Lance O. Adams

Here is another one that I drug out.  ARMBRUST-GAUSCHIESSEN SALZBURG-1944.  Unusual in my limited experience.

Here is an early one.  Not shown in Hüsken.  Reverse is stamped 900 in a tiny rectangle under the pin at the bottom.

On 06/02/2023 at 07:32, Scowen said:

Hi Lance,

 

These rectangular, crimped pin plates were used extensively by the manufacturer Alois Klammer from Innsbruck, & also Karl Pichl, also from Innsbruck, it's almost like a finger print.  There are some who maintains that linking pin plates to specific manufacturers is not reliable as manufacturers outsourced the attachment process to specialist companies.  This may be true, but if you study enamel badges & their manufacturers close enough you can often find that some favoured certain types of attachment.  Such as Hoffstätter for instance, who often used small oval pin plates & Klammer who used these crimped ones.  Having said that, just because one of these Klammer made pieces does not have this style of pin plate  doesn't mean that the badge is bad, it's just that they can very often be found with this style.

 

Don

Thanks for the information Don.  I collect small badges and enamels, etc and agree with you regarding the reverse hardware.

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Tiroler Tag Schützen Verein 1876  or perhaps Tiroler Schützen Tag Der 1876

Don mentioned different pin set-ups in a message above so thought I would post this one up.  Handsome badge or perhaps tinnie for the Kreis-Schiessen Bregenz of 1944.  Member Wood posted his badge back in 2011 but my example has a completely different pin assembly.  

17 hours ago, --dj--Joe said:

Lance, nice badge, Kufstein 1943. The alloy must be better than the later war (heavy on the zinc alloys) as it is claimed that zinc melts at the temps. needed to apply (fire) enamel. Not sure of all the different blends of alloys used during the period. Not a magnetic badge?

 

--dj--Joe

Thanks for the information and kind words Joe.  The center portion of the badge is magnetic.  The base area/wreath and pin assembly are not.  

Excellent photo and thanks for the information on the Kreismeister badge Don.  I am always learning things here!  Your set of all four badges is stunning.

Great photo Don!  I'm a S/84/98 bayonet collector so loving the detail there as well.  

Here is another badge I found interesting.  Kufstein 1943 Kreis-Schiessen.  I believe in gold?  Brooks posted a very similar badge for 1942 back in 2008.  Backing made of pot metal or zinc, perhaps zamak?  Reverse is unmarked.  I worried a bit about this one but have been assured by several that it's 100% good.  

9 hours ago, Scowen said:

Another nice piece Lance, although not really my area as this is German rather than Austrian.  I've seen these with two different makers, Lauer as with yours & D.Fechler, Bernsbach.  The latter I suspect are fakes as the enamel leaves much to be desired....  They also come with an added Swastika disc glued to the target, but whether those are period I cannot say....

 

D

Thanks Don! Thought I was getting off track with the German badge. Feel free to move it if needed. Not sure if the scratched information on this badge is contemporary o something added later. Hard to say. Will post additional later today.

Thanks for the comments and kind words Joe and Don.  I had to laugh a little Joe as there is no one with less collecting focus than I.  Regardless, here is another one for the thread.  Nicely detailed badge with lots of enamel - Bezirksmeister - Deutscher Schützen Bund.  I do not know the era and it may not be appropriate in the thread.  Mods feel free to move or delete if needed.  Reverse has the older style double loop clasp and is maker marked L. CHR. LAUER NÜRNBERG-BERLIN on the pin plate.  Name Ludwig Roenof along with SS runes scratched into the reverse.  I always thought this was a handsome badge.  

17 hours ago, Scowen said:

You have good taste, these are nice little badges. It’s an Allgemeines Gauabzeichen or General Gau badge. They were given out at Kreis level at the area shooting house. 

Thanks Don!

Group shots of all of my round badges.  I thought that Ihad a couple of others but couldn't find them.  All are unmarked but for those with the arrows in the reverse views.  Thanks for looking ......

Thanks Don for checking on the 3 Jahre #26.  I am thinking that you are correct regarding the "grab badges out of a box" theory.  

I always thought this was a handsome badge, 23 mm from 1939.  Only the adler in enamel.  Traces of patina or old paint in some areas of the background.  Maker marked to Alois Klammer - Innsbruck at the reverse.  Personally I don't see many pre-war badges.

Don et al,

Thanks for the information and comments.  VERY interesting details here.  I really had no idea.  Scowen has done a tremendous job with the research to get us here.  And I have certainly learned a lot.  So it looks as if my "set" is essentially a put together with mainly the horde pieces that were released and sold by dealers.  That's okay.  Two of the four as issues is quite good.  I have others that looking at the information here I am worried are reproductions.  Including several of the A. G. and Co. München marked pieces .....  Will take a group shot of these for review.  

While I have you Don ......  Any information on 3 Jahre number 26?  Was it awarded?

As stated, I may have the grades wrong so any thoughts are welcome.  In fact I may have read somewhere that all of the Meisterschütze were originally in gold?  

I do have a couple of other interesting pieces that I don't think have been posted here that I would be happy to share if there is interest.  Thanks in advance for looking ......

What a fascinating and informative thread.  Glad that I happened upon this.  I have a number of these myself picked over the years.  Most of what I  have collected has already been posted by other members but would like to post pics of my cased set.  Any information that Scowen could share after checking his resources would be greatly appreciated.  Would be great to determine the recipient(s).  I'm not sure on the grades for these due to the finish damage from the zinc.  Doing the best that I can in thinking clockwise from the top:  6 Jahre with enamel - 1944 in bronze - 1943 in silver - 1944 in gold?  The dull looking piece at upper right is 1943 and was obtained separately not part of the cased set.  Better pics to follow ...... 

From left to right: 6 Jahre - Gold 1944 - Bronze 1944

Reverse view of above:

6 Jahre - numbered 142 (bottom of wreath, very hard to make out in the pic, better in hand)

Gold 1944 - 2782

Bronze 1944 - 1056

The left example is the silver badge from the set.  Right is the unrelated piece, not sure of grade.

Reverse view of the above.

Silver 1943 - 2491

Unknown 1943 - 553

Excellent Scott. These Vietnam USMC Purple Hearts have eluded me for some reason. I rally like this engraving. Reminds one a little of the small machine engraving from the WWII period. I see less of this engraving style on Vietnam Purple Hearts than I do the of the "taller thin" Times New Roman style. My thoughts only .....

Last shots.

Scott,

What a pair we have, both KIA on the same day from the same unit. I find it interesting that that my piece is government hand engraved while your example is a small machine engraving. And both from the very same time period. If you are able to discover any information on Miller I would be most appreciative.

Some shots of the reverse. Note the text book government hand engraving.

Edit - spelling.

Scott et al,

Here are some pics of the Sergeant Ernest W. Miller Purple Heart. I was really happy to acquire this scarce unit Purple Heart in exceptional condition. According to the ABMC, Miller also won a Bronze Star but I have no further information on this award. Miller was from Louisville, Kentucky.

Scott,

Very nice. You are correct that 6th Infantry Division KIA Purple Hearts are tough to find. Stanton indicates 410 KIA and 104 DOW for the division. Interestingly enough, I also have a posthumous Purple Heart to a member of the 6th ID, 20th Regiment who was also KIA on January 22, 1945 on Luzon, PI. The PH in my collection is government hand engraved to a Sergeant Ernest W. Miller. This was only recently acquired and I have sent for the IDPF. Sorry, that I have no further details on company of assignment etc .......

The unapproved MACVSOG Command and Control Central (CCC) bomburst patch was never worn in that manner (as a SSI). Also although it is very hard to tell from the pic the 1st SF DI on the beret flash looks to be unofficial as well. Appears to have a tab or arc? My thoughts only .....

This is a great Purple Heart, Scott. Another nice piece for your PTO collection. Congratulations on locating the yearbook photograph!