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Cabbell2207 - Looks like Uwe and I have taken over your thread.

Uwe - Nice set of pilots hangers, I have all but the Red 4500, 5000 and the Blue 13,000 & 14,000. Unfortunately mine are a mix of the hangers for the new and old pilots badges.

Uwe - Is it in your collection? Kevin

Is there any way to tell Prawema from original issue medals and badges?

Cabbell2207 - Prawema was the maker of all NVA badges. They kept on producing badges after unification to keep their workforce employed. I've been told they were still selling badges as late as 1993. They also made restrikes of a number of older rarer badges. In the case of the late issue badges like the Master Pilot the badges produced during DDR time and after are nearly identical. Kevin

It's true that the around 200 Meisterklasse Pilot's badges that were issued didn't have hangers. However, this badge came out very late, in 1988, close to German Unification. So it's entirely possible that Prawema produced a number of these with hangers just before or after Unification (Wende).

It's a good collection of badges and medals. The older Engels Academy badge is getting harder to find and more expensive. The Meister Pilot's badge is especially hard to find. There were a couple on US e-bay recently that were "buy it now" for $35 each.

It looks like Ralph Pickard, author of Stasi Decorations and Memorabilia: A Collector's Guide, has gotten another steller review on his book. This time from the prestigious Writer's Digest 16th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards. Ralph congrats! To see the review go to: http://www.frontlinehistorical.com/reviews.html

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

One other area on para collecting that is not purely military are collecting the sport parachute badges of the Flug und Fallschirmsportverband der DDR (FFSV) which in English would be something like the Federation for Aerial and Parachute Sports. These sports parachute badges are often mistakenly described as freefall parachute badges. Below is my collection of these badges which is close to completion.

The badges in the top row were issued from 1982-1990 with the exception of the bronze level badge with white between the parachute lines, this was only issued 1980-81. The badges in the second row were issued 1957-1979. The bottom row are earlier versions of that badge without provision for numbered hangers. I've never actually seen hangers for these badges so my assumption are that they are quite rare.

Kevin,

A practice I often follow myself. If you are ever badging up a DDR General's tunic you could save yourself a lot of money moveing some of the items on this tunic to it. The Voroshilov Akademy badge is hard to find and not cheap to buy.

Regards,

Gordon

Gordon, Thanks. Unfortunately I don't have any General Officer tunics, just the rain pattern generals camo uniform.

Gordon - Thanks for your comments. This is the way the uniform came to me when I purchased it a couple of years ago. Rather than change it I decided to keep it the way it is.

Here are a couple of quick shots of mine. Not the best photos but you get the idea. Soviet Academy badge, para wing with 700 jump hanger, and ribbon bar with appropriate length of service ribbons. Kevin

Sorry to take so long... I sorta lost track of time. Here is the orange beret. This was for a male officer of the paratroopers, right? I have it with my Airborne Officer's tunic.

Yes it's the real deal.

Please do post them!

Paul, See attached scan. These shoulder boards are always hard to photograph or scan as the hunter green always looks black. I'm not sure the Medical insignia has been applied properly as I've seen some examples with the top rank pip centered above the Cadesus. Kevin

It reminds me of the displays in the Zeitgeschichtliches Forum Leipzig. Is this a private collection or photos from a museum in Germany? Kevin

Anyone else have any Medical DDR tunics?

Paul - I have a pair of Rear Services Colonel shoulder boards with the medical device, but no tunics.

Here is one reference in English:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medal_For_Fai...%E2%80%99s_Army

Uwe

I put this Wikipedia page together in 2007 when I had simular questions to Dan's It's based on all of the reference material I had available at the time. To see more on the Medal For Faithful Service in the National People?s Army go to this thread I started on the WAF forum which shows several examples of medals in my possession:

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/sho...ad.php?t=260430

Kevin

Cartoonman - Received your PM, but was unable to respond because your mailbox is full. TR is Third Reich. USMLM is the US Military Liaison Mission to Potsdam, they were "legal spies" in East Germany authorized under the Potsdam Agreement at the end of WWII. The French and British had simular missions as did the Soviets in West Germany. Your description of dodging the VOPO and Volksarmee gave me the impression that you may had been a member of USMLM. Kevin

Actually there has been an increased interest in DDR uniforms in the last 3-4 years. Yes, some are looking to convert them to TR uniforms for various reasons, but there is a growing group of collectors specializing in DDR militaria. Part of the reason is it's a great area for a beginning collector to start in without having to invest large amounts of cash nor worry as much about fake items. Granted most of the common run of the mill DDR uniforms are plentiful but higher ranks and some specialized units are getting harder to find and more expensive.

Paul it's sad that you are parting with so many uniforms, and I wish you the best of luck on your E-bay auctions. I think you may do better than you think on many of your items. For those interested in taking a peek at Paul's auctions here is the link: http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/paulmedic6644

Cartoonman you might want to hang on to your DDR belt it might be worth something some day. But if you want to part with any USMLM patches or insignia keep me in mind.

Kevin

A few folks e-mailed me about buying this Wound Badge. I've listed it today on US E-Bay. For those who might be interested in it search on: German World War I 1918 Black Wound Badge.

Joe, Thanks much! It's in such good condition, it looks like it was made yesterday. Kevin

BTT

I received a Black 1918 Wound Badge as a part of a estate lot of US Military Insignia last week. Other than East German insignia my knowledge in limited on German insignia for other eras. I'm curious to know if it is an original or reproduction as it looks almost pristine. And if it has any value. Your comments would be most appreciated. Kevin

hmfgreifswald - Very nice. These academy badges are particularly hard to find. I still don't have them. Kevin

Graduate of the military academy Friedrich Engels since 1987 painted

Grant - Very nice. These Friedrich Engels badges are somewhat harder to get than the standard academy badges.

hmfgreifswald - Very nice and very interesting, I have not seen any of these veterans badges before and have been collecting NVA for a number of years. Kevin

I believe I figured out where it came from. Here is a display of state flags at the entrance of the Clay Building, (From: http://www.berlin-brigade.de/us-ins/us-ein1.html) HQ for the Berlin Brigade and right next door to the building I worked in. The finials all look simular to the one I have. Maybe recycled from an earlier period in German history?