DavidM

Hello I have recently received some early 57 versions of the Panzer Assualt Badge (PAB) in silver for 25 engagements, a minesweepers badge and a U Boat badge. The photos really don't do these pieces justice as 'in the hand' they absolutely superb. I'd put these up against the wartime made pieces any day !! First up is the PAB 25, then the minesweeper and finally the U boat. As usual, any comments or observations welcomed. Regards David Note. I've just checked the photos before uploading and the rear shot of the minesweeper badge is, well, not very good (peculiar - don't know whats happened to it) so I'll re do that photo tomorrow and post it then.

Hello I know absolutely nothing about these awards, but they look to me like really good condition. nice pieces. Congratulations on a great loking set.

Hello Here are a couple of pieces that I got the other week. First is an early Bronze Close Combat Clasp, believed to be from the maker Deumer. It is of one piece construction. Next is a Winter campaign medal, again an earlyish piece. As usual, any comments or observations welcome.

Rear view showing the '835' mark on the lower rear arm

Hello Here's a newcomer to my collection, a 57 version of the RK from Otto Schickle.

Hello Well here's some food thought. Did they go out of business or were they simply, for whatever reason removed from the official makers lists for some trangression? I don't know the answer (yet) but look the attached photo. It's of a 57 RK from my collection, and is made using the original wartime dies and tooling. And yes, it is an Otto Schickle 57 RK, which are, I believe, as rare as their original (genuine) wartime counterparts. So someone definately had Schickles tooling and dies. The question now is who? Schickle if they hadn't actually gone out of business or a competitor who bought up their stuff if Schickle did go out of business?

Hello It has been suggested in places, (and very recently in Dietrichs book on the Knights Cross), that Otto Schickle went out of business quite early in the war. Dietrich provides pointers and eveidence, (copies of original wartime adverts etc), for this in his book in that there was a closing down sale of sorts, and that Schickle then disapeared from the LDO /PKZ lists. So it is doubtfull that Schickle produced anything after (I think, as I haven't got any references to hand), mid 1941.

Hello Glen A magnificant find If you do put it on CD / PDF I'll happily pay a small fee for copy, so please put me down for one. Thanks.

Hello Thanks Richard

Hello From any photo like this it is extremely difficult to say with any accuracy who the maker of an item was. But, I'd go for Juncker, with the filed down inner corners around the swastika. As for the thin arms, my guess is that is an optical illusion caused by the the lighting when the picture was taken. Just my pennies worth.

Hello A nice EK, and one of the less common ones as well. I wouldn't call it 'salty', rather it's a sleeper. It appears to still have all it's frosting intact, and the frames have simply toned over the years. Very nice !

Hello I've just received my copy today, so plenty of serious reading this weekend !!

Hello Thanks for that Scott. Much appreciated Anyone else got a view on this? Thanks.

Hello Has no one got anything that they can say about this? Surely someone out there knows something about cases? Any comments at all welcomed. Thanks.

Hello I've just seen these on E-Bay UK: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GERMAN-OAK-LEA...QQcmdZViewItem I'm not thinking of buying them, but wondered what opinions of them are.

Hello Nobody got any thoughts or views on this? Anyone know anything about cases, and be able to help / comment on this item? Thanks.

Hello Just to add to this, following a suggestion made to me by another collector, I have very carefully peeled back the interior base covering and on the lower left and lower right of the underside of the interior base there are the marks 637.KB. I have attached a photo showing this, (sorry, not the best pictures but I've had to take it using flash, as it's dark here in the UK now. This is a close in of the right hand side). Does this help?

More Photos

More Photos

Hello I have in my collection a halbetui style case, which came with a DKiG. I have carried out searches in various places and found a couple of similar cases, but the views on these are mixed, with some feeling these are genuine wartime and others that they may be post war, (provided with the 57 re-issue badges etc and possibly using some wartime parts), or assembled post war using wartime parts, (how can anyone tell the difference?). It appears that most agree that halbetui cases were used for DKs during the war, the disagreement being over the exact style. The case is UV negative, and 'smells old', if you know what I mean. Although not by any means indicative of anything, it uses what appears to be the old animal glue - and smells like it too !! The underside of the base on which the DK sits has the impression marks around the pin cut out. This case has a small pin which appears to assist in holding the interior base that the cross sits on on place, (as can be seen in the photo of the front below). Any thoughts, comments or observations warmly welcomed. Many thanks in advance.

DKiG

GAB 75

Hello I have just received three more 57 pieces, these being a Gliders badge, a numbered General Assualt Badge for 75 engagements and (yet another !!) cased DKiG. The Gliders and GAB 75 are of good quality, and I'd guess are probably of the early part of the mid production. The DKiG is of good quality, has the red enamelled ring as opposed to the painted version, and is of early production - not the very earliest, but still early. The case accompanying the DKiG is the standard plastic, foam lined variety. As usual, any comments or observations welcomed.

The unmarked one.

Hello As has already been stated, a good mid produced piece. A nice EK. As regards what Gordon has said, I agree with his comments. S&L are still selling a limited range of 57 items, including the EKs, but believe me when I say that the quality is so poor you wouldn't even put it in a Christmas cracker !! There are also some cast 'copies' of 57 items out there, which are generally fairly easy to spot, and these I personally do refer to as fakes. Darrell may possibly be referring the two EK1s that I have. One is marked L/11, the other unmarked although clearly a Deumer. Both have the flaws associated with wartime Deumers, although they don't show up to well in these shots. For reference, attached are some photos of them.