VtwinVince

Gordon, that's a really great story, and a fabulous gesture on your part to find a badge for this gentleman. Coincidentally, today I was watching a DVD of Das Boot, which really gives a vivid impression of life for these brave men. Incidentally, wasn't HMS Walker also responsible for capturing Otto Kretschmer?

You're right, the scan is a little fuzzy. Also, if I try to post a larger image, I'm over the limit.

Some people regard Paul Tibbets as a "war hero". It's pretty subjective, isn't it?

Gentlemen,

If anyone can provide biographical info on the following, it would be appreciated:

C. Dughera

F. Baslini

Gentlemen,

Here is an unpublished photo taken early in 1918 of Bombengeschwader 7. Interesting group of uniforms on display. Can anyone find the redoubtable CO, Hauptmann Hermann Kastner? My uncle, Vizefeldwebel Albrecht Ochs, is standing third from left.

Gentlemen,

Here is a nice photo of the ninth staffel of JG 3, taken July 1940 after the interception and destruction of a squadron of Blenheims near Amiens. Left to right: Feldwebel Hans Stechmann, Unteroffizier Otto Wessling, Staffelkapitaen Hauptmann Dr. Albrecht Ochs, Kriegsberichter Waldemar Kuckuck, Leutnant Franz Achleitner, Unteroffizier Struwe, Unteroffizier Georg Schentke. Needless to say, a very high-scoring group of pilots.

Hi John,

Yes, he did have an interesting career, and was one of only a handful of pilots to score confirmed victories in both wars. I do have an extensive amount of material on him, and will be posting some of the more interesting photos on this site. As requested, here is the other PO.

Thanks for the info, John.

Gentlemen,

Here is another badge from the estate of my uncle, Major Dr. Albrecht Ochs. Has anyone seen one of these before? It is nicely finished with blue enamel. Does anyone know what the designation S8 stands for?

Gentlemen,

Here is an early Juncker PO badge, awarded December 1938 to my uncle, Major Dr. Albrecht Ochs. It has the nice cutout between the legs. I also have his other copy, a wartime badge by the "unknown maker".

Gentlemen,

Since I have a few goodies home for awhile, I thought I'd show a couple. Here is a private purchase pilot badge, awarded to my uncle, Vizefeldwebel Albrecht Ochs, January 12, 1918. Notice the very crude field replacement pin, which is soldered on with what looks like lead. It has the usual hallmarks one would expect from a Juncker piece.

Hi Dan,

To become a Koeniglicher Baurat, or Imperial Architect, one had to complete an intensive schooling which covered such skills as drafting, painting, physics etc. One had to submit a portfolio for the Pruefung (test) to a commission which determined whether the applicant was competent or not. I have some of my ancestor's portfolio which he submitted, and these comprise incredibly detailed renderings of buildings such as the St. Nicholai Church in Potsdam. After he became an architect, he worked on famous buildings around Germany, including the Anhalter Bahnhof in Berlin. Here's a photo of him during the first war. As an aside, I have a pair of his trousers, which are huge as he was 2 meters tall.

Very nice frontspange, Sascha. This guy was a real "Weihnachtsbaum" with all those orders.

Thanks, gentlemen, for your comments. I hadn't thought of the possibility of returning the orders. Wouldn't he have had to return the minis as well, or were these strictly private purchase?

Simon, that's a great group. I just recently got a large group of naval photos from a collection in Germany, with quite a bit of August Thiele material, including his Visitenkarte as Fregattenkapitaen and CO of SSS Gorch Fock.

Thanks for your kind comments, gentlemen. I don't think I'll become a seamstress anytime soon. As a bonus, here's the mini, also from Godet. Fortunately it survived the ravages of time unmolested.

And here is the reverse.

Gentlemen,

Here is a frackspange which belonged to my great-grandfather, Paul Ochs of Magdeburg. Unfortunately someone swiped the crosses, so here is the result of my restoration. Thanks to Barry at eMedals for sourcing the replacement crosses. Paul Ochs was a Koeniglicher Baurat and was awarded the REO by the Kaiserin personally for restoring a church in Wernigerode. He was also responsible for building the Hindenburg-Kaserne in Magdeburg.

Thanks, guys, Heinz is one of the nicest, most modest gentlemen I've ever met. Paul, he was held for the duration in Canada, I believe at Bowmanville.

Kev, I think you have it except for the last one, which has me stumped. The ribbon looks a little too dark to be yellow. As for his name, I believe he's Richard Ochs, born in Magdeburg. Oh, and don't forget the 25 year oaks on the EK.

Interesting photo. Nice to see one of the "locals" getting a few gongs from the Fatherland. My favorite shot is of a former Askari, wearing his EK 2 and a British MM from WW2. Can't remember where I saw that one.

Teshuekuer, Tosun, those are some excellent portraits.

And here's the reverse of same. Again, a very nice level of workmanship on this item.

Here's the "transitional" example I have. Apologies again for the quality of these scans.

Here's the reverse. It's a nice quality modification.