Nowotny's Recovered RK

[Darrell]

I subscribe to Token Publishing's "The Medal News". Its a 10 issue/year publication on Medals of the Commonwealth.

Interesting out of the blue in the recent June/July 2014 issue comes an article about his career and the "recovery" of Major Walter Nowotny's RK from the crash site.

Obviously the first RK shown looks to be a fake, so I'm not sure what medal was actually recovered or if the whole provenance story is a fabrication or was the real medal was switched ... ??

Anyway, here is the article for what it's worth. Has anyone ever heard of this before?

[chen]

Those on the Funeral pillow must be replacement pieces.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Seems heavy on regurgitated "History of Nowotny" and the award is limited to a couple of lines of passed on history at the end.

So we are to believe that a famous ace (Schnorrer, by name and nature it seems) crept into his dead buddies quarters and stole all his goodies, keeping them for a rainy day and not returning them to the family.

I would give it a "Yeah, right" ... all may be possible, but wonder... Nowotny probably had a big funeral, at least one with his awards on a Cushion....

Is it probable that the family never said "Ummm... he had the highest awards... where are they?"

Once again, I may be wrong, but the story seems to be very unlikey?

[Ludwig]

Reminds me of the story about Marseille´s RK, published many years ago in "The Military Adviser"...

[Tom B]

IMO just another load of BS...what a joke !

[Dietrich Maerz]

The same article was piublished in the January 2013 edition of the Military Trader. I normally don't do it, but in this case I wrote to the editor John Adams-Graf. He was quite upset that he was used to promote such a scam and printed my letter, Mr. Shaw's reply and my rebuttal in the July 2013 isse.

"I had several experts examamine it and all agreed it's authentic"

Some people are just adamant about what they don't know and everything else is just "talks on the Internets"

[Chris Boonzaier]

Is this the Museum run by the Canadian guy Frank Grant ?

I think that is his name ?

[Darrell]

Seems heavy on regurgitated "History of Nowotny" and the award is limited to a couple of lines of passed on history at the end.?

The majority of the articles are heavily "research" with a small amount to the actual medals themselves. That theme follows closely to the layout of this story. What is rather interesting, I cannot remember ANY articles devoted to medals of the TR or many even devoted to medals outside the realm of commonwealth. This story is rather perplexing to say the least regardless of what truth is portrayed ...

[Sepp45]

In his book "The Me 262 Stormbird", Colin D. Heaton states the following story about Nowotny's RK from an interview with Adolf Galland after finding the plane crash:

"After sifting through the wreckage, the only salvageable things found were his left hand and pieces of his Knights Cross, Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds decorations. He had simply disintegrated."

The medals shown on his funeral pillow are definitely replacements and the remains were handed over to the family.

[Darrell]

The same article was piublished in the January 2013 edition of the Military Trader. I normally don't do it, but in this case I wrote to the editor John Adams-Graf. He was quite upset that he was used to promote such a scam and printed my letter, Mr. Shaw's reply and my rebuttal in the July 2013 isse.
"

Dietrich thanks for posting that. You have to wonder what the link is between the storys or the people that wrote them. The same pictures have been used.

[Chris Boonzaier]

This story is rather perplexing to say the least regardless of what truth is portrayed ...

Their first and last German awards article then.... Dealing mainly with british awards they were probably unaware of the "fake" issue in german awards.

[Dietrich Maerz]

Dietrich thanks for posting that. You have to wonder what the link is between the storys or the people that wrote them. The same pictures have been used.

The article is written by the same genleman, Mr. Stephen J. Shaw. Desoite the things he learned he still publishes this huge piece of misinformation, to say the least.

[streptile]

In my opinion articles like this one are simply intended to big up a fake. I've seen many articles like this before; they're no different from blurbs on dealer sites about battlefield finds, or b.s. stories at show tables: "oh, my uncle brought that back from the Berghof in 1945." Maybe the author believes the story, maybe not, who knows? It just goes to show: buy the piece, not the story. That was the best advice I ever got on this forum.

[Nick Carraway]

In my opinion articles like this one are simply intended to big up a fake. I've seen many articles like this before; they're no different from blurbs on dealer sites about battlefield finds, or b.s. stories at show tables: "oh, my uncle brought that back from the Berghof in 1945." Maybe the author believes the story, maybe not, who knows? It just goes to show: buy the piece, not the story. That was the best advice I ever got on this forum.

Indeed

[Darrell]

Their first and last German awards article then.... Dealing mainly with british awards they were probably unaware of the "fake" issue in german awards.

I would tend to agree. I don't think the gentlemen at Token are trying to peddle or promote any theories or medals as per Mr. Shaw. I would like to know why this unusual presentation of a TR topic has appeared as a main article in this magazine.