Vets wearing their 57ers!!!

[Steve 5]

Great looking items ! I just yesterday received an absolutely Beautiful early Knights cross from my dear old OdR contact ! sadly no provenance. Tom

What a great acquisition ! Congratulations............Tom, please do show !
Prost ! Steve.

[Sepp45]

Tom, please do show !

x2

[Sepp45]

Günter Halm in 1963, surrounded by "Desert Rats" veterans.

(Photo credits to "Bravery Courage and Valour - Volume 1: Decorations and Awards of the Third Reich", by Adrian Forman)

[Tom B]

Hello Sepp !! Today I would like to wish the happiest of Birthday's to my Old Dear Friend Artur Becker-Neetz.....93 years old !! My fond memoriies of all the BEER we drank together ! haha (RK 25 Aug. 1941) He has been a member of the OdR since it's earliest days. He has only owned and worn his original RK (800 & L/12) all these years. Happy Birthday my Friend !!!!!!! Tom

[Sepp45]

What better way to kick off a new year than with a 57 pic

Vizeadmiral Karl Zenker

[Steve 5]

Sepp what a great image of Zenker !
Keep up the good work in 2014, an excellent thread that has inspired other such threads on a few other forums !
Prost ! Steve.

[Sepp45]

Oberst Walther Dahl and Generalmajor Otto Ernst Remer

Photo posted by Mustang on the HWMF; credits to him.

[luftkrieg]

WW1 Ace (joint fourth with Werner Voss) and later Major d.R. Joesef Jacobs, circa 1976, wearing his Pour le Mérite with Crown (for 50th anniversary of receiving the award).

[luftkrieg]

"Here are two of Jacobs' Pour le Merite (Blue Max) awards. The one in my right hand was Josef Jacobs' "wearer's copy". The one in my left hand was a commemorative medal presented to Jacobs' on the 50th anniversary of his award."

Taken from a post at "theaerodrome.com"

[Sepp45]

Great photos Pierce, thanks for sharing them here.

Interesting story of Major d.R. Jacobs, who refused to rejoin the Luftwaffe. But also weird is the fact that it says "two of Jacobs PLM"... he had more than one?

[Sepp45]

Vizeadmiral Friedrich Rüge

[Sepp45]

Another of Vizeadmiral Rüge

[Sepp45]

Der Kommandierende General der 6. Luftwaffen Division, General Möller, macht am 10.09.67 seinen Abschiedsbesuch bei den Fernmeldern in Goslar.

[Unfront]

"Here are two of Jacobs' Pour le Merite (Blue Max) awards. The one in my right hand was Josef Jacobs' "wearer's copy". The one in my left hand was a commemorative medal presented to Jacobs' on the 50th anniversary of his award."

Taken from a post at "theaerodrome.com"

The cross on the right is without a doubt a silver gilt S&L Pour Le Merite made in the 57er era. (Dare I call it an Original "57er"...... some would have an aneurism!) This is a stellar set of photos as this is the fourth known S&L PlM that was worn by a vet! At least the fourth I know of. The cross on the left is a Wagner.

Great photos Pierce, thanks for sharing them here.

Interesting story of Major d.R. Jacobs, who refused to rejoin the Luftwaffe. But also weird is the fact that it says "two of Jacobs PLM"... he had more than one?

Many PlM awardees purchased a second copy so as to not cause any damage to the original. This "wearers" copy on the right is an S&L PlM as I have mentioned above. It is widely known that PlM veterans had purchased "57er" PlM's after WWII because their originals were lost, damaged, stolen, or they had to sell their original just to make ends meet. Sometimes they just did not want to wear the presentation award.

By the way, I refer to them as 57er PlM's because they were made in the era of the modified awards by the manufacturers of said awards - namely Steinhauer und Luck.

[Steve 5]

The cross on the right is without a doubt a silver gilt S&L Pour Le Merite made in the 57er era. (Dare I call it an Original "57er"...... some would have an aneurism!) By the way, I refer to them as 57er PlM's because they were made in the era of the modified awards by the manufacturers of said awards - namely Steinhauer und Luck.

Totally agree with you ! Well said !
This is a great photograph of Jacobs PLM......and gives great proof of provenance to St u L post war PLM's.
Prost ! Steve.