Luftmensch

I'm crosseyed looking at cyphers! The simple cigarette case below has one on one side and his wife, presumably (with the smaller coronet), on the other. I'm guessing it's a household gift to someone of not-exalted rank. But who from? FA and SW or WS. I know there was a Friedrich August in Saxony and another in Oldenburg at this time, but the other cypher doesn't match their wives. Hallmarks are : crown, 800, 201236, D.R.G.M. and BC. My DRGM list dates this to 1903. Can anyone help?

Yes! It is the one in post #5, which you sold Ferg, carefully restored by a great jeweller!

See Godet #10

Catch me up. What is the evidence for this 100 badge order?

It was desirable to preserve a nucleus in all specialties, and presumably gainful employment was sufficient incentive in those days. I'm guessing the Reichswehr Army was strapped supplying uniform necessities without having to buy commemorative pieces. Unless you are saying an officer bought badges for those who served under him? Or, maybe, as with the non-portable aviation awards funded by the aero industry, he got a cheque from one of the manufacturers who profited from making these vehicles.

Thank you for the badge at Zeppelinheim. You have one in your collection? Would you post it again to this thread? It seems you, me, Ferg and Carsten have half of the world's Godet Zeppelins!

Not my area, but didn't the flamethrowers et al already have some kind of distinctive insignia? For the gearheads back then nothing impressed like an airship, a U-boat or a bloody great lumbering tank. I think size won. Big vehicle, big badge. Luca Brazzi and the gas troops weren't sexy enuff, I guess.

Alex, for interest I added up all the identified GODETs in the two books (Baldes and Pandis) that came out, and the few other badges I know about. There are a few more GODET Zeppelins out there flying about than I thought...16 fullsize + Prinzen. What was that 3rd badge you say is in a Museum? Thanks. 10 x GODET Navy Zeppelin fullsize badges: 1. “LZ-103” engraved on nose; sold Wallis & Wallis; Pandis p. 261 2. marked GODET-WERNER BERLIN 938; sold Carsten Zeige; Pandis 263 3. “935” on pin; coll. German family; Pandis 263 4. Museum Friedrichshafen; Pandis 264 5. “JGuS” on pin; Baldes 594 6. Screwback; German family; Baldes 595 7. “Hans Masius” screwback; Baldes 596 8. Screwback converted to pin; John Bell; Baldes 597 9. Cliche; German family; Pandis 272 10. Fergus Gillett 1 x GODET Army Zeppelin fullsize badge 1. “Arthur Wurbs” cliche; sold Kai Winkler; Baldes 575, Pandis 272 4 x GODET Navy Zeppelin Prinzen badges 1. John Bell; Pandis 265 2. marked “20643”; Aeronauticum Nordholz; Baldes 609, Pandis 268 3. “Walther Fischer”; Georg Bewersdorf; Baldes 608, Pandis 270 4. “Wolff-Vorbeck”; Georg Bewersdorf; Baldes 607, Pandis 271 1 x GODET Army Zeppelin Prinzen badge 1. “Hermann Rotzoll”; John Bell; Pandis 268

Chris, I agree with Alex, biased as I am! Your parallel is the Zeppelin Commemorative badge, which came after the war, did have some qualification criteria, went to an arm that didn't achieve much but came into its own later (strategic bombing), and probably only had a lobby of a few score officers (with only several hundred badges subsequently purchased). As Hans von Schiller wrote in 1920 about the production of this new badge: The idea had already emerged in 1916, as many comrades from the Airship branch might recall...why the proposal got no further, is unknown to me....After the Revolution, when the [Airship] Branch was dissolved by order of the enemy, the idea was taken up again by Korv.-Kap. Sommerfeld to create a Commemorative Badge for the many missions over the enemy. So it sounds like it was not a priority during the war, and a tchotchke afterward to salve some wounded pride! After that, like the Tanker, it became a commercial venture for any jeweller who wished to stock and retail them for a limited market. As for approving such a badge--not much else for the Luftsreitkraefte to do in 1920 but arrange for the sale of their Zeppelins overseas as per Versailles. If you were lucky enough to win a commemorative Zeppelin Becher there was no money for postage so come and get it!!

Very interesting. From Wikipedia: Niva...was the most popular magazine of late-nineteenth-century Russia; it lasted from 1870 to 1918, and defined itself on its masthead as "an illustrated weekly journal of literature, politics and modern life." Niva was the first of the "thin magazines," illustrated weeklies that "contrasted with the more serious and ideologically focused monthly 'thick journals' intended for the educated reader."[1] .....In his autobiography, Maxim Gorky says that his employers in the early 1880s subscribed to Niva "for the cut-out patterns and the prize offers; but they never read it"; he himself, however, was enthralled by the volumes he pulled out from under their bed and read at night...It continued to be popular after the October Revolution, especially in the provinces (in the capitals it was the object of frequent jokes by the sophisticated), but was closed by the Bolsheviks in September 1918.

Wow...I think in your travels and knowledge, Alex, you probably have the best tally of how many are out there. So few! Very nice badge...I love the patina...was it mounted on something?

Thank you, Alex. Didn't you find a Godet a few years ago? I know there is at least one more out there in GMIC land... Alex, I was also wondering--how many Godet Zeppelins do you think have survived? I hear 30 to 40 fullsize + Prinzen. Do you think that number is too high or too low?

This is a salesman's brochure showing all the Godet Luftschiff products in full-scale line drawings.

Thought I'd share my small flock of Godet Zepps, and encourage any others to come out of their roosts... Fullsize, converted from screwback to pinback. Prinzens--one of each. The Army has cut-out gondolas. Even the mini has amazing detail, right down to the longitudinal ribbing on the airship.

Thank you VERY MUCH Andreas! "...cutting edge regiment of Christianity." Love it.

This I believe is the Kronprinz's autograph on a presentation frame. Can anyone read and translate his dedication? Many thanks.

Beautiful original examples! The Observer badge without rivets Pandis calls the "Distribution" pattern. See his volume 1 page 83. The Pilot badge Carsten Baldes calls Godet made, with a star punch on the pin for base metals under silver plate. See his book p. 189.

Fascinating! Thanks for the lead on Garros. Looks like we stumbled on a great war myth. The original wire service report: http://www.upi.com/Archives/1914/08/03/LONDON-Aug-3-1914-UP-The-first-air-battle-in-world-history-has-taken-place-at-Longwy-France-A-French-aviator-circled-above-a-German-aircraft-fired-down-upon-it-and-sent-it-300-feet-to-earth-The-German-aviator-was-killed/9181863545103/ The rest of the story... https://airminded.org/2013/05/15/the-first-death-of-roland-garros/

Saw these postcards and they seem to be of the same action, and not just fantasy drawings. Can anyone identify who the pilot was and what happened here? A translation of the captions would be great. Thanks!

On a silver presentation box are engraved the name of 56 PLM winners, mostly Flieger and U-boot commanders. But on each side are, I think, 6 names of Army Officers with PLMs. I have had help identifying two names so far. Any help IDing the last 4 would be appreciated! 1. ? 2. ? 3. ? 4. Lancelle 5. ? 6. Seidel

Here are 7 pairs of signatures from a silver presentation box. Seven I have identified as PLM winning U-boot commanders, so I assume the others might be. Any help on the other 7 would be appreciated. Thanks! 1. Forstmann 2. Moraht 3. ? 4. ? 5. Hersing 6. Rose 7. ? 8. Marschall 9. ? 10. Siess 11. Hartwig 12. ? 13. ? 14. ?

Yes, thank you, Claudius. The types of PLM winners are all segregated. 36 PLM winners to Flieger on top--34 confirmed! It would be odd if 2 out of 36 are non-Flieger. But it is beginning to look that way. The front of the box has the U-boot and the two sides Army. Maybe they are Army names? Thank you for trying. Maybe I will post the unidentified U-boot names and you will spot somebody. Rgds

These two are from a silver box signed and engraved by 36 men on the lid. 34 are ID'ed as PLM Flieger. Only these two remain unidentified. Can you help? The first is in the centre below Bongartz. The second is at the bottom below Richthofen and Boelcke. Thanks!

The finest Ehrenpreis I have ever seen... Good work and congratulations, again!