VtwinVince

Great thread. You can't under-emphasize the value of this decoration, especially early in the conflict. My grandfather won his in November, 1914 with the 203 R.I.R at Dixmude, apparently one of the first enlisted men in the regiment to get it. He was badly wounded and unfit for further duty, but most photos of him after this point show him wearing his EK2.

Don't forget that the history of the EK can really be traced back, iconographically, to the Ritterorden of the 12th century, which of course formed the Wappen of Ostpreussen, so it doesn't get more ingrained than that.

This guy just never quits, does he?

Interesting Lebenslauf, he was a very early member of the Fliegertruppe. My uncle also used to tell me about the raids on Paris with his Gotha, although he normally flew Albatros CIII. Any idea where his Grossordensspange is?

Claudio, this just gets more and more interesting. I didn't know Falke was CO of Kampfstaffel 24. The Beurteilung is written by Hauptmann Hermann Kastner at Karlshorst, and he was CO of Bombengeschwader 7, in which my uncle served as Flugzeugfuehrer in Kampfstaffel 22. He got the Ehrenbecher in 1918 for shooting a Spad off the CO's tail. It is quite likely that my uncle knew Falke from this time.

Very nice spange, I can see why you like this one. Are you sure it's Coburg and not Altenburg?

Really great documents, Claudio. I think his pilot was the later Luftwaffe general Felmy. They must have scored at least one confirmed victory to have been awarded the Ehrenbecher.

Claudio, I see Falke was awarded the Ehrenbecher in 1917. Do you have details on this action, and who his Flugzeugfuehrer was? I also think it is great to see aviators with this name.

Best ribbon bar and kettchen I have ever seen, superb.

Me neither, the crown isn't right and I don't like the frame.

I also think it stands a good chance. I like the 'stepped' core, details look good, and I like the suspension ring setup.

Really great set, I like the fact that the CO was Niemoeller, a famous later anti-Nazi activist. And the location of Pola is interesting, scene of a famous massacre in 1945.

That reminds me of a reunion of pilots my organization sponsored many years ago, to which a large number of Allied and Axis aircrew showed up. One German guy was wearing a Kette on his lapel with the Knight's Cross, so I asked him if it was indeed the RK. He replied that it was, and that he had won it in KG40 on anti-shipping strikes. I looked into it afterward, and of course he was full of it. Having said that, I've met genuine RK holders who were very humble and never talked about it.

Chris, I like the points you bring up concerning the nature of vets. I have personally interviewed many vets over the years, both Allied and Axis, and you're right, a disproportionately high number of them were alcoholics and pathological liars, as well as egomaniacs. I also met some vets who were really outstanding individuals. It is interesting that you bring up the Loewen incident, as I have photos of it taken by my grandfather.

Looks like the EK is of the 'offset crown' fake variety, and the whole setup looks put together.

This person is a lunatic, now she's come up with the ID being Franz Buchner. I'm surprised ebay hasn't pulled the ad for soliciting offers.

I'm looking for someone with a copy of Obermaier's 'Die Ritterkreuztraeger der Luftwaffe, Band 1', as I'm missing pages 13-14 from my copy. Please PM me if you have this book.

Ditto, got a fairly snarky and vague response.

Love the spange, especially with the scarce 'Prinzen' version of the 1897 medal. What is the last medal?

You have some great stuff there. I particularly like the early Alsen\Dueppel bar, very nice.

Very nice cross from a rare maker.

Thanks for posting those scans, Timo, much appreciated. Notice that this seems to be a converted old-style feldspange, with the medals crudely stitched to the backing cloth. A real dog's breakfast, but it has character.

I have this item in hand now. If someone would like to volunteer to post scans of it, I can send them via email.

Well done, you know how rare these formal examples are, and the recipient is a bonus. Is the signature original or pre-printed? As for the wife, just tell her you've been 'investing', works for me.

So Chris, did you get the doc? I was seriously tempted, but resisted the urge.