Odulf

For many years I have this CdV portrait of an old man wearing 2 medals in my collection. The picture can be dated 1855/1860, and he is defenetely 65+ years old.

I have always assumed that he is a Naval veteran, due to the fact that the portrait was taken in Portsmouth, but that is just a guess, perhaps identification of the medals may help...

The two medals are of different size (could the 1st medal be the St.John d'Acre and the 2nd the NGS?). Suspenders with these early medals were often produced by jewelers in many variations. Both medals may have clasps....

Which of the learned gents has a clue?

HV below Royal Crown = Danish 'Hærens Våbenarsenal' (= Army Weapons Arsenal).

Two Reichswehr Cavalry officers, 1932

Yes, you are correct.

On a local flea market I found the lid of a little card board box, measuring c. 9 x 9 cm.

Halma is a strategic board game, played with pawns on a square sort of chequers board.

The label shows two British soldiers, with tropical helmets, with the RN White Ensign next to an armoured gun turret, and in the rear two German (?) soldiers brandishing a hand granade.

Strange to note that this was "Made in Germany". I suppose it dates from around 1914. Who knows more?

The diamond shaped cloth patch on the left lower sleeve woud indicate he is a member of the NSKK

Polizei swords

One of the most remarkable German seafarers was Count Felix Luckner, a much decorated naval officer and hero from the Great War, with a fine nose for self promotion. In the mid 1920s he started a campaign to raise money, to buy a sailing ship for visiting the USA on a private good-will mission; this trip lasted from 19-09-1926 until 19-04-1928.

Below the man and his sailing vessel Vaterland, a four mast gaff schooner. Also a fund raising postcard for the project and a photo of Luckner and his wife at elder age, he died in 1966 at the age of 84.

You can say that again..., it is Reader himself to inspect te Coastal Forces; very nice photo...

The front cover of the German illustrated weekly magazine "Der Rundblick" (No.44 - 29 Oct. 1939) shows a photo of a Maat (Leading Seaman) of Gunther Priens U47 surrounded by BDM girls from Berlin. Prien himself was decorated by Hitler in person with the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross, and all of his men received the Iron Cross 2nd Class for the heroic action of sinking the British battleship H.M.S. Royal Oak in Scapa Flow on 14 Oct. 1939. As U47 was one of the boats of the (7th) U Boat Flottila Wegener, stationed in Kiel, all men dresssed as sailors wore the cap tally Unterseebootsflottille Wegener, soon to be replaced by the general Kriegsmarine tally. Prien and his crew received a hero's welcome in Berlin where thousands of spectators lined the streets to cheer the convoy of limousines on their way from the airport to the Hotel Kaiserhof. In the afternoon the men were received by Hitler in his Neue Reichskanzlei.

Some Luftwaffe swords, daggers and Bayonets

You could visit the Amsterdam Museum, a rather superficial exhibition of the hostory of Amsterdam in particular and the Netherlands in general. Worse than a few years ago.... The Rijks Museum (National Gallery) has recently been re-opened, with all the national (paintings) galleries; the Van Gogh Museum, if you like impressionism. In Rotterdam I would advice Boymans van Beuningen Museum, a fine collection of general art and paintings, and lots of it.

In general the museums showing "boys stuff" are not in Amsterdam, nor Rotterdam. Recently the "National Forces Museum", a combination of the old Army Museum and Air Force Museum, opened in Soesterberg, there is the Navy Museum in Den Helder, Airborne Museums in Groesbeek (for Operation Garden) and Oosterbeek (for Operation Market).

In Rotterdam there is the Royal Marines Museum, quite a healty display, but Amsterdam is all pacifist.

For flea markets: Amsterdam has the famous Waterloo Plein (Waterloo Square), but is it not even a shadow of what it was in the past, with mainly new cheap tourist junk for sale, better try the Elands Gracht market (indoors), and with a bit of luck there is the large flea market (once a month) in the IJ-Hallen (Amsterdam-North). Rotterdam has no permanent flea markets, it depends on the calender if there are any open air boot sales.

There are specialist militaria markets in the country, but NOT in Rotterdam or Amsterdam.

Other RAD Hewers in wear, note the different styles of the hangers.

Kriegsmarine-Unteroffizier mit Portepee (German Navy Senior NCO)

R.A.D. Arbeitsführer Rehm

Gebirgsjäger

A group photo of the Gebirgs-Artillerie-Regt. 79 (Mountain-Artillery) about 1938, note the Unteroffiziere mit Portepee (Senior NCOs) they are allowed to wear a sword.

In the Kriegsmarine was customary to have a Totenwache (watching over a dead shipmate) when a shipmate died. The body was covered by the flag and lied in state on the quarterdeck with an honor guard of two sailors with drawn bayonets (in the Marine HJ, with drawn Fahrtenmesser/knives) but no rifles.

Two photos of a Totenwache, on board the sailing school ship Horst Wessel, and on the Cruiser Emden.

German Red Cross

For quite some time I have these two photos in my collection, both albumen prints from around 1875, showing a re-enactment of a French uniform I believe to be 1st Hussars. As this early period of uniforms is not within my scope, I cannot Judge if it is a correct uniform nor during which period of time it was worn. The guy has both the busby hat (on the table) and the shako. Who knows more about this uniform?

HJ boys, showing their Fahrten-Messer while having a break on their hiking trip to München

Reiter-HJ (Hitler Youth Cavalry) with sword

Perhaps it is of help to note that this typical design of lace, according to the British Army Dress Regulations 1900, is numbered 27 in the appendix XII and indexed in appendex III, as worn by the 2nd Dragoons.

Two group photos of the 3. Kompanie, II. Schiffsstammabteilung (Stralsund), with the Company Commander Kapitänleutnant (E) Bürkler. He can be recognised as an "Ergänzungsoffizier" by the gilt oval rope border around the five pointed star above his gold tapes. This oval was made obsolete from 20-09-1938.

The cap tally Torpedoschulflottille.

This torpedoboat training flottilla was stationed in Kiel-Mürwik with the old Torpedoboats"G7", "G8", "G10", "G11" built in 1911-1912.

The cover of the Kriegsmarine 1937 Annual, showing the tally Minensuchhalbflottille (Mine sweeper half flottilla)

Two photos of a German Gebirgsjäger (Mountain trooper) wearing a captured British Khaki Solar Pith Hat.

The man served in Greece (Athens) and on Crete, so obviously he picked it up and was allowed to hold on to it.

More use of British equipment and gear; a German soldier with a British tent, and the Wolsey helmet on top found a new owner also.

Very nice indeed, is this the eagle badge on your cap?