Paul R Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Despite being a Luftwaffe fanatic, I have made it a goal to build a collection built upon the career of Major Reck. He was a veteran of France, Norway, Leningrade, and of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. He joined the Reichswehr in 1929 as a private. During the prewar years, he accended to the rank of Hauptfeldwebel and was commissioned as a Leutnant in 1940. By the wars end, he was a Major. I think that his progression in rank was hampered by an Alcohol related AWOL(where he received 10 days of house arrest) charge in Norway, and his crappy attitude with his training billet at the Infantry Officer Candidate school, in Posen in 1943. He was highly decorated, with a DKiG(Warsaw Uprising), Honor Roll Clasp(Leningrad), WBiG, EK1, EK2, and various other service medals and badges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted December 25, 2011 Author Share Posted December 25, 2011 As you can see, during his 16 years of service, he was assigned to an array of units. My goal is to find shoulder straps and boards that match his paygrades during his time assigned to each unit, as well as his awards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted December 25, 2011 Author Share Posted December 25, 2011 Part 2 of the service record Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted December 25, 2011 Author Share Posted December 25, 2011 IR 18 and IR60. He was at these units during his prewar years. I would love to find some of the correct Reichswehr 18IR boards, but this one will have to do for now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted December 25, 2011 Author Share Posted December 25, 2011 A set of Leutnants boards from the 236th, where he served for most of his career. I have a Feldwebel from the 79th IR that is inbound! I will post it when it arrives. Hopefully, there will be more additions soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deruelle Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 Hi Paul, Congrats for your job, very interrsting story. Christophe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted December 25, 2011 Author Share Posted December 25, 2011 Thanks Christophe! I hope to add to this thread regularly. I hope that you have a Merry Christmas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 This is an interesting project indeed! Good luck on it, it wont be easy.... you somehow never find the boards you need :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted December 27, 2011 Author Share Posted December 27, 2011 I hear you Chris. What do the 1929-1935 era of infantry boards with embroidered regiment look like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 He served with the 79th JR as an Uffz and Feldwebel, before his transfer to the 236th JR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Tempest Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Excellent historical research project Paul. You're a credit to the Herr Major! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted February 7, 2012 Author Share Posted February 7, 2012 Thanks for the kind words Troy. I have a long way to go. Some of this stuff is hard to find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wood Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 and epaulets are, for some reason, ridiculously exprensive. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ostprussenmann_new Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 It is always great to hear a story like this. I wish wish you the best of luck and be on the look out for what you are looking for. It was something (a simple picture) like this that got me into collecting. I can wait to hear about what eh future brings for you on this project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted February 8, 2012 Author Share Posted February 8, 2012 Thanks for the kind words. As I find things, I will update them here. The painful parts will be the DKiG and the Honor Roll Clasp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 It has been some time, but things are starting to come together. Here is where we are on this project now. I have remaining to obtain: 1. Medal bar with EK2/Heeres 4 Jahr/Schutzenwall Medals 2. 2x Tank Destruction Badges 3. Ehrensblatt der Heeres Clasp 4. DRA Badge in Bronze Various shoulder boards for his ranks held, with unit cyphers: IR 18- Soldat IR 236- Oberfeldwebel/Oberleutnant/Hauptmann IR 58- Hauptmann Infantry Lehr- Major Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hucks216 Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 That is a great effort. Hopefully you will be able to find the items that you are looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 Thank you. I found some more shoulder boards this week. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted September 15, 2015 Author Share Posted September 15, 2015 Here is another photo that found yesterday. The photo marks the surrender of the Free Polish Army on the 2nd of October, 1944. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted October 20, 2015 Author Share Posted October 20, 2015 (edited) His Ehrenblattspange is enroute!! One more piece remaining... the last Tank Destruction Badge. $11.6K down one more remaining!!!!!! This has been painful, but fun at the same time. Edited October 21, 2015 by Paul R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hucks216 Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 It certainly is a labour of love. Good luck in looking for everything else as I doubt it will end when the TDB arrives! : ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuka f Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted December 5, 2015 Author Share Posted December 5, 2015 Here is the final product! All done and accounted for. Now to find a few other shoulder slides and if I am lucky, some original award certificates. I feel that I was belong lucky to have found his Soldbuch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uffz. Rohleder Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 Very Nice to see this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dedehansen Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 Certificate signed by your subject Kind regards Andreas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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