Hauptmann

IC 2nd:

Minesweepers Badge:

And here's some others I'd not had time to post yet. And please, forgive me for the quality of the pics... I'm still not able to get to my scanner... but hoping I will soon.

KVK 2nd w/o swords:

That one was the sellers pic.

From what I gather this one is a late period piece as the attachment ring runs side to side instead of front to back. :speechless:

Anti-Partisan Badge in bronze, Panzer Assault Badge in bronze, Gold Wound Badge, IC 1st, IC 2nd and two stickpin bars:

Hope to post reverse views tomorrow.

Hi all,

Here are my latest additions to the 57 collection. Many thanks to Christian for both the awards and his kind permission to use his photos. My deepest thanks my friend!

Close Combat Clasp in bronze:

Which has a case waiting for it when it arrives... will do a pic in same once it gets here. :jumping:

Hi Sivart,

On page 377 of John Angolia's For Fuhrer and Fatherland (second printing) he shows two Mother's Crosses... one full sized and one mini. The full size is indeed fitted out with what looks very much like the pin back on your example. The mini has a different type of pinback. But both were then able to be worn as a broach instead of on the ribbon.

I don't know for sure but assume this was done by jewelers on a private order basis.

Hope this helps.

Dan :cheers:

A bit more info from the auction:

1. COUNTRY of ORIGIN : East Germany (DDR)

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2. CONTEXT : Medal Plaque commemorating a Soviet soldier saving a small German girl (see below for more details)

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3. ENGRAVER : no attribution

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4. COMPOSITION : appears to be Bronze, but may be a less expensive ?bronzed? metal ? no markings

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5. MINTMARK(S) : none

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6. CONDITION : Excellent

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7. DIMENSIONS : 94 mm x 40 mm

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8. WIDTH : 3.75 mm

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9. WEIGHT : 102 grams. With Presentation Box 240 grams.

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10. COMMENTS : The Soviet War Memorial (sometimes translated as the Soviet Cenotaph), is a vast war memorial and military cemetery in Berlin's Treptower Park. It was built to the design of the Soviet architect Yakov Belopolsky to commemorate 5,000 of the 80,000 Soviet soldiers who fell in the Battle of Berlin in April-May 1945. It opened four years after the war ended on 8 May 1949, and served as the central war memorial of East Germany.

The focus of the ensemble is a monument by Soviet sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich: a 12-m tall monument of a Soviet soldier with a sword holding a child, standing over a broken swastika. Vuchetich's inspiration for the monument was Soviet soldier Nikolai Masalov (1922-2004), who on 30 April 1945 found a German girl wandering near Potsdamer Platz during the Battle of Berlin and brought her to safety. Despite rumors that this episode was Soviet propaganda, owing to a journalist use of a different name for the girl's rescuer, officially confirmed documents exist that substantiate at least five cases of Russian soldiers delivering small German children to orphanages during the Battle of Berlin. The base of the statue contains a small room lined in mosaics, in which wreaths are usually laid.

Dan

A bit more info from the auction:

1. COUNTRY of ORIGIN : East Germany (DDR)

---------------------------

2. CONTEXT : Medal Plaque commemorating a Soviet soldier saving a small German girl (see below for more details)

---------------------------

3. ENGRAVER : no attribution

---------------------------

4. COMPOSITION : appears to be Bronze, but may be a less expensive ?bronzed? metal ? no markings

---------------------------

5. MINTMARK(S) : none

---------------------------

6. CONDITION : Excellent

---------------------------

7. DIMENSIONS : 94 mm x 40 mm

---------------------------

8. WIDTH : 3.75 mm

---------------------------

9. WEIGHT : 102 grams. With Presentation Box 240 grams.

---------------------------

10. COMMENTS : The Soviet War Memorial (sometimes translated as the Soviet Cenotaph), is a vast war memorial and military cemetery in Berlin's Treptower Park. It was built to the design of the Soviet architect Yakov Belopolsky to commemorate 5,000 of the 80,000 Soviet soldiers who fell in the Battle of Berlin in April-May 1945. It opened four years after the war ended on 8 May 1949, and served as the central war memorial of East Germany.

The focus of the ensemble is a monument by Soviet sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich: a 12-m tall monument of a Soviet soldier with a sword holding a child, standing over a broken swastika. Vuchetich's inspiration for the monument was Soviet soldier Nikolai Masalov (1922-2004), who on 30 April 1945 found a German girl wandering near Potsdamer Platz during the Battle of Berlin and brought her to safety. Despite rumors that this episode was Soviet propaganda, owing to a journalist use of a different name for the girl's rescuer, officially confirmed documents exist that substantiate at least five cases of Russian soldiers delivering small German children to orphanages during the Battle of Berlin. The base of the statue contains a small room lined in mosaics, in which wreaths are usually laid.

Dan :cheers:

Hi Dan,

Nice one. Do you have more detail about it ? Where it comes from ? Any writing some where ? etc...

Cheers.

Ch.

Hi Christophe,

Many thanks! Actually I wish I had more info on them. I also posted here:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=8727...200#entry320442

Hoping Gordon will pop on with more info once he's back and can dig his example and the WAF link out. I'm not a WAF member so can't do searches, see pics or anything else.

But as mentioned in the other post there is a silver grade so assuming there's a gold as well... although I've never seen any but the bronze like mine... and they've all been without cases. No idea till Gordon comes back (or other members comment ) as to whether the cases for the different grades were the same or not or any other details. What you see is what I know for now. And it'll probably be upwards of a couple of weeks before it arrives from France although I hope luck is with me and it's a bit quicker.

But hoping we can learn more about these.

Dan :cheers:

Dan,

Nice plaque. I have a cased one in silver. Someplace? I posted this on the DDR WAF and got some good info on it but no time know to look for my plaque or the thread on the WAF. I'll do that sometime but I am off to Vienna shortly.

Regards,

Gordon

Hi Gordon,

Many thanks! Never seen one in other grades so would love to see your's when you have the time to dig it out. Also any info would be deeply appreciated. I've been searching for a couple of days on the net on the off chance I'd get it but nothing on the plaques... only on the park and monuments, etc. Would definitely learn all I can about them.

Also, assuming there's a gold version then? Is your's in a blue case like mine or a different color?

Just so you know I also posted it here by itself in case you'd like to pop additional info there once you're back and squared away.

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3412...mp;#entry320426

Will stay in a holding pattern and keep my fingers tightly crossed.

Mucho thanks!

Dan :cheers:

Hi all,

My latest addition to the DDR collection:

http://www.geocities.com/isanders_2000/treptower.htm

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Treptower_Park

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_War_Me...Treptower_Park)

If Kim and I ever get over there it's definitely one place I'd like to visit.

Dan :cheers:

My latest... just off Ebay:

A plaque of the Treptower Monument in Berlin.

Dan :cheers:

A few more new additions:

Sorry for the poor pic... all I have at the moment. Hope to make scans once they arrive.

Dan :cheers:

Hi Charles,

I think it's basically ignorance... just folks that thing they're getting a super bargain... especially if it says "German made" as in the example you gave. A lack of English language references or just references dealing with these in general helps to create the problem. As you know daggers generally tend to be biggies. Used to be primarily the Imperial and TR German daggers. I remember when I got into Bulgarian... all was super cheap including the daggers which could be picked up for about $25 to $50 including (much of the time) the parade dress belts with hangers/chains, etc. Now price them!

I also remember when you could get Swiss daggers for cheap... I wish I'd grabbed one as they quickly went up, up, up! Same with East German daggers. I remember when the standard officers daggers (with or without box and accessories) went for about $25 to $50 each and the cased Admirals/Generals for about $75 to $150. Again check the prices now. I never did get any and fear I never will unless I lay out a ton of $$'s.

As you know I got one of these "Hungarian daggers" sans the eagle on the crossguard for super cheap as a copy... I can't remember exactly how much but think it was only about $12 plus shipping... something like that. For that price it's an okay display piece but for the higher prices I definitely agree... an absolute crime.

I remember when no one was intro'd in Communist daggers or those of just about any other country other than early British and as I said Imperial and TR German. Even Japanese naval officers daggers used to be cheap... I had one and let it go. I think I had like $50 in it and let it go for about $150. Italian Fascist daggers also went through the roof long ago and it's another long time regret of mine that I never got one. I've seen a couple of copies over time but they went for about $300 some odd... if I could get a really nice, accurate copy for about $100 or less I'd probably grab it (assuming I had the money at the time) as I just love the style. I long ago gave up on an original unless God tosses me one in an estate sale or through some other fluke.

Basically the WWII daggers (primarily the TR) went through the roof, became less and less available and folks (as always) moved into new areas. It's like watching cattle or horses move into new grazing lands.

And of course many folks just have more money than brains, don't bother to research and just grab thinking they've gotten a fantastic deal and then... years later when they need/want to sell find out what they got.

With me... if I "know" it's a decent copy for a cheap price no problem. If it's "supposed" to be original and at a high price... well, it scares me to death anymore.

Dan :cheers:

Ah-Ha!!

It was you who got #1

Congrats. Nice pick up.

Many thanks my friend! Been having to keep an eye out for inexpensive deals as that's about all I can do right now. Very happy with both of these.

Dan :cheers:

Dan :cheers:

Hi all,

It's been quite a while but here's my two latest acquisitions for my Hungarian collection:

The more I see over on German ebay the more I feel that the Feuerwehr used the darker blue colored uniforms and the collar tabs with fire helmet and fire axe, etc., whereas the Zivilverteidigung used the WWII type tabs with the purple backing along with specific civil defense insignia such as the patches, cuff titles, etc. But seems the boards were the same between them... at least as far as the piping color and most likely were indeed the same. So the uniforms and other insignia on the whole would set them apart as two different organizations.

Dan :cheers:

Thanks Dan... then I will hold off ripping them from the tunic!

paul

No problem! Just sent you more examples via PM. Seems the piping color was the same but the uniforms colors, etc., were different. So definitely... I'd leave it as is as it's most likely just the way it's supposed to be.

Dan :cheers:

I have found that second Civil Defense tunic. The second Cuff title is about the same height from the end of the sleeve as the other. I just pulled my Fire Fighting Officer's tunic and found that the branch color for it is also violet... I guess that they stopped using the Carmine, so the shoulder boards on the tunic could very well be for the FD.

If anyone has any EM Civil Defense boards, I would love to talk with ya!

Hi Paul,

Was just surfing on German Ebay and it seems that they might have used that same piping and insignia for both the Civil Defense and the Fire Service as the sellers there keeping mentioning that such insignia were used by both. So it might just be that the boards that are on there are indeed correct.

Dan :cheers:

You lucky dog !

Hey, you'll get there... just keep on truckin'! And remember, you've got some pieces I'd love to have (drool, drool... heavy on the drool!). You really do tend to have the golden touch when it comes to this stuff.

Mucho thanks!

Dan :cheers:

Very nice Dan especially the bronze !

Many thanks my friend!

Dan :cheers: