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

Major WJ Bradshaw CIE Calcutta Port Defence Volunteers Order of the Indian Empire, Companion; GV Delhi Durbar 1911; Indian Volunteer Forces Decoration EDVII (Major CIE CPDF); Long Service Medal Volunteer Forces EDVII (CPDF)

Brigadier EM Taylor CIE MBE Essex Regiment & Indian Army Order of the Indian Empire, Companion; Order of the British Empire, 1st Type, Member, Military; 1914/15 Star 2.Lt Essex); 1914/18 British War Medal (Capt); 1914/18 Victory Medal (Capt); 1939/45 War Medal; 1939/45 Indian War Medal; 1935 GV Jubilee Medal.

Commissioner/Major HP Todd-Naylor CSI CIE Bengal Civil Service & Upper Burma Volunteer Rifles Order of the Star of India, Companion; Order of the Indian Empire, Companion; EDVII Delhi Durbar 1903; India General Service Medal 1854 "Burma 1885-7 & Burma 1887-89" (Mr HP Todd-Naylor BCS); Indian Volunteer Forces Decoration EDVII (Major CIE Upper Burma Volunteers) (CSI not present)

Lieutenant Colonel PB Bramley CIE OBE KIH KPM Indian Police Order of the Indian Empire, Companion; Order of the British Empire, Officer, Military; Kaiser-i-Hind GV, Gold; Kings Police Medal, GV (District Superintendant & Off D.I.G. IND.P (UN PROV); 1914/18 British War Medal & Victory Medal MID (Lt Col); EDVII Coronation Medal 1902; EDVII Delhi Durbar 1903; GV Coronation Medal 1911.

Lieutenant Colonel GDH Gimlette CIE 7th Bengal Native Infantry & Indian Medical Service Order of Indian Empire, Companion; Egypt & Sudan Medal "Tel El Kebir" (Surg MD 7th Regt B.NI); 1914 Star "5th August - 22nd November 1914" (Lt Col IMS); 1914/18 British War Medal & Victory Medal (Lt Col); Delhi Durbar 1911 (Lt Col); Khedives Star 1882.

Major General HR Hopwood CSI 3rd Light Cavalry, Indian Army Order of the Star of India, Companion; China Medal 1900 (Capt 3 Bombay Lt Cav); 1914-15 Star (Maj 3 Lt Cav); 1914/18 British War Medal & Victory Medal MID (Maj Gen); Serbia Order of the White Eagle, 4th Class, Swords.

Captain CRA Bond CBE CIE 35th Sikh Bengal Infantry, Indian Army Order of the British Empire, Military, 1st Type, Commander; Order of the Indian Empire, Companion; Sudan Medal 1896 (Capt); India General Service Medal "Pinjab Frontier 1897-98" (Capt); France, Legion of Honour, Chavalier; Kedives Sudan Medal.

Colonel BR Reilly KCMG CIE OBE Political Department Indian Army Order of St Michael & St George, Knight Companion; Order of the Indian Empire, Companion; Order of the British Empire, Officer, Military, 1st Type; 1914-15 Star ( Capt PO Poll Dept); 1914/18 British War Medal & Victory Medal MID (Major); GV Coronation Medal 1911; GV Jubilee Medal 1935: GVI Coronation Medal 1937.

Major Sir Paul Joseph Patrick KCIE CSI KStJ Indian Army Reserve & Under Secretary of State for India Order of the Indian Empire, Knight Companion; Order of the Star of India, Companion; Order of St John, Commander; Order of St John, Officer, 2nd Type; 1914/18 British War Medal & Victory Medal (Lieutenant); GV Jubilee Medal 1935: GVI Coronation Medal 1937.

Major General CRC Lane KCIE CB CBE MC 19th/20th Lancers, Indian Army Order of the Indian Empire, Knight Companion; Order of Bath, Military, Companion: Order of the British Empire, Military, Commander; Military Cross (GV); 1914 Star (Lt 19 LCRS); 1914/18 British War Medal & Victory Medal (Capt) MID; General Service Medal 1918 "Kurdistan" (Capt 20 Lncrs); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; 1939-45 Defence Medal; 1939-45 War Medal MID; 1935 Jubilee Medal GV; 1937 Coronation Medal GVI; United States of America, Military Service Order, Commander; Poland, Order of Polonia Restituta, Commander.