J Temple-West

Just a small item in this week....

Grabbed it when I saw that the silver finish was intact. Most of these 1st pattern badges are found with the plating worn to the base metal.

Nice find, Jock.

Very nice, Robin....

It's most likely that he had only one CT which he left loose so the he could transfer it from uniform to overcoat sleeve, and back.

These engraved army Para badges were made in silver, marked 800 and sell for extraordinary amounts of money. Copies started turning up in the 90's, so unless you have a iron clad provenance, or at least a right of return until it can be assessed by an expert in this field (preferably before purchase) make no commitment.

Hi de hi, Dave....

Some like the big "A" , but I think the consensus is still that they are fakes. Personally, I don't like them, and would advise anyone who's thinking of buying an Assmann summer eagle to buy the "D.R.G.M A" marked type.

You have been busy! Some great additions you have there.

Presentation Plate to Oberleutnant Otto Godemann

DOB: 4th September 1907

Staff Officer Fl.H.Kdtr. Westerland, Sylit. KG 30

Oberleutnant. 29th March 1943

Transferred to Fl.H.Kdtr. A 201/XVII (Agram, Croatia) KG 53

Hauptmann. 1st April 1943

So, we have a presentation plate to a Luftwaffe Officer. The interesting thing, for me at least, is not so much the man, but the history surrounding the Luftwaffe base of Westerland on the Island of Sylt , and the events that took place in 1939 which basically started the Battle of Britain.

The Luftwaffe base at Westerland, Sylt was Germanys northernmost airfield, and it was from there that the first attacks on British soil originated.

On Monday 16th October 1939 at 1100 hours, 15 Junkers JU-88 of 1/KG 30 led by Hauptman Helmuth Pohle takes off from Westerland. Their orders are to hunt down and destroy the British battle cruiser HMS Hood based at Rosyth Naval Yard; Reich Marshal Goering had summoned Hauptman Pohle to Berlin to relay Hitlers orders that the Hood must be attacked in open water to avoid civilian casualties. This short lived restriction was not a sign of the Fuhrers humanity: he still believed he could come to an agreement with the British people.

As Pohle leads his group to Rosyth Naval Yard, using the unmistakable Forth Rail Bridge as a guide, confident of a mission success due to the incorrect German intelligence reports that there were no Spitfires based in Scotland, luck takes a hand when, at 12.25 pm, a power cut had disables Drone Hill Radar station, stopping all chance of a warning of the impending attack.

An earlier German intelligence report, by two reconnaissance Heinkels has, however, mistaken HMS Resolve for the Hood. On arrival at the naval yard, 1/KG 30s luck is about to vaporise; HMS Repulse is docked so, mindful of Hitlers orders, they attack the light cruisers HMS Edinburgh and HMS Southampton together with the destroyer HMS Mohawk. At 400 miles per hour, the stress of the 17 ton dive on the ju88 causes Pohles cockpit canopy to fly off. At 2.35pm he releases his 500kg bombs on HMS Edinburgh, then circles above to observe the second wave of bombers. At 2.38pm Storps plane drops a bomb which hits the Southampton but travels through the decks of the ship and exits sinking the admirals barge and a pinnace lying alongside.

In the meantime, squadrons 602 and 603 have been scrambled and head toward the elite German force. The first conflict with Germany in British airspace of World War Two is about to begin.

Funaral parade (Edinburgh) for two members of 1/KG 30: Kurt Seydel and Observer August Schleicher

Very nice, Jock. 1st pattern mini's are hard to find.

And the second arrival of the day....

Hollow back, tombak General Assault Badge by Wilhelm Deumer - Ludenscheid

I just can't resist an early badge....

Hollow back, die stamped in nickel silver - Infantry Assault badge by B.H Mayer - Pforzheim.

Arm patch for Administrative officer (elevated career level).....One of a pair (this one for the left sleeve - eagle's head faces forward) to be worn over the rank stripes on each sleeve.

would like to have it in hand , as bullion items are always a little hard to assess, but the bullion work looks period, as does the backing. I would go for 'nice pick up'

Morning, Troy

Patch for rangefinder personnel - flak artillery

And it looks like a good one

I agree with Jock... certainly an original example.

As to the crustiness...well, it's just that.

It shouldn't do any harm....so don't me 'chicken'...give it a try.

Nice piece, btw

Faded ribbons, SS mini, construction and award time-line all look to be correct, but... Is it me?....or do I see the outline of an attachment on the ribbon next to the SS mini.

If not, i'll go back to my beer in the garden! Sunshine at last

Morning, Parawings...welcome.

Not a German vehicle recognition drape. The swastika is too small and there are no eyelets on the corners for attaching it to a vehicle. Not a flag as there is no way of attaching it to a halyard, which leaves us with it being a NSDAP Party banner/flag. Most likely for hanging on a wall, or in a window so it could be seen from both sides.

Nice piece.

Very nice, Martin...

A truly interesting area of military history, not much researched....I look forward to what you can come up with.

Nice thing is...It looks like they all signed the back.

Sooo...another KM Observer photo has turned up.

This one with, what I take to be, his Radio Operator/Air Gunner (his left) and ground crew.

Makes an excellent paper weight if nothing else...

I collect paperweights,rhines. I'll send you my address if that's all you're going to use it for. ;-)

A new one for me....very nice.

I 'm not sure the "combatant-red/non-combatant-white" rule was strictly adhered to, as a few period photos show recipients of the white cross also with the Spanish Cross with Swords.

From what I gather, things were pretty fluid when it came to personnel...non coms being used in reserve positions in active units being commonplace. And yes, I've seen a few confusing photos with SCwS on guys known not to have been in active units, too. ;-)

So, it looks like you have an original badge with what looks a zinc eagle on a tombak wreath. the pin is most likely been replaced at some point.

After receiving your PM asking me to look at minesweeper by B&NL I expected to see a fake with bogus maker mark. Nice to see that it was probably a typing error and that it's turned out to be as Martin has rightly identified.

Morning, Paul

An interesting question. I've never seen any photographic evidence of Heer personnel wearing Luftwaffe qualification badges as all support aircraft, for the army, were supplied by the Luftwaffe and manned by Luftwaffe trained aircrew, but Im sure that there must have been individuals who having qualified as aircrew transferred to the army at a later stage.

The only Luftwaffe qualified non-Luftwaffe unit that I can think of was Fliegergeschwader z.b.V. 7 which was part of the Polizeifliegerabteilung of the Ordnungspolizei coming under the command of the SS, and although the aircraft were manned by members of the Police, for administrative and pay purposes they belonged to the Luftwaffe.

Of course, there were individuals in other branches of the Wehrmacht/SS who held Luftwaffe qualification badges, as with the Kriegsmarine Observers, and they were members of the SS such as

Some of the more famous (or infamous) characters:

Reinhard Heydrich: flew with JG. 1

Friedrich Ludwig Herbert Alpers: flew as an Observer with Fernaufklärungsgruppe 22

Seen here is Hans Baur (Hitler's Pilot and head of Fliegerstaffel des Führers) holder of the Luftwaffe Pilots badge.

Note the Luftwaffe Pilot's badge on the SS officer in the background.