ItemCo16527

I've seen the Purple Heart ribbon worn in the incorrect position probably almost as frequently as I've seen it in the correct position. The ribbons and devices all look like they're correct for the Vietnam period. The lack of multiple GCMs could mean the soldier served as an enlisted man for 3 to 5 years and then got out, or he was an officer commissioned from the ranks. No way of telling which, though.

My latest effort: my great uncle Eddie. Photo probably taken in late 1945 or early 1946.

I've never seen Grenzflieger uniforms or insignia before. Thanks for posting these, Paul :cheers:

Claudio, that portrait is absolutely first-class. Your brother has an excellent eye for detail. Definitely a work to be proud of!

An interesting variant of the "60-" ribbon bar device I can't recall ever having seen before: a sew-on type on an Australian bar.

Alex, you did a fantastic job. I don't think it could get much better than that. :)

Thank you again, Rick! I'll try to track that directory down and see what turns up. :)

Thank you, Rick. I saw this photo in a box at a show, and the combination of his EKII w/ clasp, the scar, the the veterinarian insignia was just too interesting to pass by. Thanks also for identifying the last ribbon (forgot to put that in my original post). I could never figure that one out either.

I've had this picture for a few years now, but have never been able to figure out what his name is. The reverse of the picture reads "Oberstabsveterin?r Dr. Rasc????". Can anyone tell me what his name is, and if any information is available about him?

Thank you!

I can't wait til I have enough experience to have pictures turn out like yours. You have quite a talent for making them look like they were originally taken in color. I'll have to practice more when I have some free time this weekend. Thank you again, Alex :)

Alex, that is perfect and exactly what I was attempting (poorly) to do. I just could not find the right color for his uniform. Thank you for fixing it! :)

Ernst Udet:

My latest attempt, Major General Carroll Deitrick. I'm still not very good at this, so the ribbon bars came out a little weird, and I couldn't figure out how to do the SHAEF patch on his sleeve.

Original:

Colorized:

Oberleutnant dR Heinrich Wiest of Landwehr Sanit?ts Kompagnie 30 received the Baden Z?hringen Lion-Knight 2nd Class with Swords (BZ3bX) on 3 September 1915.

Chris's source extracts unit history mentions, basically, of Super Heroes being named for some extraordinary action... NOT run of the mill stuff.

Thank you, Rick! Now to begin the search to find out if he's a relative of mine or not.

This colorizing stuff is a lot of fun! Tried it with a picture from a funeral card I have, and here are the results.

Original:

1st try:

2nd try:

Thank you for checking, Chris. Much appreciated :)

Thank you for the information, Emanuel. I'm far from being an expert, so I had no idea there were different types of the FA Cross. As the age-old saying goes: you learn something new every day :)

Hi Chris,

Do you have anything on the surname "Wiest" from Mannheim, or thereabouts?

Thank you for your thoughts, guys. I figured the recipient probably wouldn't be able to be identified, but I thought I'd try just in case.

Emanuel, that narrows it down a bit. Is there a specific time frame the non-magnetic type FA crosses were manufactured, or were they made at the same time as the magnetic types?

I've had this medal bar in my collection for a dozen or so years, and never thought it possible to ID the recipient. However, after checking out some of the threads here, I saw that it might be possible to ID the soldier who wore them using old medal rolls and such. I know it's quite a long shot, but is there any chance at all of finding out who he was? Any help or advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Front:

Back:

Here are some examples from my collection.

First, some ribbon bars. The first three are Vietnamese-made; the first of which features a "67-68" clasp.

Second, a display featuring the Military Merit Medal and two Cross of Gallantry:

Finally, my two favorites. These two RVN Campaign medals belonged to my uncle, who had served with the 18th Military Police Brigade from 1967-68:

Here is an example from my collection:

E.K.II - War Aid Cross - Hamburg Hanseatic Cross - Oldenburg FA Cross, 2nd Class

Collection storage. This is some sort of cruel joke, right?

Just a few of the boxes that are on "home leave" now.

I'd give my right arm to go through that box of WWI medals. Mind if I borrow it for a while? :D

Not only do you really get your money's worth for them, the research potential makes it very worthwhile. Since I decided to focus on British WWI medals last year, I have been the happiest and most satisfied I've ever been with my collection; and I've been collecting militaria for over 20 years. If you decide to start collecting more of these medals, I highly recommend a subscription to Ancestry.com. Not only do they have the Medal Index Cards and service & pension records, but the census, birth, marriage, and death indexes are great aids to your research. :)

Here is Driver Lewis's Medal Index Card. He entered France on 13 July 1915, and is entitled to the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal. It also shows his first name is "William". He was in the Army Service Corps, and the "TS" prefix on his Regimental Number indicates he was a "Transport Special". Hope this helps