Stijn David

Hello Prosper,

I hope you did survive?

This person was part of the gliders who landed near the so called "Schlangengraben" (= the bowy road in the center of the picture). These gliders did belong towards the Kampfgruppe "Draufg?nger". The approximate place where this glider pilot did land was where the "X" is on the Map.

The marked things with "1" are landed glider planes.

They had to atack and occupy the so called "Westkreuz" => on the map is the junction where the 2 roads do cross.

He also did tell me that he did have the most terrible night of his life after they landed. He did survive luckily without a scratch. Quite a few of his German fellows where hit during that night.

For his participation in this mission he earned:

* Iron Cross 2 nd. class (the award document shown here)

* A Croatian Bravery medal

* Erdkampf Abzeichen

Cordial greetings,

Hello,

And here is one that will make our friend Prosper absolutely go nuts

This is a EK 2 document awarded towards a glider pilot for his participation in the Drvar mission

Hehehe ..... => and yes he was carrying troops without rank insignia, etc .....

Cordial greetings,

hello,

And here we have another remembrance from this period : http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=25277

Cordial greetings,

Hello,

Here is a very nice remembrance piece that does form a link between the German and britisch opponents during WWII, more specifyed from the Tunesian campaign.

This regiment cuff was taken of a Britisch prisoner jacket during the winter 1942/43 in Tunesia.

The German who did obtain this piece was part of the German Lw. Feldregiment "Barenthin", I Batallion. During a battle these troops where engaged by britisch troops near Sidi N'Sir. The Germans could capture some Britisch soldiers wich and otehr war booty (a small armoured vehicle, etc...). The Britisch soldiers where then sent towards Mateur towards a P.O.W. area.

This cufftitle was taken by Gefr. X who did ship it in a Fieldpostletter back towards the homefront. He was soon also a prisoner of war and was sent towards the US, etc... as a P.O.W. The Fieldpostletter with this piece did make it towards Germany and did so survive untill this very day with the family of the Gefr. X.

Upon his release as a P.O.W. during 1947 he did find this piece as it was kept by his mother. He did keep it untill yesterday upon he did gave it towards me as a remembrance for the almost forgotten battle of the Lw. Feldregt. "Barenthin" and the Glider troops wich where used there as Infantery.

FOr me it is a very first to actually see the proof of wich Allied unit was the direct opponent at some time of these German troops, namely the : The Hampshire Regiment.

Is there anyone who does know where such a unit designation was worn by the Britisch? , etc....

Is this a enlisted or officer piece, etc....

Many questions about a piece captured in the Tunesian mountains near Sidi N'Sir.

Cordial greetings + thanks for looking,

Hello,

And here is a scan from the markings.

I have measured the shell and it points in the direction of 75 mm.

Cordial greetings,

Stijn,

your man may have been born in Westfalen but that is not the career of a Prussian Officer. Prussian Officiers typically served nine of ten years as Seconde-Lieutenants before promotion to Premier-Lieutenant and then about four or five before promotion to Hauptmann. He would have attended the Kriegsakademie as an officer and not a Kriegsschule. He would not have been an Adjutant on the General Staff as a Lieutenant. Sounds like this guy entered the Belgian Army?

Regards

Glenn

Hi Glenn,

Thank you for the reply. Indeed a very weird career it seems. On the otehr hand it should not surprise us iff some info is not as it was.

We are talking here about persons who did enter service to serve in the Congo Freestate during the beginning years. That attracted a lot of persons who did seek adventure, etc..... or where outcastst (even iff they where military personel).

So in that light, it is not strange iff some ifno was not quite as it really was. You have to see the very early E.I.C. period of teh Congo colony a bit as the Foreign Legion of france. Always place for persons who did seek adventure, etc....

Cordial greetings,

Hello,

Here is the info i have on this person:

Geboren: 22.06.1851 : Brilon - Westfalen

01.04.1870 : Eintritt Milit?rschule

08.10.1872 : Leutnant ernannt

21.09.1875 : Eintritt zur Kriegsschule

16.07.1878: Oberleutnant ernannt ? 11 e Regiment (?)

15.12.1878: Adujdant beim Etat-Major ernannt

28.05.1881: 8 e Linie Regt.

30.10.1881: detache a l?Institut Cartographique Militaire

30.03.1889: Hauptmann

01.02.1882 : Engagiert sich f?r 3 Jahre im Kongo (2400 Fr.), einschiffung im liverpool

12.03.1882 : Ankunft Banana

01.06.1882: Ernannt zur Chef de secteur de Manyonga Nord

02.07.1883: Ernannt zur Chef und Staatsagent

07.12.1884: Einschiffung und ruckkehr nach europa ? erkrankung

15.03.1888: Engagiert sich f?r 3 Jahr (2400 Fr.)

19.03.1888 : Verlasst Europa uber Antwerpen

20.04.1888 : Ankunft Banana und zugewiesen zur ?berf?hrung von Zanzibari

18.06.1888 : Ankunft Zanzibar

03.07.1888: Ruckkehr aus Zanzibar

24.07.1888: Ruckkehr nach Europa

06.07.1893: Zur Kapit?n Commandant ernannt (Jarhlich: 9000 Fr.)

06.07.1893: Einschiffung im Antwerpen mit SS ?Lualaba?

31.07.1893: Ankunft Boma

04.08.1893: Bangosso zugewiesen

20.11.1893: Zugewiesen um die Expedition gegen bahr el gazalla zu kommandieren

04.05.1894: Ankunft a L?Adda

01.01.1895: L?Ubangi Bomu zugewiesen

21.05.1896: Einschiffung im Boma

Codial greetings,

Hi David,

Thank you for the info.

Cordial greetings,

Hello,

I have found this German officer in the files of the Afrika Archive here in Belgium (relation towards our former Belgian Colony => Congo)

The city of Brilon does exist (see: http://www.brilon.de )

Iff it is corectly Milis or Millis? I don't know.

Let me see what more that i can find for ou guys to set you on the way.

Cordial greetings,

Hello,

Can anyone give information on the following German officier:

Milis - Theodor, Viktor, Eduard, Adolf, Arthur

Born: 22.06.1851 (Brilon)

Deceased: ?

He was promoted towards Leutnant arround 1870/1871 (Franco/Prussian War?)

I would be interested to find out wich other promotions this person did receive, did he participate in teh Franco/Prussian war? Wich awards did he earn?

All informtion is greatly appreciated.

Cordial greetings,

Hello,

Yesterday i received 2 old familiy pieces. Namely 2 German Shells from the WWI period.

I will post pictures as soon as i have some, one shell has the following markings:

OKT. 1917 (most probably date of production?)

St

G 246

67 % Cu.

HL

25

Any idea's on what these markings do mean?

Also, wich calibre was this shell for?

The shell is also engraved (so called trench art + quite common in Belgium for the direct after war years) with flower motives and the Dutch text " Aandenken van den oorlog 1914-1918 " or transliterated in Englisch " A remembrance from the War 1914-1918 "

Cordial greetings + thanks in advance

Hello,

Very nice Goblet, one of the nicer Lw. awards => congratulations

Cordial greetings,

Hello,

That is one hell of a find for certain

Are there any glider units listed? for example the Luftlande Geschwader 1 (L.L.G.1), etc ....

Codial greetings,

Hello,

And the reverse

Cordial greetings,

Hello,

I want to show you fellowcollectors a new addition, a 'Afrika' cufftitle - Linnen piece - obtained directly from the former wearer.

Yes, indeed. The wearer was a German glider pilot who was with the Lw.Feld.Regt 'Barenthin' and saw action in Tunesia during 1942/1943 untill he was wounded. This piece is the awarded and worn piece fom him. He did shorten the Cuff. after the war and did glue it towards a dark background.

Last week he did sent it towards me as an addition for my collection and in honour of the former glider troops who did see action as goundtroops in Tunesia.

For me it is a very first Linnen issue (normally i have untill now always encoutered the so called 'Kamelhaar' type). The colour of this type is very nice, it is rather olivegreen then brown.

Feel free to post you example for comparison

Cordial greetings,

Hello,

Ah yes, we are not sleeping => just finished anotehr 350 names and so it will continue untill the complete roll is done

Yes, yes, some famous names also along with it, for example;

Just did find the entry of the famous General von Lettow-Vorbeck. He was entered not earlyer then 1919 in the roll.

Cordial greetings

Hello Ricky,

Nah, i don't think that the L?beck roll will be the first to be launched. We still have a lot of work to do (approx. 50 %) of the list.

Then we also have to add the backgroundinfo on this award + info on its creation, etc .... (hehehe => yesyes, i have received in the very first days of this year 2008 a microfilm from L?beck (approx. 180 pages) wich contains info on the creation of this award

That will mean that the L?beckroll will be a book on its own, containing the complete awardlist + the backrgoundinfo on its creation, awarding, etc .....

After all this info is worked through it might be ready for launch, but that will be first end 2008 - rather 2009 i think (realistic). But do not panic, we are working very hard on this one

Cordial greetings,

ps: so the honour will be yours my friend to get the lists first published

Hello,

Oh you naughty Ricky => now i do see th truth only shortly before the new year has begun .

Malinsky, MALINSKY, Malinsky.

Im sorry, no trace on him in the L?H roll

I do salute you my dear forumfriends, this was my last post what 2007 does mean.

Ciao + see you next year

Hi Ricky,

Unfortunatly no original papers such as the Wehrpass or Soldbuch did survive. I have it written down that several soldiers where to be read to receive a award (intervieuws + letters from veterans) => it turned out that the Ehrenplakette der Luftflotte 1 was to be awarded by Generaloberst Keller himself.

The award date is noted on the award document (still in existence from the other glider pilot in a friends collection). That is where the date came frome.

We can only guess what a entry of this one would have been looked like in a Wehrpass or a Soldbuch.

Cordial greetings,

Hello,

And here is the image of this very rare award as it has been photographed with the veteran on March 2005. At that point the case (under part) was still along with the medal - between that date and now that piece has went missing as wel as his other awards (Cholmshield, EK 2, etc ...)

W.K?hler did land twice in Cholm.

19.02.1942: Landing with Go 242 and unloading of the transported PAK + ammo, etc ....

23.02.1942: Flewn out together with the other glider pilot (Seidel) in the last Ju 52 that could fly in and out again during the Cholm encerclement (Note: 22 February is the last day that 2 Ju 52's did fly in CHolm to bring in supply's and normally would fly out again. 1 Ju 52 managed to fly off again, the other Ju did get stuck in thigh snow and was later heavely damaged through RUssian artillerie fire.)

09.03.1942: His second succesfull landing with a Go 242 inside Cholm.

After this second landing he had to stay and fight with the Cholmdefenders untill he was ordered to leave Cholm on 08.05.1942 (the Cholmencerclement was broken on 5 May 1942).

These 2 gliderlandings did earn him the shown medal

Cordial greetings,

Hello Paul,

Thank you, yes indeed i am a very lucky person => this award was one of my collecting dreams wich i actualy never ever dreamed of to have it in real life. And at the end of this year that dream has come true !!!

The very funny thing on this particular award is that most persons would not even notice it when it would lay between otehr goodies on some dealers table, thanks toward sthe contacts with the veteran i have become aware what it is and being the one who is allowed to safekeep this piece untill my time has come to give it further does mean quite a bit for me.

Now my other goal is to snatch up the award document grouping that belonged towards the otehr glide rpilot who did win this award, mayby one good day? We will see.

Cordial greetings,

Hello Rick,

No need to panic, that part will turn up => it can only take some time

Cordial greetings,

Hello Scott,

Yes, the symbolic way that certain area's are shown is indeed great. The funny thing on this one is also that there is no swastika to be found. The same is true for the award document that does belong towards these plaque (note the original award document from the award of W.K?hler is no longer in existence).

The reverse is plain, not even a eyelett to hang it on a wall. This is a simple table medal.

Cordial greetings,

Hello,

And a bit background about wich awards where also rendered upon Fw. W.K?hler:

* Lw. Glider pilots badge (1941)

* Iron Cross 2 nd. class (1942)

* Eastern Front Medal (1942)

* Ehrenplakette der Luftflotte 1 (1942) => shown here

* CHolmschield (1942)

* Lw. Ground assault badge

* Iron Cross 1 e class

W.K?hler survived the war and became a POW in Rumania at the end of 1944, he spent untill 1949 in RUssian captivity. It was his mother who saved the shown "Ehrenplakette"

To give some impression of the rarity, it is noted as in existence a first time in 1991 (German article) + also the Niemann Catalogue does mention it. But hence no picture => and here it is for you guys to enjoy .

Only 2 proven recipients at this point, probably a few more but very low award number.

Cordial greetings + enjoy.

Hello Forumfriends,

I would like to share my newest aquisition to end this year with. This is the very rare and exclusive "Ehrenplakette der Luftflotte 1".

This is the awarded piece from Fw. W.K?hler who was awarded this piece on 22.10.1942 fom Generaloberst Freidrich Keller himself.

Fw. W.K?hler was a glider pilot who did earn this very rare (non portable) Lw. award for this efforst and participation in the Cholm battle.

FYI, this is the only known original Ehrenplakette der Luftflotte 1 with a provenance. As far as is known there where only 2 glider pilots who did get this very rare award. It is unkown iff others also where awarded with this piece. It is probable but proof does fail at this point.

Therefore it is known that at least 2 of these where awarded, from wich one towards W.K?hler (the shown piece here).

Enjoy