One problem with owning vehicles is keeping up with the keys at a event and also what key fob to keep them on. There are very few period key fobs available.
I want something large enough to so if they are dropped or misplaced I can see them from a distance. Or not forget them on the dresser when I leave for an event. I recently picked up two new key fobs off of a vendor on Ebay. They meet my criteria and are simple and well made. The topper is that they are Fallshirmjager themed!
I love them, and the slogans embroidered on them too…
Don’t whine, fight!
Fallschirmjager, fall from the sky and fight!
Jager Lyn got me some really nice goodies for my birthday… first a couple of really nice egg grenades from Kriegsende Militaria and as always their items are very well done!
The grenade… what nice detail! Photo from Kriegsende Militaria
The grenade with detonator unscrewed… Photo from Kriegsende Militaria
The grenade showing the parts… Photo from Kriegsende Militaria
I also received some assorted pocket trash… money and train tickets… will go into my wallet and help improve the detail of my impression.
Also a book that relates to TX … “Kampf um Texas” a propaganda piece I’ll have to try to read it…
I recently acquired another Luftwaffe soldbuch. This one is for an Alte Hase. Karl-Heinz Kümmer who entered the Luftwaffe in 1933 in Munich, served in the Condor Legion as mechanic and later as a Fallschirmjager.
The last promotion was to Feldwebel in May 1944. His last field unit was FJR/2 in January 1943.
You can see the entire soldbuch here. Just so there’s no confusion… this one is a fake, unlike the other which is original.
08 Jul 2009 /
Pocket trash
I recently acquired a new Luftwaffe soldbuch. It is a great example with a photo and pretty rich detail. It is property of Willi Reiff who entered the Luftwaffe in September 1939 in Bonn. The last promotion was to Unteroffizier in August 1943. His last field unit was 2/LS Ers. Abt. 2 in February 1944. He also served at a Flak Artillery school, and various Luftwaffe Flieger units.
Interestingly it also contains several Merkblatt (Instruction Cards) dealing with medical issues. One is titled Ruhr in Landern mit gemafligtem Klima which translates as Dysentery in Countries with Moderate Climates. The merkblatt states it must be kept with the soldbuch and is subject to medical inspection.
You can see the entire soldbuch here.
02 Jun 2009 /
Pocket trash
All armies had large bureaucracies, the German military in WWII was no different. I love the line from A Piece of Cake where the maintenance officer says, “you need a bloody form to get a form!”
A friend of mine made me a drivers license and a vehicle permit for my R-71. Both are quite respectable forgeries… or I mean historical reproductions. I wish I’d known Bill in high school - he’d have been making fake hall passes.
Here’s the front cover of my Führerschein…
And my Kraftfahrzeugfchen…
At our recent Shootfest event I was awarded the Erdkampfzeichen after the last action against the Ruskies.
It authorizes me to wear the badge on my tunic.
One of the nastier surprises used by the German forces in the latter part of the war was the shu mine. It was a small wooden box containing enough explosive to kill or horribly maim a soldier. Being made of mostly organic material with only a small amount of non-ferrous metal in the fuse they were virtually undetectable by existing mine detection gear.
I found a great source making replicas of these historical artifacts. They look just like the real thing! Next reenactment will be even closer to the real thing…
Some further information on German WWII mines can be found here…
For Christmas I had the thoughtful gifts of some items to fill out my impression… first was a nice wallet to keep my soldbuch and a pocket mirror. I also can put my photo album and Ekstein cigarette card collection.
I also got some items to fill out my toilet kit… pictured here laid out on my Luftwaffe hand towel are left to right; lighter and cigarette rolling papers, an original Whermacht marked can opener, comb, shaving brush, aspirin container, bakelite razor, shaving soap, razor blades, and a field dressing.
