My Meager Collection

[Eddie]

Hi guys, I'm a younger militaria collector, so my collection isn't super big or rare, but I love seeing the stuff that you all post and wanted to share what I have collected over the last year or so. WORD OF WARNING: my digital camera recently died, so I had to use my laptop's camera, which didn't have the best results. So, please don't comment just to complain about pic quality, I'll try to get some better pictures soon, but I'm just excited to share because my friends have zero interest in or context for any of this stuff! I also wanted to take the opportunity to thank you gents for contributing to this forum, I really learn a lot whenever I peruse the threads.

[Eddie]

The pin reads as follows: Kontr. u. Kass.-Ver. "Gross-Berlin" and there are the intials E.V. underneath the Berliner Bär.

[Eddie]

I got this recently and put it on my peacoat, it says "Raus aus Minden" and "Reserve hat Ruh" with an anchor, a shovel, and a pick. I don't quite understand the "Raus aus Minden" part, would it mean something along the lines of "directly/straight out of Minden"? The "Reserve hat Ruh" was an old war song that kinda means "bring 'em on!" basically, is this correct?

[Eddie]

Kyffhauser medal. Can anyone tell me what the swords would be? I assume they would mean combatant, but they seem a bit thin to be Hollenzollern swords or anything like that. I understand that this medal was a private purchase, is that correct? Can anyone expand on the history/reputation of this medal and the type of veteran who would have purchased it?

[Eddie]

I got this bayonet off of Ebay last year, it was advertised as a "war souvenir", it seems to be WW1 or older. It says Weyersberg, Kirschbaum& co, and Solingen, on the reverse side it has a star within a shield and three interlocking circles. the serial number on the blade is C2658 and the hilt has a serial number of H8107. There also is a handpainted "8" on the handle. Can anyone tell me anything about it's age based on these clues?

[Eddie]

This piece has personal significance to me as it includes my family's name as it was originally spelled! Poor distantly related Bernhard Wicklein from Neufang Sonneberg, was born 31.3.1895. and was attached to the Ers. Batl. Res. J.R. 83 no. 2513 2k and below is stamped Res. JK1, 9k nr1144. I wrote to the website that provides info on german soldiers but I've heard nothing back so far! On the positive side, I can now be pretty certain where a part of my family comes from. I bought this off of Ebay as well, and the fellow says that it was found in a forest in Kurland, (which is apparently a common story, so, who knows) but I like it anyway, and the type face is certainly period correct.

[Eddie]

So, it's hard to tell with such a terrible photo, but this tiny pin has a headless/armless/winged victory and a small maltese/iron cross on it. The headless and armless detail is how it seems to have been made, there is no indictation that I can see that this was broken in anyway. It is brass, and though there is an inscription it is so small that it is hard to read even with a magnifying glass(!) and I have no idea what it says except it seems to say '"co" and possibly 1908, though that may just be my imagination!

[Eddie]

this is not a military award, and I only include it in the hope that someone gets a kick out of it, it seems to be a 60's "surfers cross", but I love it as both a Germanist and a west coast American. The amount of detail cracks me up, it includes the oak leaves and 1813 on the front and a crown, "W" and 1914 on the back, all for a silly little trinket.

[Eddie]

Thanks to everyone who replies, I greatly appreciate this forum, and once again, sorry for the terrible quality!

[oradour]

Kyffhauser medal. Can anyone tell me what the swords would be? I assume they would mean combatant, but they seem a bit thin to be Hollenzollern swords or anything like that. I understand that this medal was a private purchase, is that correct? Can anyone expand on the history/reputation of this medal and the type of veteran who would have purchased it?

doomtown, a nice collection, although I am not sure about the surfers cross ! The Kyffhauser 1914-1918 War Veterans Commemorative Medal, (Kyffhäuserbund Kriegsdenkmedaille ) an oval gilt bronze medal, the face shows a tattered standard, lightning bolts below, dated ‘1914 1918’ to the left above a sprig of laurel, inscribed ‘Blank die Wehr, Rein die Her’ (Shining Arms, Pure Honour), signed ‘HOSAEUS’ at the base, all within a stylised laurel border; the reverse inscribed ‘Aufrecht u stoß gehen wir aus dem Kampfe den wir über vier Jahre gegen eine Welt von Feinden bestanden, Hindenburg’ (Upright and battered we came through four years of struggle withstanding a world of enemies, Hindenburg), a small five-pointed star above and below, circumscribed above ‘für Treue im Weltkriege’ (for Loyalty in the World War), circumscribed below ‘Der Kyffhäuserbund’, a sprig of laurel to either side. The medal was instituted in 1922 and, until the issue of the Cross of Honour of the World War (Ehrenkreuz des Weltkrieges), better known as the ‘Hindenburg Cross’ in 1934, was often the only medal of a veteran of World War I. The Kyffhäuserbund der Deutschen Landeskriegerverbände veterans’ organisation was set up some years before World War I and Field Marshal Paul von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg was its President of Honour during the 1920s. Your example dates from the period 1922 to 1934, nice to see the crossed swords on the ribbon, many do not feature these, and is an indication that the recipient was a combatent. Your first two items appear to be post WW1 veterans badges, the "Erkennungsmarken" (dog tag) is for a soldier from the replacement Battalion of "Reserve Infanterie-Regt. von Wittich (3.Kurhessisches) Nr.83 I and II Battalions garrisoned at Cassel, III Battalion at Arolsen) part of XI Armee Korps, a great item to have, especially as the named soldat bears your family name ! I dont recognise the bayonet, it does not appear to be of Imperial issue or infact German, I will leave its identification to others. Hope this helps,
Prost ! Steve.