VtwinVince
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Everything posted by VtwinVince
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I know what you mean, John. I've been lucky enough to rescue the Urkunde for the Ehrenbecher, but no base or box unfortunately. I'm still hoping one day to find the Ehrenpokal my uncle got in October, 1940. He told me that it was presented by Goering personally on the Channel and came in the blue presentation case. It was taken by Americans in 1945 in Bavaria. BTW he commanded the Polizei-Fliegerstaffel at Karlshorst during the "Kapp Putsch". I have some nice aerial photos of Berlin from this period.
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I go away for holidays, come back, and see this group...ach du liebes Bisschen! Luftmensch, that is the most fascinating group I've ever seen, what an amazing career Wieprich had. And that cigarette case is beyond amazing. BTW the Ehrenbecher is an exact duplicate of the one I have from my uncle. Out of interest, do you know what happened to his son?
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My dad used to talk about the winter of 45-46 as being the worst time of his life. Not only had they lost everything to the Russians, but they were literally starving. They had distended bellies, and my grandmother used to try and feed her six children with whatever she could find, mostly soups made from turnips stolen from a farmers' field. The highlight of that winter was feasting on a horse which had been hit by a train. In addition, my grandfather had recently returned, by a miracle, from a Soviet "Vernichtungslager" and was in such poor health that he almost died. It is hard to imagine the privations of that time, especially when you consider that my family had been one of some stature in East Prussia, and were reduced to living in such awful conditions.
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Les, what you have to say is fascinating, and topical. My father and his family arrived from Koenigsberg, via Cottbus, in the Rhineland in 1945, and were regarded with derision by other members of the family with whom they sought refuge, being as they were "Saupreussen" and more mouths to feed. This prompted my father to emigrate here in 1952, since the western part of Germany was anything but "home".
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EK 1914 Pilot's Crosses
VtwinVince replied to Luftmensch's topic in Germany: All Eras: The Iron Cross
Mein lieber Herr Luftmensch, all I can say is "Ausgezeichnet". It seems the German officers of the first war had a much nicer time in Siberia than their successors of the second conflict. -
EK 1914 1813 EK2 grouping.
VtwinVince replied to Gordon Williamson's topic in Germany: All Eras: The Iron Cross
Right. Gordon, that is a fabulous group, any chance of determining ownership? -
Brian, the Magdeburg connection is interesting, as I believe the regiments from this garrison town considered themselves more "Prussian" than the Prussians, although technically they were Saxons. My great-grandfather was also a Magdeburger, before transplanting himself to Berlin, and was the architect responsible for the Hindenburg-Kaserne, or barracks, in that city. There was, and to a certain extent still, exists a curious regionalism in Germany, with the southern states still regarding anything Prussian with disdain. I think this dates back to the wars of unification, when Bismarck literally pressganged many states into siding with Prussia, or risk facing severe consequences.
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EK 1914 1813 EK2 grouping.
VtwinVince replied to Gordon Williamson's topic in Germany: All Eras: The Iron Cross
Brian, that's a great portrait, is it a watercolor? My great-great-great grandfather was with the Prussians at the Voelkerschlacht in 1813, while a cousin of his died the previous year in Russia, fighting with the French. -
Let's not forget the contribution of von Steuben to the revolutionary forces. Brian, being a Berliner made you a Berliner, not a Prussian, something which the Berliners are very proud of. I think a certain president once summed it up, "Ich bin auch ein Berliner". My grandfather was originally from Friedenau, and considered himself a "transplanted" Prussian by virtue of marrying into an East Prussian Junker family.
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Hmmm, very interesting thread. I too am quite interested in these goblets, mainly through a family connection. There are a few unnamed examples floating around, as I know of one in a collection in Texas. Strangely enough, I was offered one of the Moelders examples about twenty years ago by none other than James "Ginger" Lacey, of Battle of Britain fame. I declined his offer. As an aside, I sincerely doubt that Hitler would have gone out of his way to make posthumous presentations to Moelders of any sort, given the very bad relationship that existed between the two. His death in November, 1941 must have come as a godsend to Hitler. Now, if anyone can locate the Ehrenpokal awarded to my uncle, Hauptmann Dr. Albrecht Ochs, in October, 1940, I will give you my first born. Apparently it was "liberated" by US forces in 1945.
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Gentlemen, I am trying to find more information on the career of my great-great uncle, Oberst Otto Heinemann. All I know is that he was an artillery officer, won the Hausorden von Hohenzollern and was killed in a strafing incident involving Soviet jabos in East Prussia in 1945. Any help would be greatly appreciated.