A very unusual cap for a SA Gruppenfuhrer or Obergruppenfuhrer attached to the staff of a SA Gruppe. It's shape is a cross between a kepi and a bergmutze. Many of the leaders of the paramilitary units designed uniforms more in keeping with a military look for wear during the war
Hi guys;
I am thinking of adding a relic grade helmet or two to my collection (preferably an SS). It seems they are now becoming much faked like the originals, and finding a true battlefield relic has become a mine field. Can anyone give me a contact to a reputable digger, finder in the East? I am very nervous with the thought of dealing with the averge Joe's out there. Thanks for the help!!!!
I need help identifying these shoulderboards and chevrons.
cool militariacool militaria Doc
I know that this is not TR. However there is no place to put Wanted for them.
I need to buy all or some of these DDR Medals (East Germany) for my Navy Captain's uniform:
A Kampforden, possibly silver
-A Hufeland Medal (gold or silver) was awarded for significant contributions to health
-30th Ann. of the DDR
-30th Ann. of the NVA
-15 Years NVA Service
-10 Years NVA Service
-5 Years NVA Service
cool militariacool militaria Doc
I know that this is not TR. However there is no place to put Wanted for them.
I need to buy all or some of these DDR Medals (East Germany) for my Navy Captain's uniform:
A Kampforden, possibly silver
-A Hufeland Medal (gold or silver) was awarded for significant contributions to health
-30th Ann. of the DDR
-30th Ann. of the NVA
-15 Years NVA Service
-10 Years NVA Service
-5 Years NVA Service
cool militariacool militaria Doc
In late 1992, I was contacted by a long time friend, Dr. Robert Pickering, a forensic pathologist with the Denver Museum of Natural History. While attending a convention in Boston, he was invited for dinner to the home of the mother of one of his colleagues. Following dinner, the woman brought out a 3" x 3" x 3" wooden box that was covered with a course cloth on which was written Japanese kanji characters. Inside the box were the cremated remains of Private 1st Class Shozu Owikawa. The woman asked that he take the remains as she no longer wanted them in her home. Her late husband, an engineer who worked for the US Army as a consultant, brought them back from New Guinea following WW2.
When Bob returned to Denver, he contacted me regarding what the possibility was of returning the remains to his family, if any existed. Shortly thereafter, the box arrived in the mail. I immediately recorded the information with the assistance of my wife and wrote several individuals I knew in Japan who were people of note. Unfortunately, none of them wanted to become involved in reopening what might be old war wounds.
My next attempt was to go to a Japanese language newspaper printed in Chicago. Within a few weeks, I was in the area of their offices while on a business call. I met reporter Ms. Kayoko Kawaguchi, who expressed interest in writing a story. She took my information and promised that I would hear from her soon.
Time went by and nothing further materialized. We moved our business a few months later. Private Owikawa remained stored safetly in my desk drawer for years.
In late 1997, I suddently received a call from Ms. Kawaguchi. She explained that the day after we met, she had a verbal altercation with the wife of her employer. She left the newspaper and misplaced my information, which she had found recently. She inquired what had happened and replied nothing. She was now working as a reporter for a newspaper in Japan that had nationwide distribution. She requested an appointment with me and one was made. The following Saturday, she and a photographer came to my business, took my information and photographs of the box. Within a week, the story was on the front page of the newspaper. Less than 24 hours later, the paper was contacted by two of the three surviving members of Owikawa's unit. Both lived in the same rural area where Owikawa lived. He had been a farmer conscripted at the age of 32. He left behind a wife and four children. The wife was still alive and 82 years old. She had never remarried and all four of their children were alive This was wonderful news!
Several days later, I received a call from the Chicago Japanese Consulate. They wanted to send a representative to my business to examine the remains. In the past I was hesitant to entrust the box to a bureaucrat. I have always felt that th diplomatic corp of all countries was staffed by the children of rich families who did not have what it takes to survive in the real world. I was not disappointed in my thou ghts. The gentleman came in to my office and I brought out the box. He wanted to open the lid of the box that was tacked shut with two small brads. Inside were ash, bone fragments and two crumpled pieces of paper. The representative of the consulate took out the two pieces of paper leaving about 60% of the ash and bone on my desk top. I said in a very strong voice, "Sir, you are spilling Private Owikawa on my desk. The twit then took the box to the edge of my desk and used his hand to sweep all of the scattered remains back in to the box. The papers turned out to be notes from the man's company and battalion commander. After copying the letters, i placed them back in the box and reanchored the brads. At this point, I was told that he was ready to take the remains and that the legal guidelines said it would take 13 months to complete the transfer. At that point, I told him that in 13 months, the man's widow might be dead. I would make my own arrangements to return the remains, likely in person.
Several weeks passed and one morning, I received a call from the personal secretary to the Japanese Consular General. If I was in agreement, within one week, they would have two employees of the Japanese Ministry of Health fly from Tokyo to Chicago to take possesion of the remains. I was promised that the transfer to the family could be accomplished in one month. On February 27, 1998, Shozo Owikawa was returned to officials of the country for which he had given his life.
One month later, a formal ceremony was held in the farming village from which Mr. Owikawa had come. The same to officials that came to Chicago accompanied the remains to his home town and officially transfered them to his widow and their four children.
Shozo Owikawa had a long journey. He left Japan and went to Hollandia, New Guinea, where he died in an explosion while unloading aviation fuel, went from their to a closet in Boston for nearly 50 years, from Boston he went to Denver, Denver to the suburbs of Chicago and finally home.
Attached are pictures of the ox in which the remains were held, a picture of Private Owikawa and yours truly from a nespaper article and a picture of the Consul General holding the remains which had been placed in a special container.
I came across this photo of tanks ,I believe to be Hungarian. I've never seen the Luftwaffe emblem like these(minus the swastika) on armor. Does anyone know something about them? Different...to me. Ron
new load of Fallschirmjager pics
