Finally got a DKIG with history!!

[Adam S.]

Thanks for that Adam, I thought that was pretty refutable proof as well!

I do believe his brother is still alive too!!

Cheers

Jay

You're welcome! Aside from his name/rank and ID number being etched into the back there aren't many ways to tell if a badge came from a specific person. So this sort of document is about as good as it gets.

[hlynur76]

Nice DKiG by Otto Klein, I love it

I saw it for sale at Peter v Lukacs site.

[Darrell]

Thanks for that Adam, I thought that was pretty refutable proof as well!

I do believe his brother is still alive too!!

Cheers

Jay

Jay, did you get the document directly from his brother?
Sorry to be Mr. Pessimistic, but like others have mentioned the timeline doesn't match for the cross (could be a replacement who knows). After all, they are forging COA's with seals and signatures now days. Anything to raise the Ante so to speak.

[London Jay]

Hi Darrell,

I believe Peter V Lukacs did yes mate.

Of course I know there is no way to determine 100% whether it is the actual one that Karl Conen had/wore but as Adam says it's probably as good as it gets by way of proof that he owned this one.

Plus it's a beaut!!

Cheers

Jay

[Richardxyz]

Lovely DKiG Jay, nice to have good provenance. Seems unlikely his own brother would weave a web of lies.

[London Jay]

Thanks for that Adam, I thought that was pretty refutable proof as well!

I do believe his brother is still alive too!!

Cheers

Jay

I of course meant irrefutable proof!!

Sorry for the typo, damn mobile phones!!!

Jay

[London Jay]

Hi, I joined ubootwaffe.net to see if anyone knew anymore about the man behind the medal and a member posted this reply:

I met Karl Conen many times during my time at Kiel, Germany, where he lived. He was an old hand in U-boats, having served in U 7 under Karl Schrott at the beginning of WWII. Later he was assigned as Chief Machinist to U 460 and made all patrols of this boat. During refuelling operations it was his job to transfer by dinghi to the receiving boat in order to advise the crew on the procedure of refuelling. In this, he also kept a personal diary book where the officers of all the boat he had visited designed a guestbook page, often with the boats emblem and signatures of the offers. This book was sold on Ebay a couple of years ago for several thousand Euros. On rare occasions he showed the book to others and was able to give a story for each entry. Many of those he met at that time did not return from patrol. A first edition of his guestbook was lost overboard when he was washed into the sea by a stupid manoeuvre aboard U 383. He carried the book in a watertight pack under his uniform. So only part 2 of the guestbook survived. From all I know he would probably turn in his grave if aware what eventually became of his book!

When U 460 was located and subsequently sunk on 4 Oct 43, Karl Conen was just underway in his dinghi together with a rating from U 264 back to his boat. He was taken aboard U 264 before this boat dived. The U-tanker had also cleared his decks for diving, but apparently had some technical problems, as the CO repeadedly raised his arms upon advise from U 264 to dive first, while U 264 was designated to cover this by staying surfaced, repelling any attack with its flak. This episode was never forgotten by him and he admitted that he often awoke at night after going through it again and again even decades later.

Conen returned to France aboard U 264 and later transfered to UD-4, where he took part in exercises for underwater refuelling. The last U-tanker U 490 was fully equipped and trained for underwater refuelling operations when going on patrol.

After the war Karl Conen took part in the reconstruction of the ex-U 2540 for the Federal German navy, used under the name Wilhelm Bauer as an experimental platform. He lost his right arm in an accident, but continued to serve with the shipbuilding company HDW at Kiel as consultant and trainer for the new export submarines built at that yard until retiring. He was an active member of the Kiel section of the German U-boat Veterans association and a very pleasant man.

Hope this helps you to understand the person behind the medal. He deserved the medal in every respect.

[Glenn66]

Nice one Jay! A great award and a great story too! Never mind the doubting Thomas's...without a time machine we'll never know for sure the originality of anything so some provenance is better than none any day I reckon.

[amiklic1]

Great cross. I thought about buying it from Peter, but suddenly went to other side and bought some other items.

I'm happy it found a new, proud owner.

[London Jay]

Nice one Jay! A great award and a great story too! Never mind the doubting Thomas's...without a time machine we'll never know for sure the originality of anything so some provenance is better than none any day I reckon.

Hi Glenn!

Thanks a lot mate, that's my sentiments exactly too.

Cheers for commenting

Jay

[Coburg]

Great piece Jay. Congratulations

Jim

[London Jay]

Thanks Jim, really appreciate the comment mate

Jay

[Darrell]

Well as long as you're happy .. that's all that matters .... all the power to you ....