Ravenft

47 minutes ago, Schießplatzmeister said:

Hello again Rav,

Thank you for sharing the scans of the photo with us.  I cannot tell what is on his epaulettes, so no help there.  I too think that he is a Württemberger.  It also stands to reason that the second ribbon would represent a Württemberg bravery medal.  I also agree that the third place ribbon looks like a Bavarian MVK ribbon with a swords device.  The last ribbon could be for a Württemberg long service award.  It is difficult to be certain.

Congratulations regarding having this nice photo in your collection (I am a bit partial to collecting photos myself).

Best regards, 

Thanks again for your help! I am very happy with this photo. I also have a photo of him from before the war. His mustache is one of the best I've seen!

3 hours ago, Schießplatzmeister said:

Hello Rav,

There are many possibilities regarding the awards represented by the field ribbon bar.  To start however, although I am not a uniform expert, due to the buttons having "crowns", I believe that this NCO is not a Bavarian.  It is a WWI-era uniform.  The first position on the field ribbon bar certainly has the EKII ribbon.  There is definitely not a Hindenburg Cross/Honor Cross ribbon here.  Please scan the entire front and reverse of the photo and share it here.  There may be more clues available (such as headgear, an address on the back, name/address of photographer, etc.).

Best regards,

Thanks for the response! I know what you are saying about the Crowns on the tunic but I believe in 1916 most of the German armies were required to use the Crowns instead of the lions. Having said that, I read that a while back but have no sources to back that up.

Here is the whole photo and the back. Thanks so much for the response.

~Rav

Hello Gents!

The back of the photo is dated 1916. I believe this is a Bavarian bar including EKII, Wurtemburg bravery medal? , Bavarian Military Merit Cross with swords device ?, UNKNOWN (wild guess is Hamburg but I doubt it), and Prussian Red Cross medal?

The last one also looks like an Honor Cross but since the photo was dated 1916 and the uniform looks wartime I suspect it is a ribbon that has similar colors. The name of the soldier is Eckle and after looking up where that name is most common, sources show Wurtemburg which led me to believe the second medal was the bravery medal. Perhaps he was a stretcher bearer?  

Thanks so much,

Rav

Hello again Gents! 
I am having trouble with the first name here. I think the Last name is Eckle? And the first name starts with an H and please correct me if I am wrong but it appears to end with a “u”?

Thanks so much, I’m trying to do these myself but the old script can be a bit challenging.

Wow thank you very much! What a great piece of text! Usually postcards just say “Just writing to say hello and tell mother that I got her package. All is well here. Tell brother I said hi.” 
but this was a nice snapshot of the common dangers and bravery. Thank you gents! 

Hello Gents!

I am hoping I could get some help with this postcard. I know it's a lot but I would appreciate any help even if it is just in German!

Thanks,

Rav

Hey everyone!

I got this case for a WWI medal that has a hinge that might be rusted shut. The previous owner said she broke the lid off when trying to open it after decades in storage. I bought it as is in order to fix it myself.

I’ve tried dabbing it with vinegar on a q-tip to remove some corrosion but to no avail. Having said that, there does t appear to be too much rust on the outside so perhaps it’s more corroded along the pin?

I feel like the next step is to somehow take the hinge off the box and soak it instead but I am worried that it’ll look horrendous after I somehow tack it back on.

Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks so much,

~Ravs

On 03/06/2020 at 16:13, muckaroon1960 said:

Looks good to me and as long as you're happy with it then that's all that matters. Nice job! 

Thanks pal!

I was lucky enough to get a BB&B era Silver Star but it didn't come with a ribbon nor brooch. After over a month of research and finding the right materials I was able to find a period ribbon and a split wrap brooch for the medal. What do you think of the work? I can always redo it.

As a kid my dad and I played Red Baron on the computer and I dreamed of someday just seeing these medals in person. Now I collect them and teach world history to my own kid!  Sorry they aren't arranged in order of precedence.

From Left to Right

Hanseatic Cross - Lubeck       

Hanseatic Cross - Hamburg       

Iron Cross 2nd Class  Marked V

Iron Cross Ribbon with Cross device

Iron Cross 1st Class Marked KO

Black Wound Badge

Bavarian Merit Cross with Swords and Crown marked Weiss & Co

Honor Cross (Hindenburg cross) for Combatants Marked JK

Oldenburg Friedrich August Cross 2nd Class Early Iron Version

In future I hope to get the Hanseatic Bremen Cross, Wurttemburg Bravery Medal, the Bavarian Order of Military Merit Cross and the Order of Hohenzollern Cross. And of course a PLM but that's probably a pipe dream =D 

13 hours ago, Spasm said:

Ravs

Try the Keep Military Museum in Dorchester:

  https://www.keepmilitarymuseum.org/history/first+world+war/the+dorsetshire+regiment

Steve

Thanks I'll give them an email.

5 hours ago, peter monahan said:

Ravs

The only thing I can suggest is checking with the appropriate regimental museum.  After multiple amalgamations since 1958, I think that would be the Rifles Museum.  They may not have the rolls in question [or war diaries] but can perhaps tell you whether or not they still exist and where.  If you are a Facebook user, you might contact Rob Yuill [Major] who was Curator and Director of Regimental Heritage with The Rifles 2013 - 2019.  He is a reenactor, avid historian of the Rifles and all round nice chap who, if he knows, will almost certainly steer you in the right direction.  Good luck!

Peter

Thanks so much Peter! I've reached out to him just now on FB. Lets see what this mystery unfolds....

Hello All,

I have a trio of medals from PTE. William Stoodley #9223 of the 2nd Dorsetshire Regiment. I know that the 2nd Dorsets were captured at Kut on April 29th 1916 and out of 350 only 70 survived captivity. I have been researching Pte. Stoodley and found on three sites that he is listed as a POW but I haven't been able to find a direct source that proves it. I have checked the Weekly Causualty list of returned POWs from 1917-1919, the Red Cross POW lists, and many other places but have not found anything with his name on it.
Does anyone know where I can find something from the War Office or medical records/ military records that directly says he was Captured at Kut? 

Thanks so much,

Ravs

Hi all,

I came across these Belgian Pilots wings from WWI. The funny thing is that I haven't found any photos of them during the First World War. All I found were cloth or bullion badges on the left arm of Belgian pilots during the war. Could this be a commemorative pair of wings like the Zeppelin badges were for Germany after the War?

In any case I really like them and love how the wings are like "chain links" The pattern seems to match the "Bullion" style of the badge.

What do you guys think or know?

Thank you so much for this information. ?

6 hours ago, PATOUT said:

Hi "Ravenft"

For me it is the workshop of: 幣"- Zōheikyoku sei.
Osaka’s mark is simply a "M"
cordially.
But maybe our friend Nick can tell you more.
cordially

Thanks,

Do you happen to know what time period did they manufactured this medal? Thank you for identifying the workshop. Hopefully Nick will add to this too. 

all the best,

Rav

Hi all,

I recent got this Sacred Treasure 6th Class in unbelievable condition. Looking at the makers mark it appears to be Zohei-kyoku (Japan mint) in Osaka,Japan? Is that the same as the "M" mark? or is it from a different maker and time period? I read on this forum that the M mark is from 1931 and later. Is my mark that same or earlier?

Thanks,

Rav

Some more photos for beauty.

5 hours ago, ArHo said:

The shoulder board is "Feldflieger" if I remember correctly? So it needn't necessarily be a pilot?

I think the text reads "Weihnachten im Felde 1916 Hans Haberstumpf (?)" = Christmas in the field 1916 [name] Hans Haberstumpf" [No idea if H. H. was the - quite talented! - painter or the painted man]

Besides that: Very nice portrait - like it!

Cheers

Thank you so much for this translation. It had been hounding me for quite a long time. So his shoulder board may mean that he was either a ground administrator or crew? I assumed he was a pilot because of the EKII ribbon. But he does look a bit "old" to be a pilot.

Thanks again,

Rav

4 hours ago, GreyC said:

Hi ArHo,

you remember correctly and read the text correct, too. May I add, that Hans Haberstrumpf (the one in the picture) was member of the Bavarian Luftstreitkräfte (no number beneath the winged propeller). So if somebody has an ancestry access, you will be able to find his complete military cv in the Bavarian Stammrollen.

GreyC

Thank you so much! I love the Bavarian Air Units especially Jasta 5 (Green Tails). I hope I find someone who has ancestry access to find out who he was with. What does Feldflieger mean in terms of his shoulder board? I have heard of the FFA but I am not well knowledged in shoulder boards.

Thank you for the info, it's all going into my notes ?

Hello!

I have a post card taken just days before the Battle of the Ardennes in 1914
From the fieldpost stamp and the date I am guessing they are in the 4th Army about to enter Belgium and wanted to send off a fond farewell to their families or pals back home. Looks like they had expected to reach Paris. Any help would be fantastic.

Thanks,

Ravs

I have a small sketch of who appears to be a german pilot.

There appears to be a signature or name but I can't for the life me figure it out.

Thanks,

Rav

lol love it!

4 hours ago, Elmar Lang said:

the mark is "HUW", for Heinrich Ulbrichs Witwe; a mark actually not often encountered.

All the best,

Enzo (E.L.)

Thank you so much for this! I've been literally searching for two years for this maker's ID. I see now that they also produced beautiful Merit Crosses from 1914-1918. Do you think my cross was produced as a private purchase or part of a limited Military Merit Cross production? I am assuming it was produced during the war.
Again thanks for closing a mystery case for me =D

I have some unknown marks on my Austrian Merit Cross. The makers mark and hallmark are on the suspension ring and not on the loop. The Makers mark looks like either W V (H?)(A?)(R?) or perhaps it's upside down? The silver content is the A 1 with the winged figure to its right. Which I read here is the imported silver mark.
Really need some help identifying this makers mark pals! Been bugging me for a few years now =D 

I've uploaded some super close ups with different lighting and negative film treatment. Let me know if you need more angles.

I’m doing research for British regiments in WWI and it looks like the wartimememoryproject site has lots of useful info but it’s behind a pay wall. I just wanted to see if it’s worth paying a subscription to this site or if it’s either bogus or no longer maintained.

thanks,

Rav

On 02/12/2019 at 11:47, AllThingsNavy said:

Rav

Send me a private message with your e-mail & will send you what I can find Medal Card/Medal Roll/Pension Record

Adrian

Thanks, those documents solved it for me! So first he was in the 1/5th Battalion then sometime later was transferred to the 10th, when the 10th disbanded in early 1918 he went to the 6th battalion!

Thank you so much for that. Now I just need to figure out when he went from the 5th to the 10th because I have a good Idea when he went to the 6th. 
This is the fun part of medal collecting and getting help from you guys makes it even better. So glad I found this forum last year

~Rav