Probably just a kid,maybe 15-16?

Thanks and regards,Martin.

A close second is this very rare portrait that shows the "cloth" Destroyer badge in wear.

Regards,Martin.

Besides collecting HSK awards i do collect photographs of KM awards in wear.This one is a new arrival and has become my favorite portrait.A great studio shot of Ernst Schwabe who was a crewman on the HSK "Stier".

Just a great portrait,IMO,and yes,he is wearing the HSK award.

So,please show your favorite portraits that show KM awards in wear.

Regards,Martin.

Nice!

About 10 years ago i had a pile of original newsletters that were printed onboard one of the HKs above... cannot remember which one unfortunately...

Too bad Chris,

a pity you still do not have them.

Regards,Martin.

Hi Darrel,

yes,the book was made for general publication.Only a few hundred were printed for,as i mentioned,crewmen and their families.I beleive a crewman named Adolf Schmidt was the driving force behind it's publication.He also started the Komet Crew Association.

I will post more images of it's content later.

Here is the cover of the Atlantis book,a similar theme.The great thing about the original run on the Atlantis book is that it contains a complete crewlist in the reverse.Only 400 were originally printed.

When the Atlantis book was later reprinted for the public,the crewlist was ommited.

This one i have contains the crewlist.

Regards,Martin.

Komet P.3

Komet P.2

Komet P.1

I was lucky enough to pick up this very rare book yesterday.It is basically a photo essay of the cruise of the HSK Komet.It is nicely printed and contains dozens of images of the voyage.

It is a lot more scarce than the Atlanis book and did not go into printing for the public,as the Atlantis book did,later.

It was specifically printed for crewmember and their families.

I know of only three other other of these books in collections.

Regards,Martin.

What really interests me about this badge is the reverse.The hinge block has been "cut" short on the left side.This is a feature i have never seen on a Schwerin badge before,and the hinge block appears to be of standard Schwerin stock.

So,a first for me.Nevertheless an original badge,IMO.

Has anyone noticed this type of "cut" on other Schwerin badges?

Regards,Martin.