What could EK 127 mean if it is scratched into a spoon?

[Legato_lover]

I have a spoon with faint German scratched into it. It is NOT the typical army spoon. It is made out of aluminum, has a German brand marking, but nothing "Nazi" on it. I am, however, 100% sure that it is from WWII. (Just take my word for it.)

The engravings are very faint and the only reason I noticed them is because I held it a certain way under the sunlight. It reads, "(Finmal?) kommt die Studne. Machs gut Alter!" and then, under it, E K 1 2 7.

What on earth does/could EK127 stand for? They are all next to each other, leading me to believe it is not his initials.

[pjm]

"Einmal kommt die Stunde. Mach's gut Alter" could be translated "The hour only comes once. Farewell, my old friend".

Mach's gut is a typical friendly way of saying goodbye but in this context there may be more to it.

It sounds like the first phrase is a reference to departing or death.

The EK 127...initials and a date perhaps... 1-27 for January 27 or 12-7 for December 7 would be possibilities.

Why this would be scratched on a spoon is a subject for speculation. A memorial of sorts but under what circumstances is a mystery.

[Legato_lover]

Thanks!

Someone brought to my attention "EK" might stand for Einsatzkommando and that might explain why the spoon is just a regular spoon as opposed to the typical engraved German armed forces spoon. What do you think?

[Nick VR]

Hi Legato


The EK could mean anything, my guess is that it are initials and a date. Thanks for posting this, I must say that I'am intrigued by it. Could you post a picture of the spoon?


Greetz

Nick VR

[Legato_lover]

Sure, sure.

I bought it from a dealer for four dollars. o.0 I contacted him and he said he got it from some guy in Russia a long time ago, that he saw the markings but could not make anything out.

You can't seem the markings at all on this. They are wayyy too faint to pick up with a camera. Scan it won't work either, I'm afraid. You can only see it when a shadow happens to fall into the little bends, when you hold it against the sunlight/flashlight.

[Legato_lover]

Well--I suppose no one really can be sure why there is a date/marking. Does anyone know, at least, where/what this spoon was used for? What I mean it, it is not really resemble the typical army spoons, nor the camp guard spoons, etc. It is like it is a typical spoon. Who would have used this?

[Adrian Stevenson]

Many soldiers carried non issue spoons. Impossible to say who used it.

Cheers, Ade.