S Boot badge with diamonds served Afrika ?

[90th Light]

This KM trop. cap is a rare find because it has embroidered badges. The majority of KM trop. M41's have bevo badges.

"3 Schnellboot-Flottille" cabin shield is a veteran brought back item also

The S-Boots are one of the unsung heroes of front line KM combat. That includes Afrika from 1941 to 1943 (also before Feb. 41 and after May 43). The amazing picture below the cap proves this. He is wearing not one but three S-Boot badges. A first model and two second models, I wonder if one of them is diamonds ??? Are any of those medal ribbons Italian ??? The EK1 also looks to possibly be an interesting version ???

In fact the KM would be the first Germans to engage Allied forces in Afrika as early as 1939 esp. the S-Boots & U-boots,

Chris

[90th Light]

Although I did not get this photo off WAF, here is what it says on this forum about him;


Soldbuch and photo of Kriegsmarine Fahnrich (Ingenieur) Albert Eggenhoffer. Page 25 shows the entry that Eggenhoffer "arrived Africa 8.1.1942" and "left Africa 17.5.1943". He was awarded the AFRIKA cuffband on 1.4.1944 at a time when he was assigned to a Schnellbootsflotilla in the Adriatic. The photo is interesting in that he wears not only the AFRIKA band, but also 3 E-Boat badges! Aditionallly, the photo is dated in winter, yet he is wearing his Kriegsmarine tropical tunic. Eggenhoffer either had a sense of humor or no sense at all!


Chris

[-Ray-]

Really nice grouping. I like the picture, could be that he's wearing the tunic w/awards post war. As a hasty observation he's in a winterized environment, the ribbons (elongated) and awards appear to be 57 versions (see right badge, swastika missing?) and besides the 3 badges perhaps???

Would like to hear other opinions. Thanks for showing.


-Ray-

[Kondor]

Interesting picture. Obviously he is having some fun home on leave! Not a diamonds badge as you had to have the oakleaves to the RK before you would get one of these. Same criteria for the U-Boat Badge with diamonds.

Agree, that EK does look like a possible cloth, but secured only on two arms and hard to make out a swastika. Don't agree on the swastika being gone from the 1st model. Just not as pronounced as on the 2nd. The order of ribbons is also interestin. EK,?,KVK, Eastern Front. Haven't a clue on the single ribbon below the ribbon bar. Too large to be the Italian-German Afrika medal.

Platzwall has a photo of a KM guy and his soldbuch where the guy had all the bells and whistles added on his uniform. I'll see if I can did it up and post it.

Love the shield and hat: Here are mine (you are a better photographer!!)

[amiklic1]

Nice grouping.

I was also looking at the ribbon bars thinking they are not wide as WW2 pieces.


Here is what I have, connected with Afrika flotilla.
Plaque is a well known piece, but the tunic was taken from Schnellboot crew member on the south of Italy in 1945, so it must be 3rd or 7th. Beautiful wash-out piece which tells a real "was there" story.

[JustinG]

Love all the wappen pieces. If anyone ever wants to sell, I would love to have one for my collection.

Regards,
JustinG

[Kondor]

Justin, we should have a roll call on the Wappen to see how many here have one in their collection.
Well, memory played a little bit of a trick on me. He wasn't as much of a hero as I thought! Just a promotion and a RKT!! What I really liked though is the certification of awards on a different sailor. Talk about the kitchen sink
Everything from the Artillery badge o the one man torpedo badge! Getting around......Afrika to Lappland to Trondheim! Must have been some special naval kommando with all the hardware he must have been carrying Anyway, Enjoy!

[Kondor]

Here he is with the Promotion and RK

[JAndrew]

I have one of the Afrika wappen in my collection as well. I also see them for sale fairly frequently so I don't feel that they are very rare. In fact I see them so often I sometimes wonder how many are actually period pieces?
JAndrew

[90th Light]

I have one of the Afrika wappen in my collection as well. I also see them for sale fairly frequently so I don't feel that they are very rare. In fact I see them so often I sometimes wonder how many are actually period pieces?
JAndrew

Hello JAndrew,

some of us who have been round long enough, have picked one up directly from a veteran. My one came out of Austria in 1945 and I have documented carefully what unit the soldier was in and where they were when he got it.

This question has been brought up more than once in the past. I suppose a supply of original, unissued "3 Schnellboot-Flottille Afrika wappen" has been found at some stage. Many of these appear to have had no use which makes me think this. My one was removed from a S-Boot cabin in 1945, hence no wood backing.

In fact to be honest, this is one item that I have never seen a reproduction of. I am sure that some fakes must exist some where but I have not seen one. All the examples shown on this thread are nice originals made before May 1945,

Chris

[glaser]

picture #1 is an NCO and not a Fahnrich!

[Kondor]

I have one of the Afrika wappen in my collection as well. I also see them for sale fairly frequently so I don't feel that they are very rare. In fact I see them so often I sometimes wonder how many are actually period pieces?
JAndrew

JAndrew, I have not seen these plaque's come up for sale all that often, maybe once every two years if then. Please point us in the direction of your sales as I would be interested in seeing the ones being offered, to compare.

The first one I ever saw was hanging in the living room of the engineering Obermaat of S-59. The plaque came from the boat. That was over 35 years ago and it took me 20 to find one for sale.

[90th Light]

JAndrew, I have not seen these plaque's come up for sale all that often, maybe once every two years if then. Please point us in the direction of your sales as I would be interested in seeing the ones being offered, to compare.

The first one I ever saw was hanging in the living room of the engineering Obermaat of S-59. The plaque came from the boat. That was over 35 years ago and it took me 20 to find one for sale.

I think I have only ever seen one for sale and that was years ago.

Could not even tell you what price they sell for these days,

Chris

[90th Light]

Coming back to the photo that started this thread. Some are saying that it is a post war put together.

The photo is not "contrived"

it is featured here on WAF as part of the Afrika documents section written by COL Scott Pritchett. Have a look for yourselves at the bottom of the link page.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/camp..._documents.htm

The photo was taken some time in the winter of 1944. I came across this photo from a completely different source than WAF. My source has just confirmed that "Eggenhoffer" did have at least 3 S Boot badges. Interestingly one of them was made of real silver and this is the badge seen in the middle of the photo. I am trying to confirm if it was "800" grade silver or "935"

Is it possible to have a real silver S Boot with no diamonds ???

I have heard of such a badge but have never ever seen one and have assumed until now that it was nothing more than a fakers tail to peddle their whares.

Who knows, may be they did exist. It would be interesting to find out what Scott knows about him,

Chris

[Kondor]

Chris,

The link doesn't work for me.

I suppose that you could have a jeweler make such a badge for you, but why?
The wreath would have to be gilded to which it looks like the middle badge isn't. The lower left looks to be a just bought 2nd model with all of the finish left on it, why pay for one to be made?

Just a note, the commander of S-59 told me that he threw his 1st model away when the new 2nd model came out. He wished that he had the 1st model. Both he and his chief engineer's badges were starting to suffer the disappearing gold finish that comes with the pot metal badges. He wanted to repaint his 2nd model before gifting it to me. He repainted his RK due to the salt water taking its toll on the original paint.

Here is the E-Boat Badge with diamonds as worn in the 60's by Klug. Again, you ha to have the EL o have gotten it and no enlisted/NCO received one.