Stijn David

Hello, Thank you for sharing these wonderfull pictures. It is certainly very nice to see and i think that when i once visit Portugal that these muesums certainly will be a must !!! I especially love the Hohenzollern pieces as can be seen, really stunning beauty's and for certain directly related toward sthe relation between Portugal and the Hohenzollern (princly) dynasty !! Thank you for sharing,

Hello, Thank you both Chris & David for the response. For me such finds are worth everything and i am more then happy that i am able to rediscover such things. I can only advise all collectors to specialize in a certain field wich you feel confortable with, in that order you can find some real treasures. It is offcoarse a case of luck to be able to come in contact with the veterans who actually did own these things. Sadly enough that is a ending area due to the human biology. It is equally rewarding for me when i even become a small picture directly from a veteran with a few of my beloved glider pilots pictured and iff these can be identifyed. Monetary value is something but is not important as for the veterans these things are emotional and part of their life. That life (iff possible individual cases) is what we need to document today as in order to be able to remember and to let the story live on. Now a bit theory : for me Faleristics is a spirit, that spirit is strongly alive with the imperial collectors for example as the happyness in identifying wearers with medalbars, listing up from the wearers of certain decorations, etc ... etc ... . In the German III Reich period that spirit is not as strong yet (several reasons) but i have seen in the past years a few very good elements who does make the difference => so keep this great forum running and rediscover history !!!

Hello, And as a closer here is the reverse of the Glider pilots badge => enjoy Cordial greetings, ps: the red is a pencil placed over there to stabilize the badge while scanning

Hi John, Thank your for the extra on the flawed birdie. the flaw does not bother me => i just love it as it is Always a pleasure to help + feel free to ask whatever is needed on the glider subject to become confortable with that specifyed area. Cordial greetings,

Hi John, Thank you for the reply => and indeed you are correct on the producers of these baby's. * Glider: early Buntmetal C.E.Juncker - maker marked * Pilot: Buntmetal BSW - maker marked : in Clover leaf The pilots badge is a interesting one (at least for me). It is made out of Buntmetal altough it is awarded at the end of 1943 - beginning 1944. That does not mean offcoarse that it was produced in those years. What is however very striking on this particular badge that it does show clearely damage on the eagle's head (halfly chopped off) but the finisch is applyed over it. It does also show a few other damage marks that are probably due to the tooling. The eagle's head that is missing above the eye is not due to wearing damage. The damage is not very well to see, will try to make bette rpictures of it. I do add already a scan of the reverse. That does bring 2 questions in my mind about the BSW pilots badge: 1) was the die damaged and was this the result? 2) Or where some eagle's at first not good enough, then used anyway simply because there wher eno otehr stocks available? About the glider pilots and their wherabouts that is quite a explanation. We can make a distinction between: A) the Volunteers B) the persons who unit was disbanded at the end of 1944 and where scattered all over different units. Lets first enlighten Category A) Quite a few did volunteer to receive the training as pilot to become a fighter pilot (at least that was the dream and intention). In that way a few did reach indeed a fighter unit. The most of these glider pilots where put in the KG 200 and received training on a few exotic planes with the goal to become Suicide pilots (Gruppe Lange, etc ...) A few others as this one did reach a so called "Schlachtgeschwader" and he did fly FW190 when shot down in april 1945. The most of his comrades did however not survive these exotic adventures. He did but disabled for life. Then we have what i call category B The former glider pilots who's units where disbanded where reused as Infantery, Falschirmj?ger, etc ... etc ... you name it. Needles to say the same can be said as above => quite a few did not survive these units. Hoping this answered a bit your questions, offcoarse it is only partial info on the wherabouts of glider pilots, much more can be said but that would probably bore the readers Cordial greetings,

And badge nr. 2

Hello, Here are two fresh arrivals (they where tucked into a paper package) and do come directly from the veteran who did earn them both during WWII. For me these are just beyond beautifull and my love is once again lightened up when i do see such pieces. They are: 1) Glider pilots badge 2)Pilots badge Both are what we often call => early Buntmetal pieces and they where awarded upon this person in early 1941 (nr. 1) and 1944 (nr. 2) !!!!! What producent did make these baby's ? As a bit of backgroudn, this person is over the 90's, he did do more then his duty as he was involved in Cholm (did land over there + this very glider pilots badge was on his breast ). Then he was active in different glider units and was transferred towards a pilots school in 1943. He did succesfully complete his training and was transferred firstly towards the famous KG 200 . Then he was transferred towards a unit that did fly FW 190 and had as a task : Eastern Front = try and kill Russian tanks, etc ... During on of these flights he was shot down and burned very heavely, badge nr. 2 was in wear during that action. Besides the shown pieces nothing did survive the war. Anyway, here they are and i love them => so now it is up towards you guys to name the producers of these Cordial greetings, ps: better pictures will be available soon (i was so happy that a lousy scan would do for now)

Hello, Congratulations on such a wonderfull grouping, this one will give you much pleasure Cordial greetings and thank you for sharing,

Hello, Thank you very much for that info Uwe, much appreciated + nice to see that you did make it in Cordial greetings,

Hello, I asked last year at HH to give some additional info, as far as i do remember this MWO was awarded towards the soldier (he was a Uffz. at that point with the Dutch forces in indonesia) for : Killing a important resistance leader in Atjeh. Can't remember the name anymore. Nice bar for sure and a hard award to get Cordial greetings,

Hello, And then offcoarse besides true (front) units we also had the training units. For example the : "Schleppschule der Luftwaffe" This unit it was grounded at the end off 1940 by Oberst Drewes and its purpose was to train pilots and crews ( mostly Me 110 ) in towing Glider planes from the type Me 321 ( Gigant ) The pilots where trained in several stadia and they advanced trough several glider planes for its purpose to tow the big beast called Me 321, towing this plane was a rather dangerous job and the first method used to tow it was the so called " TRoika " Schlepp ( this was a towing method in wich 3 Me 110 where attached to the Me 321 ( each with its own towing cable ) and they had the task to tow the Me 321, needles to say that with the smallest missing accidents could happen ( and they sure did happen believe me ) + in many cases resulitng in both the loss off the Me 110 and its crew . Anotehr task of this schleppschule was to train the pilots to fly another monstrum called the Me 323 ( or the motorized version of the Me 321 ) , the School only existed in its original appearance untill the end of 1941 and at April 1942 the staff of this training unit became the core of the so called Erganzungsgruppe ( S ) 2 places where this particular unit was active where ( in order of date ) : 1 ) Jesau ( near Konigsberg ) the beginning 2 ) Leipheim & Obertraubling The little pin is a honour pin ( I have never encountered a Award document untill now or a entry in either Soldbuch or Wehrpass ) and is handpainted enamel , it is very delicatly made and I consider it one off the rarer distinctions from the German wartime glider units ( even rarer then the award doc. for the glider pilots badge + the badge itself ) , so next time you see one snatch it up. The shown pin was obtained at H.Weitze and is now residing happily in Belgium Cordial greetings,

Hello, And here is more clear (detailed) one from the unitsign of the: Lw. Kdo Don More to follow ...

Hi Eric, Cant help myself but otherwise i can advise you to contact mr. Vilius Kavaliauskas. He must be able to translate it perfectly + will be able to help you in the search of awards of such things towards Dutch inhabitants. Iff you do not have his contactinfo feel free to contact me about it (with E-Mail) Cordial greetings,

Hello, Excellent and very informative thread => thank you for sharing those beauty's @ Jacky: that's the actual mini belonging towards his normal sized brother Cordial greetings,

Hello John, Congratulations, you are indeed quite close and i will be pleased to give additional info. " The picture does shows the graves of fallen J?ger of the 2nd Kompanie of the Luftlande Sturm Regiment. The sign on the right records the death of Obj. Georg Schultz. The names recorded are: Fw. Walter R?hrich (previously the leader of Trupp 5, Sturmgruppe Beton) Obj. Schupp (a glider pilot) Obgefr. Schuml Jg. Maskowski Jg. Mumm. The photograph was apparently taken in June 1941 atop Hill 214. Source: Ian Tannahill" This picture comes within the legacy from a glider pilot who crashlanded in the sea at 20.05.1941. He was rescued among several other FJ he carryed. Then again 2 of his crew (FJ that is) drowned already before they where rescued. They tryed to swim towards the shore but where pulled under the water due to their heavy smocks, ammo, etc ... The rest of the DFS crew did stay inside the plane as it did float apparently and so these men where rescued. The adventure was not at a end for the glide rpilot, he was flewn in the very next day. This time not as a pilot (of a DFS230) but as a member of a Ju 52 plane. They landed at malemes it seems and from that point on he did participate in the battle. Strange facts about this are, he never ever received any award (no EK 2 nor the Crete cuff.) for his particpation. Altough due to his participation in the battle from 21 may 1941 he was entitled to receive the Crete cuff. I also was of the opinion that all particpants of the Crete glider action did win at least a EK 2 for their actions. It seems that this was not a automatism at all. This person was awarded a EK 2 for sure, but then again it was not before 1944 and it was not in direct relation towards the Crete operation. So always be prepared to learn a bit and keep searching !!! Then one question does remain => it is funny that the glider pilot was recognized a pure FJ rank (Oberj?ger), as glider forces did cooperate close with FJ at certain points, they did hold normally the normal LW ranks. Propably just a simple mistake of the person who was ordered to create the commemorative sign. Cordial greetings

Hello, Here is a picture that shows the sad reality of war, the picture is taken at Crete. For me the clue is already obviously but it is not bad iff the interested lookers also have a bit brain training, so therefore 2 questions A) try to find out why i have it in my collection (easy part) B) what area of the island this would be (harder part - altough) Altough it is a bit blurry, it does have enough detail to find out Thanks in advance for looking + looking forward towards the reply's

Hi Paul, I believe it was shoe polisch or something like that, this was to celebrate the promotions that where given towards the soldiers who had their faces a bit dirty => the celebration of the improvement of rank towards Oberfeldwebel (strange habit, but then again it was war ) These guys do belong towards the so called L.L.G.2 (Luftlande Geschwader 2). Cordial greetings,

Hello, And here we have a close up from the Spanisch cross => probably a bronze grade? Cordial greetings

Hello Sal & Friends, Here is a picture i have from a glider pilot legacy, it does show Hptm (in the picture still Olt.) Dumke togheter with a few of his Ofw & Fw's arround him. The picture s to date arround early 1944 and i tought it was a nice and interesting one for the Spanisch cross lovers. The spanisch cross soldier was a towingpilot attache towards the glider unit. Cordial greetings,

Hi john, Thank you, nice work with that digital rework And you are offcoarse correct, the unknown (at this point) Lw. Uffz. is wearing : * The German glider pilots badge * The Iron cross 2 nd. class (ribbon through his buttonhole) * Wound badge - black * The Silver C (embroyed version) This picture is from afterwards 1942 + it was taken in Breslau. Besides that i do not have much to go further on it. Anyway for me it is a nice on for the collection Cordial greetings,

Hello, Thank you for the hint about the National archives. DO you have any idea on how to start the research or to whom i can write to get the search for this particualr officer started? The German soldier (a Luftwaffe member) who has liberated that piece of parachute Silk would have great interest in knowing more about the fate of the Englisch pilot. It would be great iff we can find out more about that englisch pilot and his wherabouts, etc ... Cordial greetings,

Hello, And here we have a close up from the Luftwaffe soldiers breast => oh my and what do we see dangling over tehre Cordial greetings,

Hello, Here is a picture (postcard size) that i was able to obtain a few days ago, i like it for 2 ways : 1) The multiple Heer branches that are shown in this posed picture (i can ID from left to right, starting above : top row : Wehrmacht (With EK 2 ribbon and what looks like a eastern front) / Civilian bottom row : Reichsbahn ? / Kriegsmarine / Luftwaffe 2) I obtained it offcoarse for the Lw. Uffz. that is pictured, and what do we see on his very uniform I let you guys ID the Lw. awards (can't be that hard at al ) The picture is printed and taken in a atlier at Breslau / so that makes me think that these might be friends or brothers who posed somwhere after 1942 for this picture

Hi Ulster, Copying the whole magazine (as that issue has only 1 area : the red cross medal) would probably be just as expensive as getting the magazine itself. I have seen in teh past that dealers such as Weitze, etc... have such older issue's +> so my advice, surf a bit arround and find that particular piece. OMM stands for: Orden Militaria Magazin Cordial greetings, ps: indeed the copyright needs to be respected, the BDOS is a marvelous organisation and has done already some good work. As a member myself i would not want to disrespect them. (Have edited as i do not want to hijack this thread to much )

Hi Michael, Thank you for that info, so we can safely assume that he survived the war. Any idea on where i could find out more on this particular pilot? as i believe this is the one i am after. I have it confirmed that he was the only one downed in that area on that very day. It would be nice to get more info on him, mayby though some official instancy? Cordial greetings,