DavidM

Hello I don't know if anyone can help with this, but my grandfather was in the Royal Flying Corp from 1915 until about 1918 / 1919 - by which time it was then the Royal Air Force. He is listed in the Supplement to the London Gazette, 3 June 1919, as being awarded a Meritorious Service Medal. What is a Meritorious Service Medal and how would someone during this period have earned one ? Any help appreciated. Thank you. (I have also posted this question in the Royal Air Force section as well).

Hello I don't know if anyone can help with this, but my grandfather was in the Royal Flying Corp from 1915 until about 1918 / 1919 - by which time it was then the Royal Air Force. He is listed in the Supplement to the London Gazette, 3 June 1919, as being awarded a Meritorious Service Medal. What is a Meritorious Service Medal and how would someone during this period have earned one ? Any help appreciated. Thank you.

Hello That's a real beauty Dave. Congratulations on super piece. I only have one wartime Luftwaffe badge, and mine is also a Junckers pilots award. I think I was told when I posted it that it is a third pattern. So like you, I'd be interested in knowing if anyone can say approximately when the different patterns might have been made.

Hello I've seen some ridiculous things on E-Bay, but this seller has a couple of EK2's for sale..................at ?450 UKP each !!! One that the seller thinks may be fake is a mere ?79.99 UKP !! http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d..._BIN_Stores_IT Don't forget to look at their other items. You might get a bargain !!

Hello Welcome to the forum, and thanks for showing a super looking cross. That's a real beauty.

Hello I have a contender for 'Miss' January, (or June or July). Well it is a Junckers, (J for January, June etc) !!

Hello I too would agree that this cross was made sometime after 1939. From what I can see of the pin, hinge and catch it is reminiscent of an S&L, (Stienhauer & Luck) or possibly, at a pinch, a Klien und Quenzer. Both were war time producers of EKs and it is possible - probable even - that they may have produced 1870 EKs for museums and display purposes. For my pennies worth, as the expresion goes, I think the pin, hinge and catch set up is to good for it to be a Latvian fake. I'd say it's a WW2 produced piece for a museum or display purposes. Sadly, I would have to say that, in my opinion, it is not contempary to the 1870 period.

Rear of EK1 and makers marking

EK1 marked L/11

Rear of EK2 and ring stamp

Hello As Grant and the others rightly state, this is a Deumer 57 EK. For comparision here are my two 57 Deumer marked EKs. The EK1 is marked L/11 and the EK2 is ring stamped '3'. Thanks to Grant for making these additions to my collection possible. Oh the pictures were taken using a flash so the items don't look quite as good as they do 'in the hand'.

Hello In my opinion that looks like a nice original Junckers EK.

Hello Panzergrenadier Many thanks for your response. I am happy with the bar, and having been able to examine it in the hand I am convinced as to it's originality. While on the subject of bars, perhaps you might take a look at another one that I posted in the following thread: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=9241 With this one there is doubt as to it's originality. The debate is around the maker mark on the back of it - which incidentally wasn't noted or mentioned by the dealer selling it. Mind you, the bar was so heavily caked in really heavy patina he probably couldn't see anyway. Thank you.

Hello That looks like a good quality cross. The detail on the core is very nice. Congratulations on a good find - made even sweeter by the fact it was one youreally, really wanted.

Hello A very nice collection, of a very nice award. Thanks for showing.

Hello Yes, I see what you mean about the one on page 151. I missed that one. The suggestion then is could it possibly be Godet as the manufacturer ?

Hello I'm afraid that I don't know who the maker of this cross is. However, the hinge, pin and catch setup is very similar to some known early pieces, (virtually all unmarked), often being the Schinkel type. There are a couple of examples of this set up in Gordon Williamsons book 'The Iron Cross of 1939', (pages 123, 124, and in relation to yours, page 125). I know that Imperial crosses with an '0' or even '0.1', '0.2' etc mark are belived to have been produced by Ordenshersteller-Gemeinschaft, Pforzheim, but as they weren't a producer of 1939 EKs, (if indeed they existed at all by this period) it's unlikely they have anything to do with these. As to the slightly large flange on one side, my best guess would be a simple manufacturing error. Sorry I've not been able to help to much. Either way it's an interesting piece.

Hello A very nice Zimmerman I agree, these are easily the best looking of the Third Reich awards.

Hello A very nice RK. Congratulations

Thanks Joe

Hello Does anyone else out there have any comments or opinions on this ? For obvious reasons, I'd be really interested in what you all think on this one. Many thanks.

Hello A very nice set. Congratulations

Hello In my opinion the cross looks like a good EK2 from S. Jablonski GmbH Posen, maker '128'. I'm not sure that the cross is actually enamelled, as the EK2s were mainly painted using black enamel paint which was finished by baking in an oven. I beleive that some manufacturers also used a type of powdered paint which was also baked on, but which could produce a slightly thicker, more glossy finish. So it could be that yours simply has a more glossy sheen to it than some. That said, from what I can see in the picture, the other alternative is that it may have been repainted at some point in time - in particular the rear - with a glossy enamel paint. Either way, in my opinion, it looks like a good cross.

Hello A very nice cross with a nice, different style of mount.

Hello Marshall Thanks for your comments. I agree, it would be extremely nice if the makers mark is contemporary to the period and time of manufacture. That the bar is genuine, of that there is no doubt. The problem is, and it applies to this and many other pieces, was it done at the time or at a later date to 'enhance' the piece. Given the layers of 'grime' and the patina when I got it, (it really was bad, and the mark didn't show up until I was very, very carefully cleaning it), the maker mark wasn't put on any time recently. Either way I bought it as a 1st pattern, unmarked bar. If the mark is the real thing then great, and I personally, like you, would like to think it is.