Alex K

I take your point and agree that it is most probably the one order which out of all of them, which is the most egalitarian. As a side issue, where does that leave the "Order of Merit" which as I'm sure you'll know, is at the personal bestowal of HM, and is surely for "Merit", as displayed, this week? when it was bestowed on the founder of the Internet, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who, I assume was just an "Ordinary" person? Regards http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6750395.stm

But surely, even the Order of the British Empire is not, in my opinion totally "Class" or social standing democratic, as I can't imagine old Joe Postman or similar receiving higher levels of the various orders, more like an MBE. Thats possibly the problem with the current Honours system, I believe at one stage there was a growing belief that the whole lot should be scrapped and replaced with a totally democratic system, genuinely based purely on merit, but what do you replace it with?, and would it have the same meaning as the established ones in peoples minds? Alex

A case of "Not what you know, but who you know"! thanks for the info regards

Hi Ed, interesting, I'm obviously living slightly in the past Why do people who are receiving New Years, Queens Birthday Honours etc still go to Buckingham Palace?, I thought that was the whole point of the procedure? regards Alex

This ones not to bad, not quite as shiny but in good condition Alex

Another nice minty one buellmeister, I'll have to see if I can dig a minty out regards Alex

Hi Gilbert, actually I think she does still hand them out personally, At Buck Palace, with an investiture, together with other gongs like MBE's OBE's etc. I think you wait in line to be called and if you are being Knighted and given, say a CBE, you wait until your'e called, kneel down and she taps you on the shoulder with her ceremonial sword, have a quick chat, and hey presto, you've got your medal, Don't quite know if she actually puts it round your neck any more or just hands over the box with the bauble in it. regards Alex

Hi d Dave, Beutifully Awsome pieces, where do you find them?? You ain't got a little unknown press in the garden shed by any chance!!!? regards Alex

Hi James, from what I've seen of other W & L Crosses,so far, the clasp does seem flimsy in comparison to other manufacturers, maybe it was a W & L quality issue?. I believe that my version is a repair after the original broke off. regards Alex

Hi Dave B Thats a very minty EK1 there, I'm envious , only joking, it does seem to be in a very mint condition though. regards Alex

Hi thanks for all the comments which confirm thats it's a W& L, attached as requested the reverse, as can be seen when compared with others, the clasp has at some stage been repaired, I suspect post war, as it is somewhat flimsy and would not have stood up to the rigours of active combat. Careful examination shows no markings on the reverse, medal or pin. The inner core is non magnetic, and made of Brass, which to me indicates and early war piece, BTW thanks for all the comments regards Alex

Hi I'll see what I can conjure up regards Alex

Hi Dave B, well spotted, I must admit I never saw that when I was looking at the larger scans, Confirms it for me. thanks for the help gentlemen Alex

Hi I have these to EK's, 1 & II. The 2nd class is stamped 100 on the ring, indicating Wachtler & Lange manufacture. The EK1 is totally unmarked. It does show many similarities with the EKII, which makes me think that it is also W&L. Would any experts like to comment on this and to confirm or otherwise, that it is likely to be a W&L? thanks for any help. regards Alex K

Here's a link to another site which shows some great soviet era posters, some very early regards Alex K http://www.earthstation1.com/Russian_Propaganda_Posters.html

Great news, It's nice to see that with endevour it is possible to re-unite pieces which may otherwise dissapear completely. If you think about it, the chances of re-uniting separated medals must be awesomely difficult. It's nice to see that it is actually possible, particularly after so many years when they may have been split up. Congrats. Alex K

Yes you are quite right. If you read his biography, I think called "Stuka Pilot" he says (From Memory) That as he landed to surrender, an american GI grabbed hold of his RK as he sat in his plane and removed iT, he subsequently complained to the station commander about the theft and it was actually retrieved and returned to him. several other decorations, hungarian etc were however not recovered. Paul Raymond did own some of his decs, but I believe that they were the erkunde documents, rarther than the actual pieces, I could however be wrong on this point as I am once again, working from memory. Alex

His medals are still with his family. I believe that his widow was offered something close to 1 million USD for them but refused. Alex

Nice images, here's another one similar but not seen so often, from the book "Germany At War" by Lt Col George Forty regards Alex

Hi gentlemen, thanks for the comments. Unfortunately, I don't have an MC yet, but hope to get one someday. This is my first British Decoration, my other British pieces are campaign medals, not a lot of those either yet. Unfortunately the price of campaign medals, like other nationalities have sky rocketed lately. regards Alex

Bit bored at the moment so I thought I would post my latest Aquisition, A CBE 1st Type complete with full neck ribbon and fixings, just like when His/Her Royalness's would have plonked it over your head regards Alex

Hi Knarf, welcome to the forum by the way, no you havn't bored us, it is always interesting to hear about other "Not so obtainable" artifacts being salvaged, saved, call it what you will. As you have said, a lot of mundane every-day items which were produced had very little real value to them in the monetary sense, or even in a political sense, so were not collected or saved. It is, unfortunately, only when these items have been destroyed or otherwise lost that there becomes an appreciation of the ones that do survive. I certainly like the new use you have put for the anti-tank rocket containers regards Alex K

Hello Knarf, that seems an interesting find, please post some when you get the chance. It's nice to see that someone is trying to save these, instead of them being destroyed. regards Alex

That's a very nice find Chris. regards Alex K

Hi Nan su, very nice cross. I have an L/11 with maker mark in box below the clasp, I would ask the question, is yours or any others posted, convex? mine is slightly convex, whats more the box it came in has a convex inner piece where the cross sits. Attached, unfortunately not clear from the photo. regards Alex