AlecH

Bought a mixed paper convolute at the flea-market last weekend. One piece is a membership certificate for Freikorps Konrad Henlein. Strictly not belonging to 1933 era of Freikorp, nevertheless a Freikorp. I must admit I'd never hear of this Freikorp before. Known also as Sudetendeutsche Freikorp and Sudetendeutsche Legion. What I found out was Hitler ordered its formation 17th Sept 1938 although it was a short-lived Freikorp, dissolved in March 1939, when the Wehrmacht marched into the unoccupied part of Czechoslovakia. During its short life, this paramilitary group was extremely active, responsible for over 50 assassinations and a large number of terror acts against Czech citizens and installations. I wonder do members have any pictures of the insignia they wore or indeed any information would be welcome. Regards

Very nice first trio - Kevin

Thank You Tom

Attended local Military Collectors Club last Saturday 28/4/12 - bought a couple of things amongst which were a set of camouflage gloves - perhaps members maybe able to help me. I know some members much prefer wearing camouflage uniforms ( when the wife allows) to every day clothes and have great knowledge over various patterns, I need information. I was told they are Sumpftarn (Swamp) Pattern Gloves, researching the gloves I find they may belong to either one of two swamp camouflage types - Wehrmacht Sumpfmuster 43 or Wehrmacht Sumpmuster 44. I can't decide which mine belong to. Any information appreciated.

Artillery General Wilhelm Stemmermann Born: 23th October 1888 - Rast / Baden Died: 18th February 1944 - West of Tscherkassy Commander of the 296th Infantry - Division General-Commander XI. Army Corp K.I.A. - Leading his Corp out of Tscherkassy Encirclement - hit by artillery shell in vehicle Ritterkreuz - 7th February 1944, Oak Leaf Ritterkreuz - 18th February 1944, Deutsches Kreuz in Gold - 11th January 1942, Repeat Spange to EK1 & EK2, Image: K.V.K. with Swords - 6th September 1941

RB - Number

Bought this set of gloves a couple weeks ago at the flea-market. I assumed they were war time motor Cyclist Gloves, inside is the glove size stamp and the RB - number. I really have little knowledge about gloves - still think they are cyclist gloves could members confirm this or do they have any further information.

Oberstleutnant Walter Klocke (Lieuteutnant - Colonel) Born: 11th December 1905 - Died: 18th January 1945 - Major of the 215th Infantry Regiment Commander 215th Sturm Regiment Part of the 78th Sturm - Division - Fought at Kursk Summer 1943 K.I.A. 18th January 1945 Ritterkreuz - 20th April 1944, Deutsches Kreuz in Gold - 7th October 1942, Image: Ostmedal - 27th July 1942

Hi Paul, Thanks for your kind, affirmative post. A point of interest, did the ink stamp say anything to you ? if so, could you tell me what? Again thanks for the help. Best Wishes

Hi Paul, Thanks for the interest. As a matter of fact there's a ink stamping on the inside lining, unfortunately some of the numbers are partially smeared, we do however have members with extraordinary sight who may well be able to read them and help out, of particular interest is the last number I think the date number. Here's the pictures

2

Yesterday I bought a late war Wehrmacht Wachtmantel (guard overcoat) surprisingly good condition no moth holes, blanket-like lining and with a hood. One question crossed my mind - I noticed, although almost all of the Wachtmantels (overcoats) had small shoulder straps & shoulder buttons, none that I saw had any shoulder epaulettes - so did the guard watch (Wacht) have their own shoulder broads particular to them or did they wear the broads from the regiments they were with? I intend to get the appropriate shoulder broads for my coat, I do need to know, which to get. Any help appreciated. Enjoy the photos. Regards

Hi Kevin, How your can make out seven letters on the bar from such a poor, poor picture - well its completely beyond me! perhaps we could find you a job at Bletchley Park, nevertheless the medal bar pictures are welcome, but the best picture of all, would be a German medal bar with a King Michael Loyalty Medal 2nd Class with Swords medal,as shown at the start. Alec

Nice pictures Kevin of Manstein & co. The Romanian awards are I expect a class above mine at the start of the thread. Looking through your post No.9 - Romanian Pilot Awards - EK ribbon bar - I see, Ost Medal ribbon bar - I see, Stalingrad Bar - No ( not a single letter) Yesterday I did look through Romanian Military History Forum, they do have a somewhat shambolic nine page thread dealing with these bars, I noticed you had contributed a number of posts to the thread. The exact two Romanian pilot pictures you posted on this thread, were there (maybe yours came from the thread) the poster asked - Gents, This looks to me like the famous "STALINGRAD" bar in wear. What do you think ? Alex No-one answered his question - its clear, impossible to answer, the photo definition is not good enough. Despite a number of requests for a picture of the Stalingrad bar, this was the only allegedly pictorial evidence offered on the whole of the nine page thread, its not strong enough. Until better pictures come along the Stalingrad bar must stay in the realm of fantasy.

Thanks for the picture and the list, great convolute, it must be a highlight in someone's collection. I can't help feeling you may have some unofficial bars on your bar list i.e. Stalingrad, Calmucia never seen them or any paperwork on them. I did looking through the internet come across a German artillery general Hans Speth, has quite a number of foreign medal awards amongst them four Romanian ones - His awards Prussian Iron Cross II Kl w/ Spange Eastern Front Medal Hesse Bravery Medal Honour Cross w/ Swords Wehrmacht Long Service 18 Year Wehrmacht Long Service 4 Year Spanish Order of Military Merit Bulgarian Commemorative Medal w/ Swords Romanian Order of Michael the Brave III Kl Romanian Order of the Crown w/ Swords- Grand Cross Romanian Order of the Star- Grand Cross Romanian Crusade Against Communism Medal Italian Silver Bravery Medal Albanian Order of Skanderbeg However, I never did find a picture of a German soldier wearing the medal at the start of this thread, perhaps one day, again thanks for your impute. Best Wishes

Quite a list there Kevin, I've totted up 17 plus medals given on your list. It would be a wonderful thing to see pictorial evidence i.e. German / Romanian medal bars or period pictures of German soldiers wearing them, not that I doubt your list for a moment. One thing not mentioned that I would like to take the opportunity to write about, a collecting interest of many collectors - the bars of Crusade against Communism medal. Littlejohn writes in his book "Legions of the Third Reich" that there are 14 different bars without giving any source material, I show a picture of 11 bars would you have any material on the other three? Regards

Thanks Kevin, For the post and information, the price list is a great help. However its still unclear to me, what exactly the award, qualifying criteria was, was it based on a time serviced scale ? after all there were three medals in the group? for bravery ? or a good performance? Could I ask, do you know how many Romanian different medal awards were given to the German forces?. I know of three, the one at the thread start, crusade against communism medal and a manufulness and loyalty 2nd Class with swords medal. Do you know to other ones ? if yes, could you post a list of them. I've included two pictures of a mixed ribbon bar and a mixed medal bar. Ribbon Bar - Austria Medal - Czech Medal - Romanian Loyalty Award - Romanian Crusade against Communism Medal, Medal Bar - Romanian Crusade against Communism - Ost Medal - Silver Romanian Manfulness and Loyalty Class 2 with Swords Medal. Regards

Presentation Case -

Bought a mainly German medal convolute last week, it was a all or nothing deal. One of the pieces bought is a Romanian Loyalty Service Cross with presentation case. Knowing hardly next to nothing about Romanian medals, I looked through medal sales internet sites for some background information and valuation prices. I found on "marksmedals.com" a small write-up stating - Romanian Loyalty Service Cross 1937 - 47 - 2nd Model, 2nd Class, however no price. Interestingly the write-up was taken from David Littlejohn's book " Foreign Legion of the Third Reich" which made me the wonder over the reasons and conditions behind awarding the medal, could it be from the Romanian government to Romanian soldiers fighting along side or inside German Wehrmacht units. If members have any further in-depth information and price range. I would be pleased to hear it.

Generalleutnant Hans Traut Born: 25th January 1895 - Saargemund Died: 9th December 1974 - Damstadt Commander of the 41th Infantry Regiment Generalleutnant 263 Infantry Division Commander of the 78th Sturm - Division - Fought at Kursk Summer 1943 July 1944 taken POW by the russians, released 5th Oct. 1955 Ritterkreuz - 5th Jan 1940, Oakleaf - 23rd Jan 1941, Deutsches Kreuz in Gold - 5th Dec 1943, EK1 & EK2 Repeat Spange Image: KVK II - 20th April 1943

Thank you Gentlemen, For your kind words, for the icing on the cake I woüld've liked to have had a normal Ost Medal citation and a more ornate Erdkampf citation, suppose I ought to be have happy with what I've got. Kevin I too thought along the lines you suggest, for whatever reason they didn't have formal citations on hand and made do with these. I don't think for a minute that the award is invalid or the provisional document has any negative overtones. Regards

Here's the Ost Medal paper

A couple of weeks ago picked up a small Luftwaffe convolute - EK2, Woundbadge, Ost medal, and Luftwaffe Erdkampfbadge all from a Gefreiter Helmut Schedlinski with the Luftwaffe ground personnel. The EK2 citation & the Ost medal notification sent to Schedlinski's field hospital (requesting entry in his Soldbuch) came under his time with Luftwaffen Division Meindl, indeed the EK2 document as appropiate been signed by Meindl. The Woundbadge & Erdkampf badge come under the time he was with XIII. Fliegerkorps whose commander was again Meindl. The question I've is, although the Erdkampf document is only a provisional award citation, Meindl has signed it, in what appears to be the Staff Quarters would the signature upgrade the document to a full blown citation document ? can't imagine that the protocol required a Commanding General to sign a provisional award document ? Any information welcome.

Meindl's signature on a Erdkampf citation dated 1st December 1942. He's Kommandierenden General of the XIII Fliegerkorps, fairly constant signature.

Here's another Meindl signature dated 19 May 1942 written on EK 2 citation as he the Luftwaffen- Division Meindl commanded on the Northern section of the East front. Signature has hardly changed