ID Imperial Gunners badge & medal bar

**booboo252** · 06-17-2010, 11:08 AM

Hello, please look over the gunners badge that came with a Third Reich lot I bought recently. I ma unsure of authenticity. I have seen these badges in 2 part construction with a solid back. I am guessing that there is a hollow badge beneath the solid backing plate. However, I do not know enough to make an informed decision.

I also thought it would be nice to show my bar also as this is my first post in the Imperial section.

Thanks in advance.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 06-17-2010 11:08 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**oradour** · 06-17-2010, 04:37 PM

booboo252, welcome to this section of the forum !....your medal bar is nice one, genuine bar which spans the years between 1897 and 1939, your veteran of WW1 was probably a medical orderly or stretcher bearer, his medals are left to right...Third Reich 1939 non-combatents War Merits Cross, the following medals are Imperial (1897-1918), Merit Cross for War Aid, Army 9 year long service medal, Order of the Red Cross 1st grade, and finally the 1897 Kaiser Centenary medal. Your air gunners badge I will not authenticate either way, as I have allways stayed away from them due to the vast array of fakes both good and bad, I know this is a bit of pain and I do not wish to be seen passing the buck, but you should post the 'air gunner' badge in the Aviation section of this forum, under the 'sticky' thread 'Fake WW1 Imperial German flight badges' (yes, I know its for fakes, but yours can be best evaluated there) the moderator there StevenM is the man, when it comes to these badges. Hope that has helped.

**booboo252** · 06-17-2010, 10:13 PM

Thanks Oradour for a great explanation of the bar. Any idea on approx value?
As for the badge, I shall do as you have advised. I have noted that hollow back versions do exist.

**leej11** · 06-17-2010, 10:30 PM

I cant help you with this. Im afraid of heights and these badges! LOL. I do like your bar though!

**oradour** · 06-17-2010, 10:46 PM

booboo252, I hope you get a result regarding the air gunners badge over in the Aviation section....as for value of the bar, although none of the medals are rare, infact they are quite common, this is an unusual grouping, and would be of interest to both collectors of medical personnel items and Imperial/Third Reich medals, I would say approx £140-150.

**booboo252** · 06-18-2010, 12:14 PM

Thanks again Oradour, thats nice to hear. I picked it up for £80 as I thought it looked unusual and it is a very tidy example. Is the blue backing material a piece of Luftwaffe cloth of some description?