Roeland

hello gents, thanks for the nice comments and opinions! Now I know I wasn't far off thinking it was from the first half of the 19th century. Thanks. kind regards, Roeland

Hello Gents, I have this grand cordon in the order of Leopold I, military division. It's looks very nice, although there is 1 small piece of enamel missing in the corner of one arm. Would there be any chance of saying from what period it might be? I have compared it with models from the book about this order by the Belgian army museum in Brussel. It does not show this exact one, but it strongly looks like those from 1905 to 1932 (those are dates mentioned with medals shown in the book, not dates pinpointing an exact period for making this model), they vary just a bit on some details. The back of my grand cordon just has a normal monogram, no number or something different. Would I be correct if I can state it is from the first half of the 20th century, pre-war? any other remarks are welcome. kind regards, Roeland

Hello gents, and how about General Leuze, he continued to wear the commander grade of the crown order of Yugoslavia throughout entire WW2.(and this medal actually made him more famous, because that is what most people know him from). I guess germans in ww2 could wear foreign medals even if the country was occupied by Germany. I think it would not be a problem with a spange or WW1 order(but would you dear wearing a French medal in nazi Germany?). here as oberst: Generalmajor:

Hello gents, Erasmus is one of the greater figures in Dutch history which all children here have to hear about at schools. I have no idea about the medalcoin. Erasmus was a philisopher and writer, he was probably born in Rotterdam, they think in 1469. He is not listed in birth documents of those days. He could also have been born in 1466 or 1467, and maybe even in Gouda, he was a ''bastard'' as his father was a priest and his mother the housekeeper, the mother went to Rotterdam for a while, Erasmus lived there for a few years. A historian of that time named him as born in Gouda(where he at least was ''created'') but Erasmus later wrote himself that he came from Rotterdam(so that is what we asume nowadays as his mother probably left to cover up her pregnancy, we don't know if he knew exactly where he was from as he was a child and probably wouldn't remember those days, but he did spent his early years in Rotterdam makin it logic to think that). They named a lot of buildings and institutions after him. Quite a lot of info, nothing about the medal, but now you know why it is says Rotterdam and it explains something about the year 1969. I don't know the value, but I looks nice. kind regards, Roeland

Hello, it is not the Belgian order of the crown. I recon it might be a unofficial medal, probably a veteran medal. As I'm not familiar with this medal, I cannot be sure. kind regards, Roeland

superb, I really enjoyed looking at this great group! you don't see those kind of groups often.

hello gents, it's hard to say by whom the helmet in the axis forum link was used. Most black helmets had no emblems on them at all. So it could be both, most where used by the air defence, the Dutch resistance used them only around 1944-1945 just before, during and after liberation. it is hard to find information about Dutch soldiers. If he was an officer, they are mentioned in the officer books. If they where of a lower rank, I wouldn't know there to look, I think in the archieves of the Dutch government, perhaps someone else knows it. kind regards, Roeland

here are some Dutch helmets for those that are interested: the one like you have found: Dutch resistance(with Dutch collors and on the front: Oranje(after the royal family, the house of orange). A Dutch Police helmet(note the green P on front): aird raid defence helmet (note the slightly different shape: the bottom is more ''flat'' as the models above), it's not to see on the picture, but on the front are vague remains of a red shaped Luftschutz emblem: kind regards, Roeland

Hello gents, there are different types of this helmet, not all of them with an emblem on front, but most did, escpecially those used in 1940. The Dutch army had the manufacturer made an enourmous amount of these helmets, so during the war they became known as ''de helm voor een tientje'' (the helmet for 10 guilders(about 5 euro, nowadays)). They where easy to get and cheap. Also people thought the emblem was a weak spot, if fact, it made the helmet stronger. The emblem was shiny sometimes which made it an atractive target to see for the enemy. The Germans removed the lion on most of the helmets and painted them black, and painted a Luftschutz emblem on it. In the Netherlands the air raid defence also used black helmets(sometimes with a leather flap in the neck) and also the Dutch Resistance used them(most of the times black, sometimes with emblems), as well as collaborating police schools(with Dutch collors on the side), some police units and others(black with lion emblem(also used before the war by the MP), sometimes the collors of the city or another emblem). In 1938 a Rumanian delegation came to the Netherlands, they where the only other country interested in the model(it was based on the WW1 French Adrian and English doughboy helmet). They signed a contract for 300,000 helmets, with the emblem of King Karl/Carol II (don't know if I write his name correct). The Germans took a lot of the Dutch helmets as war bounty and shipped a lot of them to Rumania(especially the new model M27/N.M.). The Rumanians where ordered to fight against the Sovjet union and the enlisting of man was raised, the Rumanian army already used this type of helmet and needed more helmets for the new enlisted men. The paint looked to much like the Sovjet army collors, so a lot of them where painted grey like the German helmets and received the inner helmet of the German M35 helmets. In 1947, the Rumanian army was made like the red army and this model helmet wasn't used anymore but they used the Russian M40. In 1967 Nicolae Ceausescu wanted to give the Rumanian army an own identity. The ''Hollander'' (Dutchman, as the helm was called) was reinstated and first used at the parade on the National festivity day(don't know the term in english: Nationale feestdag) in 1973. This model however was different to the ones in 1938, they looked like the Dutch helmets used by the KNIL (Royal Dutch Indonesian Army, which used to be the army in the Dutch Colonies). The only difference was the inner helmet, it was not Dutch but Rumanian. This Rumanian helmet had the collors: Dark-olive green, or antracite(a kind of grey), this depended on the kind or armyformation one served in, some guard and elite units also had the Rumanian state emblem on the front. They where used for a long time. (the scientific book doesn't say when a new helmet after that was used, there are pictures and describings from 1989, the book is from 1990). source: Behrendt F. ,Nederlandse helmen in Romenie, in: Armamentaria 25, 1990 (its an official scientific military history book, published by the Royal Dutch army museum). kind regards, Roeland

I'm not to familiar with gasmasks but I do think it is a Dutch gasmask. I do think it is pr? ww2, but not used in WW2, I think it might be from before that, like end of WW1 or 1920-early 30's.(I think that because it doesn't look like a military or civil WW2 or post WW2 gasmask). It clearly is written in Dutch and I also think it is military. I can't read it very good, but at the bottom it gives a warning, somthing like: caunt on it that after a gas attack and an infantry assault another gas cloud might follow.(it warns you you should keep the gas mask close in case of a second gas attack). The text also says something about trenches, so definately military issue. As I said, I can't read it very good and I'm not familiar with the models, so it's just a guess, but it clearly states a military issue as far as I can tell. kind regards, Roeland

you could use imageshack for showing the pictures (upload them there and use the URL here) the value is of course determined by the kind of troops that used it(you can often see it by the emblem on the front) and condition of the helmet. as already suggested, you can compare the helmet in value with similar ones on the internet, but of course the gents here are always willing to help. kind regards, Roeland

hello gents, thanks for the many replies, you really gave me usefull information and tips, I had no idea of them myself. I already found the monnaie de paris book, should come in soon. if anyone knows where I can buy others I like, please lett me know, I'm interested in these 2(although the others sound interesting as well): Basier, L., and L. Brunet, Les Ordres Coloniaux Francais (Paris: Revue des Colonies et Pays de Protectorat, 1898) SOUYRIS-ROLLAND "Guide des ordres, d?corations et m?dailles militaires 1814-1963" Paris 1979 furthermore I found this book: Nicolas de ROFFIGNAC, ORDRES et MEDAILLES des PAYS D'AFRIQUE ? l'?poque POST-COLONIALE de 1960 ? nos jours it describes 126 orders and medals, and the French colonial countries are all mentioned in the list, but that's all I know, I have no idea if it would be of any use. has anyone heard of or seen this book, is it any good? I know some orders have stopped to excist in 1963, but if it is from 1960 untill now they might be in it (and some orders still excists). btw, the reason I'm asking is because I now started collecting some of those colonial orders(don't have much yet), I want to use the books for when I buy orders, but also I'm putting it on paper(for myself) and want to get the information from books and use them as reference. Here's an example, I bought a picture book and describe all my orders (not an official book, just for myself about my collection), I describe the history of the orders and on the right page are pictures(taken myself of my own orders)+ information(like sizes and if possible to whom it was awarded). example, legion d'honneur: thanks for the help, and thanks in advance if anyone can tell me where to find the other 2 books I'm looking for. kind regards, Roeland

the medal does have French text on it(as well as Dutch), so no wonder if someone thinks it is French. Most allied WW1 countries have a victory medal. They all have the same kind of ribbon and the things you can see on them are different however of the same kind (almost all of them have a person on the front). It is a very interesting medal, this one indeed clearly Belgian, as Rick already indicated. here's a nice site showing a lot of victory medals. victory medals

Hello gents, I have a question, I hope this is the right topic to ask. I'm looking for a book about orders and medals that existed in the French colonial period. I mean on orders like the black star of Benin, the star of Anjouan, Said Ali, Ouissam Alaouite,Nichan Iftikar etc. So about orders in French colonial countries in Africa. I really want a book on them, don't know if they are all in the same book or spread over different books(also good if someone knows multiple books). I don't need internet sites, and I'm looking for books in English, French, German of Dutch(I don't speak any other languages). thanks for any tips. kind regards, Roeland

I would indeed suggest the options above, good book indeed and Hendrik's site (www.medals.be) is also very handy. Furthermore, the book published by the Belgian army museum is also quite nice: 175 jaar Leopold Orden en de Belgische nationale orden, ISBN 2-87051-040-3, 25 euro http://www.klm-mra.be/klm-new/nederlands/b...d_nl/index.html it doesn't describe all belgian orders and it is not in English, but it is quite a nice reference on some royal orders. there is also a part about Belgian orders in the book: world orders of knighthood and merit, but it costs quite a lot(299 GBP) and is not specificly Belgian. http://www.wokm.co.uk/ I still recommend those other options mostly, because the ones I gave are 1. not in English and just about certain orders 2.a lot of money and not just belgian orders 3. the other options are already great! kind regards, Roeland

I would like you to show this medal, because you don't see it a lot. It is a French medal, awarded to those, that fought in the Netherlands in 1940, at the beginning of the war. Lately I have been collecting information about Breda during the war and came across the information that the Germans took almost exactly the same defensive positions in the city of Breda, which the French had done 4 years before them. Looking further for information about the French, I stumbled upon this medal. I believe it is quite a rare one. The front shows a lion with a crown, probably indicating the kingdom of the Netherlands. I don't know why the 5 stars are there. The back shows: Hollande -1940- Nederland. And also the V. The ribon is orange-black striped. Awarded to French soldiers. What do you gents think of it? kind regards, Roeland

thanks for the replies, it clears up my question. I already suspected it was an old picture and a higher grade replaces a lowe one, but wasn't sure anymore after seeing the picture of the general.

I also have a question regarding the medals. The General was awarded the Grand officer in the order of Leopold. He is wearing a commander cross. On the site of Hendrik I only see the grand officer as a breast star. Does this mean when one get's a grand officer grade it is a commander cross+grand officer breast star? I also don't see him wearing a commander cross in the order of Leopold II, and wearing a commander in the crown order instead of a sash. or is it perhaps an old picture because when one get's a higher grade the lower one expires/elapses(don't know the right word for it)? kind regards, Roeland

thanks for the reply, I'm a bit late with responding. I guess this might be the guy indeed, his profile matches quite some information I had about a General probably called Bufin (or Buffin). Thanks. kind regards, Roeland

can anyone say more with these extra pictures?

very ice picture. Do you need help on identifying the medals?

here are some Dutch 19th century cavalry uniforms: mounted artillery Hussar: http://link.marktplaats.nl/136459352 those are the only kind of Dutch cavalry troops that have uniforms with ''lines and loops''

hello Gents, I lost the topic, didn't see where it was removed to and though it was deleted I was told it could be a pre-1842 Brandenburg hussar uniform. I don't think it is Dutch. The color is dark blue and red. here are more pictures of it, don't mind the medals on it, they don't belong to the uniform:

Hello Gents, I'm looking for information on the Belgian general with the name Bufin. I'm looking for his full name, career and decorations. Any help would be grate, thanks in advance. kind regards, Roeland

Hello gents, I have a question about the Order of Ouissam Alaouite. Can someone give me the sizes of the grades? (especially commander and grand cross grade) are there any other distinctive differences between the grades? I'm asking because I've been offered a grand cross of this order. thank you for the help. kind regards, Roeland