You kidding? HONTS!?!? Man, I would love to meet him and have some fun...
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I got the book as a present but I would have bought it anyway. Why? Because - contrary to some other people - I have the habit to make a judgement about a book AFTER I read it.
I am slightly confused and maybe somebody can help me. And I quote form Mr. R. Friedrich " Awarded for Bravery", Word Association Publishers, 2007:
"I have included as many photographs as possible in this reference. I feel this is the first reference work to show a photo of almost every Combat award of Germanys 3rd Reich being actually worn by a recipient. I have spent a great deal of time searching for some of these never before seen photographs. The majority of the actual award photos are reproduced to the actual scale of the object. Of course, reproductions, copies, and fakes frequently also meet the requirements of original scale, but many bogus pieces can be ruled out by the simple fat that they do not meet original scale requisites."
Is he saying that one should put a medal in question on top of his pictures and test the scale size? I just don't get it. But Mr. Friedrich knows what he is talking about:
"When reading previously published references in this field, it has always surprised me to see the long list of credits given for either photographic or material contributed. In my opinion, if the author of a reference on collecting does not personally own or have personally studied (excluding having the item simply photographed) the objects covered in the book, then he cannot be considered an authority on the subject My planning for this book did not include the sharing of photographic material from other individuals, as my collection is vast. All of the photographs of items in this book belong in my personal collection" (Bold/Italics added by Dietrich Maerz)
I bow to this collection! Among others we can find in his vast personal collection:
- Spanish Cross with Diamonds (cased)
- several versions of the Legion Condor Tank Badge, including one in gold
- the elusive gold rimmed Grand Cross
- (another) Prototype of The Star to the Grand Cross
- the bullion version of the Star to the Grand Cross
- several versions of the Diamond Oakleaves
- red presentation cases in several variations
- German Cross with Diamonds (cased)
- all three versions of the Juli 44 Woundbadge (cased)
- and all kinds of other diamond awards
- all grades of the balloon badge
- all grades of the sniper badge
- Anti Partisan Badge in Gold with Diamonds
- Navy destroyer Badge with Diamonds
- Minesweeper badge with Diamonds
- Auxiliary Cruiser Badge with Diamonds
- High Seas Fleet Badge with Diamonds
- E-Boat 2nd Pattern with Diamonds
- and of course ALL other awards the book covers. You name it...it's in the book. Even the cloth versions!
Mr. Friedrich has the most stunning collection on the face of the earth, and - regarding his own admission in the Introduction - it is all real.
Under this premiss this is the most complete and well rounded medal collection that has ever been published in book form!
Unfortunately most of the pictures lack the size and definition to allow a positive identification. Apart from few color section (which do actually NOT show the awards to scale...) the b/w prints are not clear enough to determine something positive, like maker or variation or so.
Based on this I cannot really make a judgement form my point of view about the Knights Cross and Higher-Section..... Some other awards I saw the first time in my life.
But under Mr. Friedrich's preamble I am not allowed to make a judgement anyway, since I do not - and I admit this in the open - posses such unique items. I only tend to make pictures of items which I do not posses.
So I will not judge/critique his book (which I own and have read!) and let his words and the content stand as he intended them to be read and viewed by the collector!
Dietrich MaerzComment
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Dietrich,
You are far too kind. Honts is an ahole who deserves what he gets in life. Schmuck.
MarcComment
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Marc,
I'm neither kind nor am I unkind. I just quote him and report what is in the book....
And it's all his vast private collection! Mr. Friedrich must be the most advanced collector on the face of the earth. I wonder how long it took to buy that all!
Dietrich MaerzComment
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Wait just one second Dietrich! Are you saying that there is NO Balloon Badge with Diamonds!? And am I reading your quote right, there does not exist the Sniper Badge with Diamonds EITHER!?
TomIf it doesn't have a hinge and catch, I'm not interested......well, maybe a littleNew Book - The German Close Combat Clasp of World War II
[/SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Available Now - tmdurante@gmail.com
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Just out of curiosity - how would one wear a sniper badge with diamonds? I mean, how do you MOUNT diamonds into cloth!?!? F Honts...Comment
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Marc,
there is no Balloon Badge with Diamonds in Mr. Friedrich's book nor a Snipers badge with Diamonds. Tom was rather pointing this omission (if it is one - I surely don't know) out to the readers.
I am the lucky owner of a reprint of the January 1945 (!) edition of Dr. Doehle's book " Die Auszeichnungen des Grossdeutschen Reichs".
Up to the recent days I always thought that this should be the bible of what was officially allowed/made/authorized/legitimate during the 3rd Reich.
Boy, was I wrong!
Dr. Doehle should be stripped of his title of a "Unterstaatssekretär in der Präsidialkanzlei des Führeres und Reichskanzlers/ SS Oberführer"
How can a guy, sitting in the Ordenskanzlei, missing medals in his book? No Warschau Schild for example!
See, it just shows that one cannot trust the original documents but must fall back (or rather "fall forward") to present day collections for the real thing!
Dietrich MaerzComment
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Dietrich,
Thanks for bringing me back to reality!
I was worried I had passed-up on some rare badges...oh well. Still, this jackass is making SOME money off peddling his BS collection. I can not wait for my book to come out and get panned by the em-ce-ef and the lemmings on that forum! It will be a badge of honor. 
MarcComment
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If it doesn't have a hinge and catch, I'm not interested......well, maybe a littleNew Book - The German Close Combat Clasp of World War II
[/SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Available Now - tmdurante@gmail.com
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DietrichOriginally posted by Dietrich Maerz View Post
Yes, I can understand how you could fall prey to such an "unscrupulous" ruse by Dr. Doehle.....
I guess this would fall under the catagory: "Who are you going to believe ? ME or YOUR lying eyes......"
Thankfully there are such well researched contemporary authors willing to share their "VAST" collections to educate us "commoners".
I'm a firm believer that there are always going to be "some" exceptions to the general rules,................ however it seems more and more self proclaimed experts would like us to believe that there are a "lot" more exceptions.
Oh well, every field of collecting has it's minefields to navigate......
Just think of all the "laughter" these jokers bring to our dreary days...
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Originally posted by Warren O View Post
Is this one of the photos? This was discussed on another forum some time ago. It's a very crude job.
BillComment
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What a joke!
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It's sad that our friend Roger Honts has nothing better to do than monitor this forum, while blocking WAF members from his own. I guess it goes to show how low and he is.
For those of you interested, I have written about Roger getting kicked off eBay for selling his fake crap. He even sold this book under the username "pastworldantiques" and multiple other accounts.
Everything is in his "collection" is fake. He has a bigger imagination than a 5 year old. For those of you interested in finding out more, this thread has all the info you will need:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=267556
As for his threats about "legal action..." Does he even own the rights to these photos? Just because he publishes them in a book doesn't make them exclusively his.
What a crybaby....Comment
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