Bernhard H.Holst

Hello Kevin. Signature is that of the later Gen.d.Inf. Wilhelm Reinhart, PlM. He received the " honorary" SS rank and was promoted to general to possibly give him adequate rank as the head of the national association of veterans. He was prominent in fighting leftist uprisings following the end of WW I. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Jock. Interesting document. Valuable in my opinion because of this showing one of the many Schulungs Briefe ( actually continuing indoctrination circulars for party members, S.A. and other associated groups ) here # 8-9 of 1938. The first page pictured has a breakdown on the Gold Party Membership Badges awarded by 1935. Also copies of the official change in the name from ...Verein ( association ) to Partei or Party. In addition several other matters considered important enough to be included int this circular. I believe you have a gem. Thank you for showing. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Jock and Kevin. Thank you both. i noticed that the photo shows this fellow as Oberleutnant while the Volksbund lists his rank as Feldwebel. In any case I could not locate a recipient of a German Cross i.Gold recipient by that name. Possibly Honor Goblet and/or Honor Roll recipient. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello. I read it as " bei Stolp ueber See"or near Stolp over or into the sea. Stolp may be location on Baltic Sea ( guess of my part ). Bernhard H. Holst

Hello. I have consulted the above quoted history of the battle on the 8.August 1918 ( Schlachten des Weltkrieges Band 36 " Die Katastrophe des 8.August 1918" or Battles of the World War Volume 36 " The Catastrophe of 8.August 1918 ") The 192. ( Saxon ) Inf.Division was attacked by the French 15th Colonial and the 3rd Divisions with the support of tanks on 8. August. Its artillery had suffered heavy losses during the artillery preparations for the attack , the 7.Battery of Field Artillery Regt. 192 lost all its guns. The soldier named in the document served in the 5.Battery. This Saxon Division was pushed back a considerable distance. The book does not give detailed losses for this division. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello: Thank you for showing this document. Of note is the date for which the recipient is thus honored. The 8. August 1918 is considered the Black Day for the German Imperial Army because it showed the first widespread signs of lessening stamina and cohesion during a surprise Allied attack with large numbers surrendering without offering much of a fight. One volume of the Reichsarchiv's semi-official detailed histories of WW I battles published during the 1920's and 30's pertaining to this battle makes no bones about the lessened discipline and faltering will to fight. This of course clashed with the "stab in the back" explanation of the loss of the war. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Jock. Thanks for your response. I thought you would be on the job. Am looking forward to your next post on this officer ( seemingly flying transport, a used and much abused branch) BTW: just read in "Der Spiegel" two 500 lbs duds found in Berlin and Koblenz. I understand you are not dabbling in these high-stakes operations to make them safe but I believe there is sufficient "lighter" stuff around to keep you on the payroll. Stay safe! Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Jock. A very nice find. Indeed he has been around ( Crete ). One wonders if he survived the later actions re. N.Africa, Cholm, Stalingrad and all the others. Would be nice to have a name re. higher decorations or survivor of the war. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Hugh. I must echo Brett's response following your posting of this wonderful set incl. the documents. Thank you for sharing. Bernhard H. Holst

FBI profiler: " And I thought I had seen it all !!!??" Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Richard. I showed the certificate to my wife and she liked to see it. The enlargement was sufficient for her to see it and I read it to her because of her Macular Degeneration. To add to the above I traveled to the USA on the former Escort carrier "Nabob" in 1959 belonging to the North German Lloyd line through my future wife's help. US built and in Royal Navy service in 1944 it was torpedoed in Oct.1944 and heavily damaged. Saw no further war service but repaired and sold to NGL and in use as a cargo ship with limited passengers. Captain was a former German weather observation ship's captain. While operating near Iceland he was intercepted by a US Coast Guard cutter. The captain lowered the German Navy flag and saved his crew. He was in line to take over the NGL largest liner, the SS Bremen after its overhaul ( the former French troopship "Pasteur" on which I made two trips to and from Vietnam). My wife to be made a trial run on the new "Bremen" from Bremen to Heligoland and back. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Jock. Thank you for showing this. My wife will be much pleased to see the Equator Crossing Certificate. The North German Lloyd shipping company to which this ship, the "Columbus", belonged was the company she worked for way back when. But of course all articles are worth having and seeing here. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello readers. I have elected to re-post my entry of last year. I should have mentioned that the St.Cyr class "Capitaine X. de Cacqueray" prominently opened the 14 July, 2011 National Holiday military parade in Paris. Capitaine de Cacqueray's remains are now at rest in the family vault in France at which a delegation of the graduating class named for him paid their respects and deposited flowers. His memory is still present in this writer's mind. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Jock. I remember reading the first one you show. If memory does not fail me my father had it in his library. Of note and to remember is that Dr. Goebbels taught later generations of propaganda honchos how to simply work it: The biggest lies told repeatedly will end up believed. He was a spunky Giftzwerg ( poison dwarf ) and managed to make his party to put down roots in Berlin. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Jock. Thanks for posting this. I see the words have not changed since we sang it before 1945. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello dante. I am unable to photograph the rim inscription. I posted it as I read it. Mark. I am quite a newcomer to British medals. Acquired this ( and others) at a US auction realizing full well the risk of getting a questionable one or an otherwise flawed article. I looked at it as an acceptable sample of an attractive British medal. Thank you for your comment. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Peter. The article did mention that but I did not want to include that in my post. I believe it is generally known how Hollywood uses and abuses artistic license and military consultants appear oftentimes to not know or are overruled. BTW: I have stayed away from Hollywood war products regardless of ratings because of inherent distrust of their history related films. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello dante. Thank you for the additional information. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Michael. Indeed the information you supplied is of great interest. It seems his outfit distinguished itself when artillery did not have too many opportunities to do that ( my understanding of warfare at that time). Thank you for the extensive, detailed information. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Michael. Thank you for the swift response and answer to my question. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello readers. A recent addition to my tiny British collection, here a Egypt Campaign Medal with clasps : Tofrek El-Teb Suakin 1884 The rim inscription is: 4782 Pte A.Rose R.M.L.I. PL.Dn. I am unfamiliar with the PL.Dn part of the inscription and would appreciate any help in clarifying that. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello readers. A recent acquisition is the pictured Q.S.A. Campaign Medal with clasps : Laing's Neck Transvaal Relief of Ladysmith Orange Free State Tugela Heights Cape Colony Listed above because of low scan quality or pronounced patina. Rim inscription: 19973 Dvr E.McDougall 7th BTY. RFA Bernhard H. Holst

Hello. At the risk of sounding to make misplaced fun of a very old and respected US decoration I am reminded of a Bill Mauldin sketch showing a typical Mauldin GI at a first aid station. It goes something like this: A corpsman handing the GI a Purple Heart was told " I just want an aspirin, I already got one of those." Bernhard H. Holst

Hello. I was most reluctant to read the article expecting the contents as they turned out to be only more so. But encouraging to also read that the Old Comrades did not forget and efforts to not let "civilization" pour asphalt over their graves were successful. A strong reminder to us what war or war-like conflicts do to humans or what humans do to humans. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello readers. The Washington Post reported today that former RAF Flight Lt. Paul Royle from Australia , a survivor of the Great Escape died August 23 in Perth, Australia where he lived in retirement since the 1980's. He died of complications from surgery on a hip fracture. He worked in mining and engineering over the world following his liberation in May 1945. Mr Royle was a pilot in the RAF when he was shot down in May of 1940. His role in the Great Escape was the hauling away of the dirt excavated while digging the tunnel and disposing of it properly. He was recaptured after two days. As is known fifty recaptured prisoners were cowardly shot. Only three made it to freedom of the 76 escapees. The article states that only one other survivor is still alive, former British Squadron Leader Dick Churchill, 94 years of age. I am unable to link to the article but one should be able to find it easy enough. Bernhard H. Holst