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I have been on the lookout for a nice one of these, as you probably all know its a third reich DRL badge.The German National Sports Badge was first created in the year 1913 and is one of the oldest awards of Germany still in active circulation. Between 1914 and 1933, the German Sports Badge was issued for the completion of various physical tests by the young male population. As a military award, during the inter-war years of the 1920s and prior to 1933, the German National Sports Badge was one of the few military awards bestowed to the peacetime Reichswehr. Between 1933 and 1939, the German Sports Badge was overshadowed the SA Sports Badge which was a sports badge issued by the Nazi Party. Even so, the German Sports Badge was still regarded as an important qualification badge, and both the SA Sports Badge and German Sports Badge could both be earned and displayed

1856 Pattern British Bar On Barrel Enfield bayonet , maker marked Chavasse. Chavasse was a supporter of the American Confederacy and was based in Aston, Newton, Birmingham he remained in business at that address until 1868, when the financial ruin visited upon him by his support of the Confederacy finally caught up with him. Chavasse marked bayonets were imported by the South during the Civil War. It is likely this bayonet was either used or made for use in the American Civil war.

Hi There, My girlfriend and I were recently at Bovington Tank Museum for Tank Fest and we cam across a stall selling the attached collection tin. The seller explained they were Hitler Youth collection tins. Are there any enthusiasts out there that has seen anything like this before? I have done some hunting online and found no information apart from the tin wrappers. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Here is a WW1 US Medical Officers Comfort/Morale Bag. The stenciling on the bag is pretty self-explanatory. Inside I have 8 packs of WW1 Era Durham tobacco and rolling papers (common in my location). I also have included some repro candy bars and gum as finding real stuff is virtually impossible.

Lovely rifle Gildwiller, the Portuguese Government contract rifles were actually of a higher quality than the standard K98's

Cool Fritz! I appreciate the information, I honestly didn't care one way or the other on the history of the rifle, just saying what was told to me. In truth it would be impossible to track the history of who used it and when, as i'm sure they changed hands many times. I was just happy to have an all matching one, as most I see are non-matching.

This example has a BKA and an Orion stamp - these are recent deactivation stamps, BKA standing for Bundeskriminalamt, which is the highest police authority responsible for control of firearms. Up till recently these weapons were free for purchasers over 18 years, now restricted, the sale of deactivated weapons has now become prohibited. Apart from that, it has a large Portuguese stamp over the receiver, has prpbably never seen service with the Wehrmacht! As far as the weapon being from the son of a former German soldier is concerned, that is a nice story, but has nothing to do with reality. No soldiers were allowed to keep their weapons as a souvenir after the surrender in May 1945. The entire German male population was under internment. The Americans had over 11 million prisoners in their custody and they were not released at the end of the war, the British had over two and a half million prisoners, the Russians well over 3 millions, etc. Houses were searched, if firearms were discovered in a house, all male occupants were liable to immediate execution. Finding a cleaning rod is not always easy, but there are certainly dealers and firms on the internet. The only problem is the length, there are many variations in length depending on which 98 model, so make sure you find out which length you need, otherwise you are going to end up with a cleaning rod too long or too short. Various BKA and Landeskriminalamt stamps on deactivated weapons, black and white illustration shows the various LKA stamps

Here is a nice all matching K98 I got many years ago. I checked out all the parts, even the stock is marked correctly under the barrel. The butt plate is marked as well, but it's hard to read. The sling is also dated 1941 as well. This particular rifle was made for the Portuguese Government under contract. However from what I was able to find out, after the disastrous loses in Russia in 1941, these rifles never made it to Portugal. They were taken and given to replacement troops. This particular one I got from the son of the WW2 German Soldier that carried it. Unfortunately could not get any information on his unit or branch of service. However all matching K98's are kind of rare. Just missing the cleaning rod is all.

The M1915 example.

Correct. Here is the example for the gray overcoat.

Henk, Yes, you may have a picture. Give me your e-mail address and I will make a scan for you. I also have an enlisted man's H.R.15 shoulder strap for the mounted troops overcoat. It is blue with a yellow cypher and crown and a gray cloth backing material.

Hello chip I am working on a book/website about husarenRegiment Königin wilhelmina der Niederlande. Can i haben a picture shoulder strap of husaren 15. Do you have more? Greetings Henk

Here are my enlisted M1915 Husaren shoulder cords with regimental cyphers. These are issue examples. The strap on the jacket above is a private purchase piece.

This is the latest addition to my collection, as can be seen it's the DJ proficiency badge, it's nicely marked on the reverse, apparently this is a replacement, and as such is marked with the letter B. The Deutsches Jungvolk (DJ) was founded in 1928 by Kurt Gruber under the title Jungmannschaften but was renamed Knabenschaft and finally Deutsches Jungvolk in der Hitler Jugend in March 1931. Following the decree on the Hitler Youth on the 1st December 1936, boys had to be registered with the Reich Youth Office in the March of the year in which they would reach the age of ten; those who were found to be racially acceptable were expected to join the DJ. The regulations were tightened further by the Second decree on the Hitler Youth on the 25th March 1939, which made membership of the DJ or HJ mandatory for all Germans between 10 and 18 years of age.

And here's a letter of confirmation for a bronze badge and booklet to be sent to the named person.

Here's a silver version of mine also by Wernstein, it's lost a bit of silver on the front.

Yes Buster the same maker as yours.

Yes,i think its a good looking badge, the one I have was manufactured by Wernstein, is yours the same maker?

The DRL sports badge was awarded in 3 grades Bronze, Silver, Gold and war wounded versions. Requirements were. Bronze Grade, men and women 18-32 who passed 5 parts of National Fitness Tests within 12 months period. Silver Grade, 18-32 who passed for 8 years or 32-40 who passed National Fitness Tests within 12 month period. Gold Grade. 18-32 who held silver for 7 years or over 40 who passed within 12 month period. Ref, Fuhrer & Fatherland Vol 2 by Angolia.

Yes I've all ways liked the DRL badge here's one I have in my display and a postcard of a soldier wearing his dated 1943.

Here's a few more plates.

Here's a couple of colour plates from a book I have.

Just finished translating a stack of letters and documents for Georg Grasser the professor, turns out half of them relate to his son also called Georg Grasser. Georg the son was born in Feb 1911, went to elementary school then onto high school, moved to Japan in 1926 with his parents. he returned in 1931 and enrolled in the Consular Akademie studying foreign languages, ( French. English. and Japanese and completed his courses in 1935. Having a extensive knowledge of european and east asian politics went to study at the Japaninstitute in Berlin on the German-Japanese student exchange programme.till 1938 when he entered the Luftwaffe as a volunteer, he was passed fit and assigned to 4th battery light flakabtellung 75. Munich training as a gunner. Iv''e now found a bank withdrawal stub dated 30.12.44 stamped in Beslau, as far as I know Hitler declared Breslau a Fortress City in August of 44. He is a officer now in a Anti-Aircraft Replacement Battalion 25. Fortress Breslau 17th Army consisted of the following units in Feb 45 408th Division. 609th Division. 2. Parachute Battalions. Breslau. Artiliery Regiment. componants 2. Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalions. 1.Anti-Tank Battalion. 5 Engineer Battalions. 38 Volksstrum Battalions 3, Signal Battalions. He was captured and released in 1947 then settled in Munchen and got a job as export manager in the motor industry.

Yes thanks Paul that's a big help.

There has been a mass influx of these tins all of a sudden. I have just returned from War & Peace with one myself. Apparently they came from a large find in Austria but I have never seen the design of tin before. That is not to say they are not real, but I am starting to have doubts considering the sheer amount that have turned up at once.

Welcome to the Forum Dover. The collection tin you have is a Deutsches Jungendherbergwerk tin ( German Youth Hostel Organisation ), after making a donation you would have been given a lapel day badge. or tinnie. Below are a few other collection tins Iv'e come across and some of the donation gift badges. 1. A NSV collection tin. ( repainted post war ) 2. A WHW ( Winterhilfswerk ) tin. winter relief. 3. A HJ collection tin. 4. A 1937 DJH Gift Pin. 5 A 1934 HJ donation Pimpf pin. 6 A 1934 silk Mutter & Kind gift pin for National Mother Support Day.

Thanks Greg.

It is sutterlin which is very old german and a royal pain to translate page 12 Something like Wachtball. D. Lr. Habst. Zlu or klu Page 26 Translated...the proof of his Aryan lineage is fulfilled

Here's some scans of the Wehrpass. Can anybody make out what the 6th line down on page 12 says. The 3rd line down on page 20. And what it says on page 26. Page 21 translates to a Luftwaffe training college ( W4. OB.D.L. ) in Furstenfeldbruck.

Here's a few more photo's of AA guns and there crews.

I've just come across Georg Grassers Wehrpass which I'm in the process of obtaining, I've got a few pages copied from the Wehrpass book which has given me a wealth of information about his war time service from 1938 till the end of the war in 45, which has filled a huge gap in my records about him. He entered service in the Luftwaffe as a volunteer on 25.8.38. he was passed fit and assigned to conscription category ErsatzReserve 1 = ie ( untrained, not called up and under age 35 ), on the 25.10.38 was assigned to 4th Battery Light Flak Abteilung 75 Munich. On 27.8.39 was in 4th Battery Reserve FlakAbteilung 151 Augsburg. He trained as a gunner on 2cm Flak 30 gun, 3.7 Flak Anti-Aircraft gun, and the 60cm Sheinwerfer Battery ( Search Light ) and late in the war in the use of the Panzerfaust. He saw action in the first phase of the France Campaign in 5th/Flak Abteilung 25 (mot) part of 104 Flak Rgt part of 1st Flakkorps supporting Pz Group Kleist, and took part in the Battle of Dunkirk operating against low flying British and Allied Aircraft. He then was in Stabs Battery Flak Reserve Abteilung 25, and premoted to rank of Gefreiten on1.8.40. again to rank of O/Gefreiten on 1.9.41.and again to rank of Unterofficer on1.12.41. On 27.10.42. was in 15 Funkempfangs=Kp / Luftnachrichten D. Oberbefehlshabers Der.Luftwaffe communications group, then in 1/Luftnachrichten. Abteilung 350 till 6.4.45. On 7.4.45. was in 6/ luftnachrichten Rgt 7, he was premoted again on1.1.45 to rank of Feldwebel Des Res.( Technical Sgt ).until 13.4.45 when he was captured defending his homeland against the advancing Russians. He was released in 1947 and settled back in Munich, got a job in the motor factory there as a export salesman until 1958 when he left his senior position, and entered MAN as a deputy head of the export department in the tractor division. Dealing mainly with market studies and advertising tasks. He left after only 6 months because of difficulties in tractor sales,and from the limitations on staff. Since 1960 he worked in domestic sales at the Kunster Mann Iron Foundry Factory producing structural steel. That's as far as I've got at the moment.................Heres some photo's of the type of equipment he would have used.

It is a nice one, Greg

saw this in the recent email Kenny - it is a lovely item! I really like it. If I'm in the city centre soon might pop in to see it

Some of the letters and documents.