hhbooker2

very cool-

does it includes medals as well?

JEFF: They show medals and decorations for Bulgaria as seen here and for East Germany (DDR) and Poland, not for the other nations! Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California (Send me an email to hhbooker2@yahoo.com to get a better clearer image!) :Cat-Scratch:

Hi Drew:

There's a LOT of questions there.

Why don't you break it up into country threads as there are a lot of chaps here who can speaking extensively on specific countries' poltical officers. We are especially strong here on Soviet Russian, DDR, Mongolian,Yugoslavia, Hungarian, Bulgarian and Albanian knowledge. WE could use a few more people on Poland, Czechoslovakia and Romania. Of course, the PRC is a vast black hole of ignorance.

Would you be so kind as to post a few of the Hungarian/Czech pages of the manual here? I would love a copy myself.

Ta-

Jeff

DREW and JEFF: As you can see, maybe not see well the type as space is limited here, but the ones I email can easily be read and enjoyed. hhbooker2@yahoo.com (Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California)

G'day Group. I am a worldwide collector of POLITICAL OFFICER CADRE insignia...

Can anyone in the forum please help me to acquire information about any Political Officers uniform accoutrment, insignia and regalia?

I seek information from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Albania, North Korea, Mongolia, and any other Soviet satellite during the Cold War period.

What items of insignia was worn by these chaps to distinguish themsleves as such?

Did they do so?

Did they receive special training?

Where? What was awarded to them for this training?

Did they receive any further political specific awards during their service period or career?

Looking forward to any advice, suggestions and information

Drew

DREW and JEFF: Email me at: hhbooker2@yahoo.com and get free daily emailed scans of these as well as other militaria ephemera. Here is a page showing the Czechoslovak Army Uniforms and Insignia. I am here to serve my fellow collectors. Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California :catjava:

"Handbook On the Satellite Armies" (Department of the Army Pamphlet 30-50-2 1960) Have a copy which I am scanning and if you want to receive FREE email scans along with scans of other militaria books 1881-1967, email me at; hhbooker2@yahoo.com (Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California).

Not if they are for personal usage, bit like transfering old vinyl records to CD so you can preserve the original copy. There is no infringement as long as they are not for sale. I am not sure about handing them on though, I would suspect that despite the fact that there is no profit or payment, you are cutting their sales down, and companies take a dim view of that.

Regards;

Johnsy

JOHNSY: The people whom I donate CDs too either don't have the money to buy these items or they wouldn't do so even if they had the money and are not necessarily a loss to the original authors if they are still alive? I have seen my own artwork sold by the people I gave it to, but this is okay with me and if they copy it, that's okay by me too! Mostly I copy militaria ephemera that is no later than 1945, more than 62 years ago. I never copy anything belonging to the Walt Disney Co., nor any other outfits who keep their copyrights up to date. Government publications are "Public Domain," of course! I'm a pensioneer collecting Social Security and not long for this world and like to pass on what I have to offer to others before I "buy the farm!" Not sure I'd have the skill to transfer vinvyl records to CD? I just6 copied two 1939 and one 1937 Army of the United States recruiting brochures. Have considered giving the origi9nals to the Naval Historical Center at the Washington Navy Yard in Wasgington, D.C.! (POST SCRIPT: My cat of six years had cancer that caused his internal organs to malfunction and we had to have poor Clovis euthenized, next day we rescued a look-alike 4-year old orange tabby from the animal shleter, he was soon to be put down there and the staff were thrilled we gave him a second chance, he is now Clovis Lee Booker II, named in honour of the first Clovis Lee Booker, he really is a nice cat and so living. The first Clovis was cremated and hopefully my widow will mix our ashes together.)

Took the same set of trading cards and took them to a state-of-the-art photocopier and had them enlarged to poster size, about 17" to 20" high and tacked to my walls on display as you can enlarge them many, many times the size of those small cards, believe it or not? I also have loaned them to be exhibited at the local public library so as to educate people and the librarians are thrilled to show them and displayed for an extra two months. Makes you wonder why they don't seem to have anything at all like that in the Army of the United States? What wonderful artwork they had then! Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California

Used those in Korea in 1960, very same issue as we ate WW2 c-rations back then. Actually it was cheaper and easier to use the bear-worthless South Korean currency known as Won which had a picture of the South Korean President Dr. Syngman Rhee. MPCs (military payment certificates) could be used as toiletpaper too if one was desperate? The issue toiletpaper looks a lot like the paper napkins from several fast food restaurants, wondered if they bought it as surplus? Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California

I knew two young women who split their father's collection of medals after he and their mother died, they simply wanted the money from the sales and ignored his last will and testament to donate groups of medals to famous naval admirals and captains intended for the Naval History Society at the Washington Navy Yard - in other words, your own family members could easily break up the sets of awards you have for a quick profit or even donate it to a SALVATION ARMY thrift store to be sold individual to some teenager to wear on their shirt or jacket like a trophy?

Worst that happens when scanning something old is it might cause the spine of the book to break or you can accidently tear a page from handling it. Scanning is more beneficial as you can scan to a CD and make CDs for others, I will sacrifice most books if I must in order to scan them for posterity! I give the books away to people who are happy to get them with a broken spine or loose pages. I usually keep noth but the master CD disk to make free copies for others. Have contributed more than 300 CDs in which I also pay postage - I also pay to insure and ship scarce and rarer books free to others as I do not care for reimbursement or profit, thats okay for others. Scanning has its hazards nonetheless! I would break down an original U.S. Civil War uniform or kepi to get the pattern to help others, same form scanning old books. I do nothing for personal profit, only to make reference material available!

eBay Auctions features what is called an 1840s badge starting at US$150.00, but I wonder? Petty officers did not make much money back then and investing in a silver engraved badge seems unlikely when it was expensive enough to have a cloth badge hand-embroidered by a tailor? Any ideas, anyne?

Ahem-

Stogiedude....the "supplier" has indicated that he will have more cuban items at the next show. As you said, it's been too long...

Dear God, what happened to that cat?

CLOVIS LEE BOOKER the cat has cancer tumours all over his skin, some are exposed and we put medication on those like the ones on his forehead, he does not seem to notice? He lost one ear that was infected as he scratched open two large melanoma tumours, otherwise he is normal and he also collects Cuban insignia with me and re-arranges it for me when it is spread out on the rable, he inspects each new item. Clovis unders many languages which include Armenian, Korean, Roumanian, Spanish and of course, English, a very smart cat, indeed!

Greetings & Salutations! Since the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is forever gone, who makes the Soviet-style badges for the Cuban army now? Do they simply have large quantities oif old stock on hand or what is the story there I should wonder? Who would have expected to see some much militaria kept put away after the fall of the Tsar and suddenly it is offered on the market? Maybe Cubans are the same and they have hoarded treasures their grandchildren will sell for ready cash? I've gotten a lot of Castro issued stuff from Miami, Florida, how is that possible? Mu nadges like that Guards Badge is not chipped or crack and I got it under ten dollars from eBay, someone in Miami who offeres them and that rectangluar one with old Fidel on it, had no idea others were seeking these too? Maybe I just get lucky all the time, who can explain it otherwise? (POST SCRIPT: My cat, Clovis Lee Booker here, with my beautiful Puerto Rican wife of almost 30 years, nothing to do with the collecting of Cuban badges, of course!)

Beautiful badge, Rick. When do you think, was it produced? From what i have seen so far, they used brass for these badges until the end of the 1950ies? Is that true?

I bought it off of eBay for under US$10.00 plus the cost of postage, was I ever surprised when the seller took my offer?

I had seen British Army Colonels, Brigadiers, Generals, and Field Marshals wearing gorget patches mostly in red with either a red gimp, gold cord, or gold oakleaves, BUT! I am aware they have them in white for Sandhurst Militrary Cadets, for Dentists, Dictors, Educational Corps, etc., not sure how many coloured backgrounds and how far back, maybe the 1880s in India perhaps? Digger History does show some nice examples, but only a few, am sure there are many, many more I and others have yet to see? I have tried to collect them and get outbid on the few I see on eBay Auctions, would settle for good colour photographs, scans, or pictures of them! Especially Victorian and Edwardian era? Thanks all!

I will open a new topic to see if we can find out which royal received the most awards

HERR GENERAL: Can you include Emperor Selassie in your list of Royals with the most awards, please? Thank you!

I wonder if any Frenchman today who had one of those would wear it today on Bastille Day?

Years ago I found a box of lead medals that were crude like that and saw an ad clipped out with them stating they were sold through the mail to collectors and were something like 5 for $1

National Geographic Magazine used to carry stories about Abbysinia/Ethiopia and often showed their ruler, Emperor Haile Delassie usually in a military uniform with either service ribbons and sometimes full-size medals which appeared to cover his chest. I had heard he had more medals than any man alive and thought about how many and their titles and descriptions? I know he fought against Fascist Italy before World War Two in Europe, maybe earlier when Italy invaded Ethiopia in the late 19th Century as well? Thanks!

Unless

1) The folks that picked it up were ot really the family

2) They were family, but they sent it right on to Manions to turn it into money

3) The family did not REALLY pick it up, the guy who had the stuff was offered USD100 more by another collector and he jumped at the chance....

"GREETINGS & SALUTATIONS!" That is funny, someone claiming it from overseas because they see a crime of opportunity or the seller wanting more money or it ending up on Manions - that cracks me upp! Ha! Ha! Ha!

How about this one? I found it at the bottom of a box of Seebee stuff from Thailand from the 1960s. I think it might be US US boy scouts-but my neighbor Don says its VC-and he was there after all. Any thoughts?

GREETINGS & SALUTATIONS! That is the rank insignia for a WO1 (Warrant Officer One) U.S. Army as used in Vietnam sewn on the collar of the sateen green field uniform before subdued rank was issued. If there was three brown bars,, it would be CW2 (Chief Warrant Officer Two), if the yellow-gold were replaced with silver-white, it would be a CW3! Sarge Booker

My Mother -in -Law is now a criminal and will have to report herself to.... who? Local Police? FBI? Treasury Department/Secret Service?

"GREETINGS & SALUTATIONS!" Speaking ill of mothers-in-law, did you know they do not make a greetinbg card for the Mother-in-Law? They have greetings cards for Aunts, Fiances, Grandmothers, Mothers, Sisters, Wives, etc.! Some might think you report a mother-in-law to the local dog-catcher if they are unkind? The "Stolen Valour Act" is something unenviable like the notorious mother-in-law, there, but best ignored? Does "stolen valour" include crappy politicians on both sides of the aisle? Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California (POST SCRIPT: Only on The Jerry Springer Show do some men end up with their mother-in-law in some compromising position?)

"GREETINGS & SALUTATIONS!" Herman Goering the WW1 Ace received just about every award if Imperial German and later the 3rd reich, or so it seems? Is there a list of the German and foreign awards he was given? I once heard in the 1940s that he wore rubber medals in the bathtub? Emperor Haile Selassie seems to have been up there with Goering for medals, but I have always suspect Goering is the most benedalled man in history? Any thoughts on this or picture anyone has wearing his medals? Thank you! Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California

Sooner rather than later something else will attract their interest.

"GREETINGS & SALUTATIONS!" In 1958 when I went to Manhatan (New York City) there were still availble to collectors suits of armour, swords, shields, etc., but outfits like Robert Abels helped increase the prices so much that only museums and very rich armour collectors ended up conering the market and most was speculation. In 1967 in Chicago, Illinois comic books took off when someone forced the seeting of a price on the first issue of SUPERMAN! Comic books and spprts cards sky-rocketed! At one time you could buy original artwork used for science fiction magazine covers and I heard in the 1940s the original artwork from the 1900s to 1930s was taking off. You could also buy an 321 original painting by Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), but recently one of them sold for about US$240,000.00 or more? Nothing is sacred or safe! I used to give away my original pen and ink drawings of insignia that were in issues of the American Society of Military Insignia Collectors' Trading Post magazine, then I gave many away and a few years ago I saw some being sold by collectors and had no idea anyone would pay for them - many were insignia I drew 400% larger than actual size - I still have a lot left to give away, not sell! I drew lots of illustrations of French and British Medals, cap badges, etc. People actually frame one-of-a-kind drawings, posters, etc., even back covers from old Nayional Georgraphic Magazine sell for more than the magazines themselves - who knows what is next? Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California

It went for just over $60,000. While I am not an Imperial Russian collector, I was quite shocked by the prices on quite a number of items in terms of multiples of the estimates. It was a very interesting evening. Regards, Wild Card

"GREETINGS & SALUTATIONS!" WILD CARD: Ever get the feeling some bidders known nothing or care about the things they bidm on are flipping the item in question and just speculating? Some people just have lots of money to throw around, like sports "heroes" who are paid millions or CEOs, etc.? "A fool and their money soon part!" goes the old proverb! Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California

Detail of the medal, note the rather obvious mint error!

"GREETINGS & SALUTATIONS!" Was looking at the reverse of the medal and noted the suspension ring is way off centre, maybe the die was not lined up properly? Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California