ghchurcher

Thank you for your welcome Balthasar! I can read your russian via google translate - and others seem fine to read mine also translated into russian Just trying to help! Will get close ups.

Another

You must appreciate that these would probably have been produced right at the end of the war for "special" issue as entitlement was only just being reached in 1944/45. As they stopped issuing these normal long service awards soon after the war started, the 15 year examples as peacetime/early war are bound to be of "good" quality so am not sure you can draw direct comparison. The example shown is consistent with the other examples help up to be original.

Close up

These are super quality leaves, shame they are not marked, they look good enough to be. Bearing in mind you would have to have been commissioned in 1895 to qualify in 1945, but less war service counting double say less 4 for WW1 and say 5 for WW2 that would make 1904 at the latest, they must be fairly rare. As with all things German WW2 they could vary in quality enormously though one would have thought there were not that many manufacturers as there cannot have been that much demand! I bought one on a group in 1988 - have never particularly considered its originality as a leaf - but nothing like as fine as the one you show.

Here is the group to Pour le Merite winner Major Schoen

Here is the award document to Renke

This one to a Lt Renke

This one to a Major Gaede

Another group to an unidentified officer.

Group from my colllection, probably to a diplomat or military attache to Sweeden.

All are absolutely fine.

Christmas Card from the Churchills to Sir Ian

Photo with note from Clemantine Churchill to Sir Ian

Letter to General Sir Ian Hamilton from Churchill