ehrentitle

Very nice indeed!

Jock, I think that you made a good choice in getting this VOPO career group, especially if it is prison related. It's interesting to see someones entire career and promotions (or in some cases lack their of) in these award documents.

Much appreciated on the POGS. I collect AAFES, EFI and all of those other strange POGs that have come out of Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. All because I was out on a walk at lunch 5 years ago and found one on the ground and became interested in collecting them as a result.

Kevin

A nice grouping. I believe "SV" on the documents indicates that he was a member of the Deutsche Volkspolizei (VOPO) Prison Service or Strafvollzugsdienstes. Which would mean they are much rarer than your run of the mill VOPO documents.

No problem. I find the WWII Paratrooper aspect to be very interesting It looks like he worked over 40 years in the coal industry. So he may have been a coal worker before he entered the German armed forces in WWII? Here is more information in German on the Medaille für Verdienste in der Energiewirtschaft der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medaille_f%C3%BCr_Verdienste_in_der_Energiewirtschaft_der_Deutschen_Demokratischen_Republik

Most of the medals are Ministry of the Interior service medals, along with a lone Civil Defense medal. So it could have been someone who had a career in the police, fire and/or civil defense.

There is a great book that covers the early days of the West German and East German Navies and the mine sweeping mission mentioned above. It's titled, The Three German Navies: Dissolution, Transition, and New Beginnings, 1945-1960, written by Douglas C. Peifer. It's also been translated and published in Germany by Winkler Verlag as Drei Deutsche Marinen. Auflösung, Übergänge Und Neuanfänge.

The badge is the abzeichen for Seefahrendes Personal worn by the Deutsche Marine.

Someone who was an early member of the Kaserne Volkspolizei and the Volksarmee who retired and later joined the Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse.

Joerg,Thanks for posting these great photos! Kevin

That would be great! Would it also be possible for you to post them on our NVA Fallschirmjäger / Paratrooper Facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/NVA-Fallschirmj%C3%A4ger-Paratrooper/120662464701769

I also have a group photo somewhere at home of NVA Para inside a large natural cave or cavern, would that have been taken on one of these training exercises?

Joerg, Good to see you posting here again. That's a great photo of NVA Paratroopers rock climbing, is one of them you? I've seen a lot of photos over the years of NVA Paras climbing and rapelling in the mountains, but didn't really know the locations that they trained in. Thanks. Kevin

Thanks Paul.

I've started an East German Navy (Volksmarine) Collectors Page on Facebook. It's a community and a resource for collectors of all things NVA Volksmarine related including uniforms, medals, insignia, ect. Information about this very small sea service is hard to find so I thought why not bring collectors together that have a mutual interest in this area.

http://www.facebook....239030712885695

Kevin

Ralph's recently written an excellent article in the Summer 2012 edition of the International Medal Collector Magazine on the Verdienstmedaille der Nationalen Volksarmee – Awarded to the Members of the MfS (Stasi). He has posted it on his blog at: http://stasidecorati...ers-of-the-mfs/

Since my expertise is NVA Paratroopers I can only speak of them. The 40. Fallschirmjägerbataillon Willi Sänger conducted extensive military mountaining training including rock climbing and military repelling.

It looks like I bollixed up the title of this post. Would appreciate if an admin would fix it to read:

Facebook East German Collectors and NVA Fallschirmjäger / Paratrooper Pages

Since some folks here may not know about them it is time for another shameless plug for the East German Collectors and NVA Fallschirmjäger / Paratrooper Facebook pages. A few years ago I put together a FB page for East German collectors and last year I created a page for NVA Fallschirmjäger / Paratrooper collectors. They are:

East German Collectors

http://www.facebook.com/EastGermanCollect

NVA Fallschirmjäger / Paratrooper

http://www.facebook.com/pages/NVA-Fallschirmj%C3%A4ger-Paratrooper/120662464701769

There is some great new content on both pages, to incude a new album of Armeerundschau covers from 1988-90 and the short lived Bundeswehrkommando Ost (BwKdo Ost) patch, both on on the East German Collector's Page.

Kevin

I thought I'd bring this thread back to life since it's been a few months and we may have some new members who are not aware of Ralph's excellent book, "STASI Decorations and Memorabilia Vol II" which was published in January. For anyone who collects or is thinking about collecting East German Stasi items this is a must have book written by the expert in the field. For more see Ralph's blog at: http://stasidecorations.wordpress.com

The books have arrived and Ralph is shipping them out to those who have pre-ordered.

A quick update. Ralph e-mailed me says the books have cleared customs and should be in his hands in a few days. He is still offering pre-orders of Stasi Decorations and Memorabilia Vol II until 12 Feburary 2012 which will save you about $10:

http://stasidecorations.wordpress.com/buy-volume-ii/

Not to worry, it's still an original badge, even if the wings have been clipped a bit.

Ralph just updated his blog and added a buy Vol II page at: http://stasidecorations.wordpress.com/buy-volume-ii

For those folks who do not have Vol I he is offering a bundle deal for Vol I & II together at a reduced price.

He is only printing 750 copies of Vol II, all of which will numbered on the title page. So those that want a low numbered book should consider pre-ordering.

I don't know if it's been mentioned on this forum before but renowned Stasi collector Ralph Pickard published a book at the end of 2007 called Stasi Decorations and Memorabilia; A Collector's Guide. What an outstanding book, I got it in December and am still going though it, there is just to much rich detail to absorb at once. Here is the text from his ad in the February 2008 Military Trader for those who might not be familar with the book:

New book now available about the DDR Ministry for State Security (MfS) awards and documents. This book is essential to East German collectors, researchers, historians or anyone interested in the first book that describes the awards and other unique items worn and carried by members of the STASI organization. This book illustrates in detail some of the DDRs most interesting medals and in particular the award documents presented ot the STASI members during the mid 1950s through the end of the 1980s.

This hard cover 260 page book with dust jacket, has over 400 color photographs including time-line charts relating to the DDR award documents.

To order go to: Frontline Historical

Reviews

__________________

Kevin

Volume II has been published and should be available by the end of December. It's larger and more comprehensive than Vol I and covers a wide range of Stasi topics including insignia, rank, uniforms, promotions, general officers, pay, the Wachregiment „Feliks Dzierzynski“, the Dynamo sports organization, an update on medals and decorations and much more. Ralph has set up a blog the provides more information on the book, it is at:

http://stasidecorations.wordpress.com/