My newest addiction :-)

[Giel VW]

I know what you mean Terrence.

Here is my favorite piece.A beat up old Meybauer HK.No finish,no catch but a cut out swasika and a beauty IMO,nonetheless.

Regards,Martin.

Hi Martin,

Yes of course I know there are Meybauers with cut out swasses, they are the best pieces out there! I still regret not bidding higher a few years back on mil321 for the mint Meybauer

[BubbaZ]

Beautiful Destroyer badges Sven
Cheers,
Hubert

[albertofl]

Fantastic destroyers and fantastic KM collection.
I have a GWL destroyer,no rare maker but with details and finish.I love it!

[Jelle M.]

I only have one example in my collection , the gwl in tombak.
Normally i'm a Schwerin fan but the GWL destroyer beats the Schwerin in details and quality. But that's a personal opinion ofcourse

[schwelch]

Hi guys,

thanks a lot for all of your kind comments - much appreciated!!!
I'm absolutly excited and I almost don't know where to start wit my answers!

@Norm: A big thanks to you for all the explanations about the rarity of the destroyer badges!!! So first of all I have to find a Beco marked example :-)
What about the L/15 marked examples. Are they rare as well?

@Giel: I never saw a Meybauer destroyer badge with cut-out swastica before. Are there any pictures?

@Martin: A very nice Hilfskreuzer!!! It's also the first time that I've seen on like this!

@Terence: Your collection is just awesome!!! I hope that I will never be too much addicted, but who knows :-)

@bobesponjo and Nightstalker: I really love the GWL destroyer badges. Unfortunately I've seen just one in very nice condition at Frank Scholz site and at this time I didnÄt had the money to buy it. I hope that I will find one like the shown example aas well in the near future!

Best regards
Sven

[Norm F]

@Norm: A big thanks to you for all the explanations about the rarity of the destroyer badges!!! So first of all I have to find a Beco marked example :-)
What about the L/15 marked examples. Are they rare as well?

@Giel: I never saw a Meybauer destroyer badge with cut-out swastica before. Are there any pictures?

Best regards
Sven

Hi Sven,

Although the Schickle-design Tombak badge (depicted in the supplement to the Schickle catalog) is quite common and was undoubtedly an early high-volume official award piece, only one L/15 marked example has surfaced to date -- the one now in the possession of Jan Arne and which is shown in the database thread. This is presumably due to the fact that Schickle had only a few months between the initiation of the requirement for LDO numbers on private purchase badges and being forbidden from further production. Also, as mentioned, the high volumes suggest this was an official award piece and that Schickle was not much into the private purchase market for combat badges. The Schickle marked EK1s with the same L/15 mark, although uncommon, are somewhat easier to find.

I have never seen another Schickle marked combat badge but Gordon Williamson has reported that he has seen an L/15 marked U-Boat badge -- unfortunately no images are available to my knowledge.

So if you find any L/15 marked example you will have a real rarity!

As to the Meybauer Destroyer, I've never seen one with a cut-out swastika to date. That doesn't mean they don't exist but neither do I know of any reason to presume they exist. If you find one please let us know!

Best regards,
---Norm

[schwelch]

Hi Norm,

thanks a lot for the explanation about the L/15 and the Meybauer destroyer badges!
I didn't know that there is just one known example - not that many :-(
I think it will be hard to find one :-)

BR
Sven