DDR My DDR awards

[Gordon Craig]

Kevin,

Thanks for posting the link to the WAF. I thought that I had posted pictures of my double VVO spange on that thread and was surprised not to see it there. Perhaps it was on another thread because I know I posted it there once. Torsten commented that there appeared to be some enamel damage to my pair which was unfortunatley correct. Too bat they are packed away in storage and I can not post pictures of them here.

Cheers,

Gordon

[ehrentitle]

Kevin,

Thanks for posting the link to the WAF. I thought that I had posted pictures of my double VVO spange on that thread and was surprised not to see it there. Perhaps it was on another thread because I know I posted it there once. Torsten commented that there appeared to be some enamel damage to my pair which was unfortunatley correct. Too bat they are packed away in storage and I can not post pictures of them here.

Cheers,

Gordon

Gordon - How I envy you being in Hungary, the poor man's Germany. I lived in Kaposv?r several years ago and spent some time in Budapest as well and enjoyed every minute of it. Your VVOs are there at:

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/sho...ad.php?t=178906

[Hauptmann]

Hi Gordon,

Hoping you'll be able to transfer the pics over here as well for those of us who are not members of the WAF as we can't see pics. And if possible the ones in Torstens thread over there and I think there was an older one discussing the cases as well which is also mentioned in on of those threads.

Would love to see anything and everything we can get over here on these. Just not enough DDR info out there... but it's getting over time.

Thanks!

Dan

[Gordon Craig]

Dan,

I tried transfering the pictures but for some reason I couldn't open them afterwards. However, the picture on the WAF indicates it was taken here in BPEST as the VVOs are sitting on my kitchen counter so I must have them here after all. I don't have room to display things here like I do at home so almost everything is in boxes and I don't always remember what I have. I'll dig the VVO pair out over the weekend and take some pics.

Cheers,

Gordon

[Hauptmann]

Dan,

I tried transfering the pictures but for some reason I couldn't open them afterwards. However, the picture on the WAF indicates it was taken here in BPEST as the VVOs are sitting on my kitchen counter so I must have them here after all. I don't have room to display things here like I do at home so almost everything is in boxes and I don't always remember what I have. I'll dig the VVO pair out over the weekend and take some pics.

Cheers,

Gordon

Hi Gordon,

Many thanks! Looking forward to seeing them.

Dan

[ehrentitle]

Here are Gordon's VVOs:

[ehrentitle]

And here is a scan of my VVO in Silver -

[Ulsterman]

Nice.

Are they faking medal bars yet?

If so, how does one spot one?

[Gordon Craig]

Kevin,

Thanks for posting pictures of my VVO pair. I tried to copy that picture from WAF earlier today but couldn't open what I copied.

For the other chaps looking at these VVOs there is a picture missing. These are both very early VVOs. The silver one has a small silver content mark of 925 (if I remember correctly) at the bottom of the back of the VVO. That mark is pictured on the WAF site. VVOs with the gold and silver content marks were only issued from 1954 until 15.04.1964. They are hard to find and command a premium in price.

I do not know if the medals bars are being faked yet but that is very possible. However, what is fake? No doubt lots of the medal bars you find on ebay.de were assembled after 1990 just as most of the ribbon bars are. Medals are plentiful and bars to mount them on are readily available as well. If someone were to assemble a medal bar, and do it correctly in order of precedence, there is no way to tell if it was done before the wall came down or after. One thing to watch for is what order the medals are assembled in. The MfS and the NVA mounted their awards in different directions so if you see an MfS ribbon bar put together the way an NVA bar would have been it is an obvious fake. Having one or two awards out of order is not always a sign of a fake. Sometime people just made mistakes. The only way to learn all you need to know about medal bars and ribbon bars is to buy all of the books you can and study pictures, and actual bars if you can, endlessly.

Regards,

Gordon

Edited March 9, 2007 by Gordon Craig

[ehrentitle]

Gordon - Here is that photo you mention above with the silver content on your VVO. Mine VVO in Silver is also marked, I just need to dig out the photo. Kevin

[order_of_victory]

Here are Gordon's VVOs:

Wow they are fantastic I love the way are joined

Order of Victory

[ehrentitle]

And here is a scan of the reverse of mine showing the 900 silver mark -

[Gordon Craig]

Order of Victory,

Yes that is an interesting and different way to connect two VVOs. Usually they are mounted close together without any gap between the ribbons. That is one of the things that attracted me to this pair.

Regards,

Gordon

[ehrentitle]

And here is the full reverse of the VVO and ribbon bar. Note that both the ribbon suspension and ribbon bar are marked 900. Because of the shine in the scan the back of the medal looks dark -

[ehrentitle]

And here is a very crude copy I purchased on US E-bay last year. My thought is perhaps it was used as a movie prop.

[Hauptmann]

Hi all,

Wow! Thanks for all the pics so far. Gives us alot to shoot for. If ya'll have any shots of the cases the various types came in I for one would love to see them. Love cases!!!!

Thanks!!!!

Dan

[Grant Broadhurst]

Flippin heck Dan , you dark horse !

Very nice cased VVO

[Hauptmann]

Flippin heck Dan , you dark horse !

Very nice cased VVO

Hi Grant,

Many thanks my friend! I'm actually quite glad I grabbed it when I did. A couple days later he listed another one that looks and sounds identical... but is double the price I paid. No idea if I got a "deal" or what but I'm very happy to finally have one. Can't wait till it gets here so I can see it in person. I've never seen anything but pics in books and on the web.

Here's hoping you and Vic get examples of these soon too!

Oh, I posted my DDR Police awards, etc., on a new thread tonight if you want to take a look. It'll give you a chance to see what you and Vic got and have coming in the latest shipment.

Dan

[Hauptmann]

Hi all,

Well, thanks to Vic (Order of Victory) I'm well on my way on the next set:

Now all I need is the Gold and the Bronze.

Vic... many thanks for negotiating this one for me. Keeping my fingers crossed on the rest of the bunch we're working on.

Dan

Edited March 10, 2007 by Hauptman

[order_of_victory]

Hi all,

Well, thanks to Vic (Order of Victory) I'm well on my way on the next set:

Now all I need is the Gold and the Bronze.

Vic... many thanks for negotiating this one for me. Keeping my fingers crossed on the rest of the bunch we're working on.

Dan

Dan,

After all you have done for me, it was thel east I could do

Order of Victory

[Gordon Craig]

Gents,

I was going to do a separate thread on VVOs, and I may still do that at some time in the future, but for now lets go over the last type of bronze VVOs awarded.

I am going to post a few pictures that I have on file of the first VVO I ever bought. These red cases are still rather nicely put together but they lack any sort of catch to hold them closed. Therefore, when shipped out of the factory they are put into clear plastic bags and sealed. This doesn't keep the VVO in its place in the case but at least it keeps it from falling out of the case. The photos following that will be of the top of the case closed and the medal with the case open.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Case top-closed

[Gordon Craig]

Open and VVO

[Hauptmann]

Hi Gordon,

Outstanding! So I take it this is the type of case I just got with mine? Sure if a beaut!!!! Can't wait till it gets here! That's the hardest part of buying online or through the mail... the nearly endless waiting. But when they arrive I'm like a kid on Christmas morning... even though I know what's in the box before I open it. Seeing in person is always a much better experience than just seeing pics online.

Can't wait till you pop up a separate thread on these as just the ones you've posted here have been fascinating. More than I've been able to find on this Order since I first saw it years ago.

Many thanks!

Dan

[Hauptmann]

Hi all,

Here's my newest addition to the DDR collection:

Correct me if I'm wrong... a Kampfgrupe Bester badge... not sure if bronze or gold.

Should be shipping out Friday with some other pieces I've ordered... so with luck I'll have it by mid week this coming week. Once here I'll do a couple of scans front and back.

Thanks!

Dan