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    Colinf

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    Posts posted by Colinf

    1. The silver Officers pilot badge with hand inscribed engraving on reverse “Showa 13 (1938) May. Pilot 1st Lt. Yasuhara Saburo”.  Saburo was stationed in Mancuria as Entry 49 (graduated from Army Military Academy or Army Flying Academy course # 49) , with the 1st Sentai.  He was KIA 22 Aug 1939 during the battle of Khalkhin Gol, Nomonhan - flying a Nakajima Ki 27. Army Aviation Captain Saburo Yasuhara was from Kanazawa City in Ishikawa Prefecture and upon his death in Nomonhan he was posthumously awarded the Rising Sun 6th class on 26th September 1940.

      The attached booklet was issued on 10th June 1941 about army aces and had his bio. Would anyone be able to translate the details in this bio?

      yasuhara saburo.pdf

      Yasuhara Saburo obv1.jpg

      Yasuhara Saburo rev1.jpg

      Yasuhara Saburo rev2i.jpg

    2. Thanks Paul. You could be right. Just found the following link for the one with the crown, so perhaps the non crown badge is for a pilot killed, but not in combat? 

      "This very rare gilded and enamel badge was awarded by the Royal Air Force (usually by Mussolini or Air Marshal Italo Balbo) to the family of a pilot killed in aerial combat. Notice the broken propeller meaning he lost his life for his country. A very rare badge."

    3. I thought some might appreciate this document group:

      Franz Josef Birnbaum was From Rydultau, near Wodzislaw SL part of Silesia, close to the German Border.  Rydultau was annexed by Germany in September 1939.  Birnbaum was one of four brothers:

       

       

       

      ·         24 October 1933 – Passed “A” Certification in B.S.G – Christiansen glider.  This consisted of 30 seconds straight flight with smooth landing.  Completed while with Deutschen Luftsport Verbandes (DLV), Ortsgruppe, Welzow. 2 (see Note 1)

       

       

       

      ·         1st June 1933 – 30th September 1935 – Franz was an active member of the DLV.

       

       

       

      ·         1st February 1934 – entrance to Wehrmacht – he belonged to the Fliegersturm (Flyerstorm) III/4 Welzow N.-L.

       

       

       

      ·         1936 –1938 – Saw action in the Spanish Civil War.  On 31st May 1939 – he was sent a preliminary possession testimony for the Spanish Cross (Spanien-Kreuz) in Bronze  According to Spanish War researcher Francisco Valero Gutierrez the preliminary document shows the unit as “Tr.T”, this stands for Truppenteil and the P88 means 'Park und Verwaltung 88'.  This unit was responsible for maintenance and administration duties.  A photo of FJ Birnbaum with his wife Liesel indicates he was involved in combat as the medals he wears are as follows:

       

       

        

       

      1.  La Medalla de la Campaña 1936-39 (Campaign Medal)

      2.  

        Cruz Roja del Merito Militar (Red Cross of Military Merit)

         

      3. Dienstauszeichnung IV Klasse for Luftwaffe

         

      4. Medaille 1 Oktober 1938 mit Spange "Prager Burg"

         

      5. Spanien-Kreuz in Bronze or silver mit Schwertern

         

      6. Flugzeugführerabzeichen

         

       

       

      ·         Identity Tag: 151 – L.Z.A. Köll (Luftzeuggamt Kölleda)

       

       

       

      ·         10th August 1939 – Fliegerhorstkompanie.  Standort: Kölleda.

       

       

       

      ·         July 1940 – Flew 11 flights in SG 38’s with NationalSozialistisches Fliegerkorps (NSFK).  He lived at that time in Breslau.

       

       

       

      ·         2nd May 1940 – Was medically examined at Fliegeruntersuchungsstelle (flyer investigation place), Klotzsche, and found to be No.1 suitability for defence/war flyer suitability.

       

       

       

      ·         3rd December 1940 - Promoted from Unteroffizier to Feldwebel while with Fl.Gast (Eis) 2 , Feldluftzeuggruppe Westfrankreich

       

       

       

      ·         1st April 1941 - Nachschubkompanie der Luftwaffe 14./IV

       

       

       

      ·         1st May 1941 - Luftgau IV/Dresden

       

       

       

      ·         20th May 1942 – Awarded Flugzeugführerabzeichen No. 102 521. 

       

       

       

      ·         15th June 1942 – Zerstörer Vorschhule 1

       

       

       

      Þ      Phase I Training - Elementary Training A/B (Schule Flgsf.Sch. A/B 43) in light aircraft

       

      Þ      Phase II Training – Pilot closely watched and depending on his wishes and temperament, his instructors decided if he would be suitable as fighter, bomber or ground attack.

       

      Þ      After completion further training depended on the nature of his specialisation.  Franz was destined to become a Henschel (Hs) 129 pilot.

       

      Þ      10th October - 29th October 1942 - Transferred to Zerstörerschule 2, Munchen /Neubiberg where he gained experience in twin engine aircraft, notably the Me 110.  In June 1943 parts of Zerstörerschule 2 were designated to II/SG 101, after February 1943 passing out of SG 101 he was transferred to Ergäzungs-Schlachtgruppe.

       

       ·         1st January 1943 – Promoted from Feldwebel to Oberfeldwebel while with 9./Zerstörerschule 2, Memmingen.

       

       

      ·         29th April 1943 – 2./Ergänzungs-Schlachtgruppe – Deblin Irena (Reserve Operational Training Unit).  This was located 97 Km. Southeast of Warsaw. He would have done further training in formation flying, bomb aiming, firing at ground targets, air to air combat and orientation.  Any pilot not meeting the set standard was dismissed.

       

      ·         1st Staffel – Me 110 (airfield near Deblin)

       

      ·         2nd Staffel – Fw 190 (Deblin/Irena)

       

      ·         3rd Staffel – Hs 129 (Deblin/Irena

       

       

       

      ·         21st September 1943 - Birnbaum joined 4. (Pz) / Sch G1 (formed 13.1.42) (See Note 5)

       

       

       

      ·         18th October 1943 - 4. (Pz) / Sch G1 became 10. (Pz) / SG 9 and he came under the Command of Staffelkapitän Oblt. George Dorneman. Dorneman took of command of 4. (Pz) / Sch G1 January 1943, before that he was an instructor from 1936 – 1942. Staffelkapitän Oblt. George Dorneman was shot down and seriously injured 13th December 1943.  Lt. Walter Krause until March 1944, and then Gebhard Weber then filled the position of Staffelkapitän until the end of the war.

       

       

       

      ·         6th November 1943 - Awarded the Frontflug-Spange for Jäger in Bronze (20 Combat flights).  Signed by Bruno Meyer.

       

       

       

      ·         1st December 1943 – Awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class.  Signed by Conrad Kommandeur Luftflottenkommandos 4.

       

       

       

      ·         13th March 1944 – Letter from Generalleutnant Seidemann, signed by Hptm. Ruffer (Staffelkapitän 10 (Pz)./SG 9).  

       

       

       

      ·         24th March 1944 - Awarded the Frontflug-Spange for Jäger in Silver (60 Combat flights). Signed by Franz Oswald (RK);

       

       

       

      ·         5th April 1944 – Killed flying Hs 129 B-2 WNr 141731 Coded D, 10 (Pz) / S.G.9.  Ofw. Franz Birnbaum killed 1 km. Northwest of Hobucica (Holubica), Ukraine when his aircraft was hit by enemy fire and crashed in flames, 100% destroyed.   His next of Kin, his wife Liesel, was notified.

       

       

       

      Birnbaum’s Hs-129 crashed between vilages HOLUBICA (now-Golubytsya) and GARKIV in marshlands near the River LUG, it is 120 km East of Lviv.  The crashed aircraft turned upside down and when Soviet soldiers with a truck turned it back Birnbaum was in cockpit, he had drowned. In 1990 a group at Lviv put up a Memorial, with the German WAST.  They found in that region (local inhabitants helped with it) a grave of pilot, but no documents or awards were with the body...the pilot was almost certainly Franz Birnbaum – Research by Voldemar Pahom (Ukraine)

       

       

       

      ·         20th April 1944 – Posthumously Awarded Iron Cross 1st Class signed by Generaloberst Karl-Heinrich Schultz (Der Chef der Luftflotte 4).  “For the PanzerSchlachtflieger it was not that easy to be awarded a high decoration and it is no exaggeration to say that the units best pilots often wore no more than the Iron Cross First Class” Martin Pegg P180

       

      FJ Birnbaum Award Docs.pdf

      Seidemann letter.jpg

      FJB (last picture).jpg

      Franz & Liesel.jpg

      spanish cross doc.jpg

      FJB death notice.jpg

      Award Docs.

      EK 1.jpg

      EK 2.jpg

      FFS Bronze.jpg

      FFS Silver.jpg

    4. Hi Elmar

      Would you Brüder Schneider AG. Wien (BSW) made AH Pilot badges either during WW1 or immediately after?  I have seen a few of these floating around (with the clover leaf marking and the letters BSW in the three leaves) over the years, one in a group with provenance supposedly.

      I have also seen a Romanian WW1 badge with the same maker mark.

      Regards

      CMF

    5. Hi CMF,

      I can just tell you that "K&K- Praha" is Czechslovakia's most famous maker: Karnet & Kisely in Prag.

      I think the badge was made in Yugoslavia and that the owner having lost the original 2 nuts had them replaced by 2 nuts from K&K, but this is only a supposition.

      Is it possible to have a close up of the hallmark ? The rooster in the pentagon is Serbia hallmark for silver, there should be also a roman numeral for silver fineness, in this case II.

      Best regards

      Bill

      Hi Bill

      I have since found out this badge is made by Stojan Orescanin, a model made by a jeweler from whose shop the Yugoslav Order of Freedom came out of. The crown on this badge is different than KK and Sorlini models. ALL Stojan Orescanin models were marked with two marks:

      · Serbian mark for silver plus Roman numeral; and

      · SO for the maker.

      In addition, the numbering on SO models should be above the number 1000. I have one of these with Beograd retaining nuts and the same hallmarks as the badge.

      Cheers, Colin

    6. Hi Les

      I am currently looking at Don Chalif's book - Military Pilot & Aircrew Badges of the World (1870 - Present) and in the section under Austria is a period picture of Lt Otto Kissenberth wearing teh same badge as yours with the ribbons, so we now have more evidence to prove their existence.

      Cheers, Colin

      <!--quoteo(post=56350:date=Feb 13 2006, 22:46 :name=stogieman)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(stogieman @ Feb 13 2006, 22:46 ) </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->

      My hope is that Les didn't pay a pile for the badge. If Les can accept the position that the badge isn't the one in the photo, it leaves him in an odd and curious position....... If it was me, no way I could return the group as we have proof-positive of the existance of the variation pre-1918......... but I'd sure be breathing down the neck of the guy/gal who sold it saying something about it......... But hey, that's me. I'm like that.

      <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

      Rick,

      I have a general approach to buying "groups". That is...groups can be "married" by unscrupulous collectors/dealers, or even merged by families of veterans who don't know or care what should or shouldn't go together.

      That being said, I never pay more than a rough estimate of the sum of the parts, rather than risk being given a story. There are times when the "good stuff" in a "group" is worth far more than some items that are "iffy" or suspect. Add the items up, if the math works out, that's a good thing. Stories aren't part of the math, and afterwards, documents and related items can be researched.

      The seller didn't offer any story at all. He limited the sales pitch to what was being sold and how much he was asking.

      Rick, I've bought boxes of things to get diaries, letters to/from, photographs and other items that the "hardware" collectors usually walk right by and don't give a second look at. I didn't particularly care about the badge in this group...I wanted the photos and some other items that were all part of the same offering.

      I'm not disgruntled.

      Les

    7. Thanks Greg, I will pursue that line of investigation. The number has been engraved by hand, not officially but perhaps it does relate to graduation number?

      Cheers, Colin

      Knedler only made pre-war pilot's badges. 435 was likely a serial # awarded to a specific pilot and may be traceable if the records still exist. Perhaps the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw may be able to point you in the right direction.

      Greg

    8. I recently obtained the Polish air force in the west roll of honour.

      The listing includes Service Numbers, Surnames, Initials, First Names, Unit, Date of Death , Cause of Death, Where Commemorated and also where buried (if Known). Aircraft types, serial number and crew details have been recorded, so it is generally possible to establish the type of aircraft being flown and fellow crew members. 2293 names recorded.

      Any members who wish to check out a name, please do not hesitate to ask.

      Regards

      Kris

      Hi Kris

      I have an early Polish pilot/observer badge made by the company J Knedler, it has the number 435 engraved on the back. Does this happen to correspond with any serial number or squadron? Thanks

      Colin

    9. Is the dearth of knowledge on Serbian Pilot wings that great? :speechless1:

      I noticed this Serbian Pilot for sale at an auction in Serbia with the Srpsko numizmaticko drustvo numbered 1378. I have the identical badge numbered 1396 which has the same hallmarks, on the right wing tip a "Rooster" like bird within a pentagon and upper left of the bottom screwpost what looks to be some letters but I cannot make them out. The numbering style is the same, like it was etched in when the metal was still hot. My badge has fasteners with "BEOGRAD" and 2 hallmarks shapes only, the one attached has different fasteners K&K PRAHA. Does anyone know if these pilot badges a known maker different to K&K and Sorlini. They are certainly well made, and the hallmarks are unique.

      Thanks,

      CMF

    10. Hi Francois

      Does this early Michael have providence? I have been told by sources with more knowledge of these awards than me that this is a copy produced by a guy in the USA who regularly sells these rare awards on Ebay. If it had providence at least we would know what an authentic one looks like.

      Regards,

      Colin

      This was the pilot badge in the first reign of King Michael, 1927-1930.

    11. I noticed this Serbian Pilot for sale at an auction in Serbia with the Srpsko numizmaticko drustvo numbered 1378. I have the identical badge numbered 1396 which has the same hallmarks, on the right wing tip a "Rooster" like bird within a pentagon and upper left of the bottom screwpost what looks to be some letters but I cannot make them out. The numbering style is the same, like it was etched in when the metal was still hot. My badge has fasteners with "BEOGRAD" and 2 hallmarks shapes only, the one attached has different fasteners K&K PRAHA. Does anyone know if these pilot badges a known maker different to K&K and Sorlini. They are certainly well made, and the hallmarks are unique.

      Thanks,

      CMF

    12. I have seen a few Portugese pilot badges going around a few dealers and on Ebay advertised as WW2 era wings, in fact I just bought one for $20 - they are a thinish pressed badge that looks aged, with a pin and catch assembly. I am told these are not WW2 and that the pre 1945 Portugese pilot badge is of a much more solid in construction - would anyone have a scan of such as example.

      Thanks.

      CMF

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