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    Alex K

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    Posts posted by Alex K

      Goebbels tinnie

      in Germany: Third Reich: Organisational Membership Badges & Tinnies

      Posted

      This little tinnie Goebbels Event Gleiwitz 6 June 1934. It is possible that Goebbels minister of propaganda , was there because of the renewed broadcasting station, that was inaugurated.

      Gleiwitz was a German city close to the Polish border. Nowadays it is Polish territory .

      There was a faked assualt on this German radio station end august 1939 by the SS ( under Heydrichs leadership), so they could blame the Polish . The "Polish terrorists" that were dead found there, were in fact German prisonners put in Polish uniforms. The Nazis made propaganda?.. One German reason more to attack Poland September 1939.

      Cheers,

      Benten

      It was indeed the pretext for the start of the war. Under the leadership of Heydrich and carried out by SS Alfred Naujocks, the radio station at Gleiwitz was supposed to have been attacked by Polish insurgents. The fact is that it was a total put up job by the Nazis, using Concentration camp inmates dressed up in captured Polish uniforms (Unfortunately suitably "Neutralised") which gave them the excuse to attack Poland as a reprisal. I do have a photo showing the end result with "International Observers" invited to view the scene, However it does show deceased people and I would not want to upload without approval from any moderators.

      regards

      Alex

      As A side note, my Mother came from Gleiwitz.and was there when it happened, although not as a witness

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      CBE

      in Great Britain: Orders, Gallantry, Campaign Medals

      Posted · Edited by Alex K

      Ed, Interesting hypothesis, with which I must admit, I can't dissagree with at present. The OM is, or is supposed to be on paper at least, a reward granted by the sovereign at her/his discretion, without any governmental input (Interference) and at the sole discretion of the sovereign. That being said, I think, and understand that IMHO that may not always be the case, which, in the end brings me back to the points I raised earlier about it being a case of "Not what you know, but who you know" I fully concur with you that the current system may not in practice operate that way, although it should in theory, be universal.

      regards

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      CBE

      in Great Britain: Orders, Gallantry, Campaign Medals

      Posted

      Sure, but in the early 20th century, the idea that anyone not of "family" or engaged in business in any way would be awarded any honour at all (except, perhaps, a baronetcy or knight bachelor, both of which had always had implied price tags attached) was scandalous. So much of the problem in the recent discussions of the honours system -- with much 'harrumphing' heard from self-designated traditionalist graybeards -- stems from the ignorance (1) that there never has been an honours 'system' frozen in absolute policy or unchanging time and (2) that in so far as there has been a 'system' it has been constantly shifting as political and cultural values changed (as they always have and always will, whether these graybeards like it or not).

      In the context of the early 20th century (and maybe even the late 20th century) and as compared to the other orders, the Order of the British Empire was radical, revolutionary, almost socialist. It was intended to be all about merit, as oposed to the other orders that were never intended to have anything at all to do with merit.

      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

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      CBE

      in Great Britain: Orders, Gallantry, Campaign Medals

      Posted

      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

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      CBE

      in Great Britain: Orders, Gallantry, Campaign Medals

      Posted

      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

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      EK's 1 & II Wachtler & Lange?

      in Germany: All Eras: The Iron Cross

      Posted

      This is a match for my unmarked non-ferrous centred EK1, identified as being W&L. The catch on mine is soldered on in such a way that I can see how it might easily break off.

      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

      0

      EK's 1 & II Wachtler & Lange?

      in Germany: All Eras: The Iron Cross

      Posted

      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

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      EK's 1 & II Wachtler & Lange?

      in Germany: All Eras: The Iron Cross

      Posted

      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

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      1914 "Mons" Star

      in Great Britain: Orders, Gallantry, Campaign Medals

      Posted

      :jumping: JUST IN...Mons Star re-united with WWI VICTORY Medal!!! :jumping: Both properly named to:

      T-22885

      Driver R. Cooper

      A.S.C.

      WWI Victory Medal came on a new ribbon.

      :beer:

      Great news, :jumping: 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

      0

      Knights Cross with Golden Oakleaves

      in Germany: All Eras: The Iron Cross

      Posted

      One story has it that they were stolen from Rudel sometime after his surrender by a British military policeman and found their way into porn king Paul Raymond's war museum in London in the early 1980s. They were then the subject of a lawsuit in the High Court as Rudel's widow sued for their return. Return was refused because, one suspects, the judge was pressurised into finding against the plaintiff for fear of creating a precedent that could well have emptied Britain's museums! As the story goes, Raymond subsequently did the decent thing by the widow and the medals found their way back to the Rudel family. Rudel surrendered to US forces and while they took his medals and even his false leg, he appealed to the CO of the unit holding him and and his men and got his medals back. He was described as having them with him when he left the custody of the unit in question.

      PK

      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

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