Tuckers combat awards book

[Mat Holloway]

Hi all
i have recently picked up a copy of tuckers german combat badges of the third reich volume 1
i was wondering what other volumes have been released? Also are there any suspect badges in the book that i should look out for?
thanks
mat

[Marc Garlasco]

Mat,

I provided him some photos for his Luftwaffe volume, so I know it is coming...
Marc

[Scott C.]

I think a few badges in the book have been deemed "suspect" in some of the forums but I don't recall which ones - you might try doing a search in the medals & badges forum using "Tucker" as a key word. It's still a must-have reference in my opinion.

Scott

[Don Scowen]

I think a few badges in the book have been deemed "suspect" in some of the forums but I don't recall which ones - you might try doing a search in the medals & badges forum using "Tucker" as a key word. It's still a must-have reference in my opinion.

Scott

These are the ones that I noted down that were being questioned in the past:

PAB 25 by JFS on p80 + 81
PAB 50 by JFS on p82

Army Para Badge by CE Junker on P 140 + 141
Box for Army Para Badge on P 149

There may be others but it's a start.

Cheers
Don

[Scott C.]

Thanks Don! - I'll make a note of it this time

Scott

[Mat Holloway]

cheers don

[kristensen]

Hi.

There was a thread about it, but now I can't find it. Anyway I made a note of the comments in the thread.

The comments are NOT my own - I'm no expert, but here are the notes I took from the thread:

- - -

-Page 80: PAB numbered 25 by JFS - fake

-Page 82: PAB numbered 50 by JFS - fake.

-Pages 134/135 comparison Wernstein GABs: these are NOT Wernstein badges, they are unmarked and by an unknown maker. This is not a simple mistake of a misplaced text, it is repeatedly said in the caption that these are Wernstein.

-Pages 140/141: Heer para badge is a fake in expert´s opinions about these badges.

-Page 152/153: Juncker Heer Flak badge is a fake.

-Pages 185 - 191: Balloon badge, no comment.

-Page 273: questionable outer carton for a U-Boat Badge with bogus German text on it.

- Many, many typos in the glossary (maker´s names and locations) and some products of halfhearted research like "Gablonz an der Neckar", which is usually abbreviated in German Gablonz a.d.N.
1) It has to be Gablonz an der Neiße
2) Even if it was located on the Neckar river, it would be "Gablonz am Neckar" not "an der Neckar".

- Production timeline graphs under each badge, so basically each IAB pictured of some maker or even the non maker marked ones, hollow or massive, has it´s own timeline. This is broken down to year´s quarters like: badge x was produced from spring 1942 until end of autumn 1944. My question is: how would the author possibly know that? He would need to have accurate production books of each German company in his hands to do that in the accurate way it is shown in the book. IMO, this is just guessing around and would have better left out of the book. It tries to give the book an academic aura but the contrary is the case.

- - -

[torstenbel]

Hi Kristensen, I also have the book and find it very informative...but I am surprised by the number of fakes stated as being in the book... are they all 100% confirmed and behond all reasonable doubt to be fakes?...if so, then I will need to put notes into my book.... thanks for the info Cheers, Torsten.

[Marc Garlasco]

I saw Mike at the MAX. He said he is shooting for Spring 2006 for the book on Luftwaffe Badges.
Marc

[Mat Holloway]

Thanks mark i'll keep my eyes open for that one there are no better books for close ups in my opinion
thanks
mat

[kristensen]

Hi Kristensen, I also have the book and find it very informative...but I am surprised by the number of fakes stated as being in the book... are they all 100% confirmed and behond all reasonable doubt to be fakes?...if so, then I will need to put notes into my book.... thanks for the info Cheers, Torsten.

Hi Torsten.

The comments are not my own. I just noted them from the old thread.

However I found the old thread - couldn't find it the normal way, but if you make a search for the word "halfhearted" - you'll get 3 threads. One of them is called "Tucker's Book". In that thread you'll find the post about the fakes. The fakes were spotted by Frank Heukemes.

Anyway I think it is quite important to find out if the items listed in the thread really are fakes. I'm no expert just a humble collector, so perhaps the experts will help us to "fake" or "defake" the items in the book.

[John Cooper]

I saw Mike at the MAX. He said he is shooting for Spring 2006 for the book on Luftwaffe Badges.
Marc

Has the publisher be announced if so are there pre-order options?

Thanks

[Frank Heukemes]

-Pages 134/135 comparison Wernstein GABs: these are NOT Wernstein badges, they are unmarked and by an unknown maker. This is not a simple mistake of a misplaced text, it is repeatedly said in the caption that these are Wernstein.

This one needs to be reviewed. Even if he was not aware what the true cosequence was at the time the book was published, Mike has shown two badges here which most certainly are the REAL Wernstein badges, in contrast to the ÜÜ marked badges which are widely regarded as Wernstein badges today because of a slip in a maker list provided by Jörg Nimmergut decades ago. However, the ORIGINALITY of these two pictured items has never been questioned.

I still believe all the other ones mentioned to be questionable items. These opinions were and are shared by other collectors. If needed, we can discuss this again, but I thought we can give this a rest. Mike has provided an excellent quality book, regardless of these mistakes.

I am also of the opinion that every serious collector who received a hint which items might be questionable, is able to compare these items to proven originals and can form his own opinion.

[Berra]

I've just ordered Tuckers book and wonder if any more fakes as been spotted during the years since this thread was started ?

Anyone know if the his luft-book is coming out anytime soon ?

Thanks/B

[Mike Tucker]

I will not be working on the second volume of "German Combat Badges of the Third Reich-Luftwaffe". Other things in my life will not allow me to finish this series of books. However, Steve Previtera at Winidore Press is working on the Luftwaffe volume with others and I am sure it will be a great addition to his other fine books.