Grossdeutschland

Very few military collectors who are interested in World War II fail to recognize the “elite" “Division Grossdeutschland” of the German Wehrmacht. In fact, this elite unit was thought by many intelligence personnel to be a part of the Waffen-SS, since it had such acclaim by the Germans . Although most of us recognize the division, few can trace the development of it, and questions about the history of this unique unit remain unanswered. Where did its high esprit come from? Why did the German people continue to have such a high regard for this division? This article will serve to acquaint the reader with the early years of "Grossdeutschland", which grew from the first elite unit in Berlin.

The first effort to form an elite Guard", or “Watch” unit in Berlin occurred in the early spring of 1921. This unit, called "Wachregiment Berlin", was disbanded on June 19, 1921, due to the strong anti-military feeling and political pressures prevalent throughout Germany in the twenties.

After a number of years, on the 31st of August 1934,a second attempt to form a guard unit met with more success. This unit, called "Wachtruppe Berlin", was to become the famed “Grossdeutschland" of later years. "Wachtruppe Berlin" was created with seven infantry companies, a machinegun company and an artillery battery, and it was garrisoned at the Berlin-Moabit Kaserne. Each of the companies was formed of personnel from a diferent division of the peace—time “Reichswehr"; thus was established a unique structure within the German Army, each company of “Wachtruppe Berlin" came from a different division, and thus from a different part of the country. Up to this time, the German Army consisted of divisions, each from a different province or state. This was the first unit in the history of Germany to be formed with personel from all parts of the country. The troops in each company were chosen from the best soldiers in their division and they were rotated back to their original unit on a quarterly basis. The companies were designated "1./Wachtruppe Berlin", "2./Wachtruppe Berlin" etc. All personnel continued to wear the numerals of their parent regiment on their shoulder boards; there was no distinctive insignia authorized for the "Wachtruppe”

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In the fall of 1936, a “Stabskompanie” (Headquarters Company) was added to the "Wachtruppe"; it consisted of a "Nachrichtenzug" and two "Musikkorps" (Signal Platoon and Bands), the latter were for ceremonial purposes. At the same time, the "Wachtruppe" lost its artillery, the battery was transferred to Juterborg as a demonstration unit for the artillery school. The command of the "Wachtruppe" changed three times during this period; with Generalmajor von Keiser commanding until October 1935, Oberst Freiherr von und zu Gilsa commanding until October 1936 and Oberst von Alten commanding through the next changes.

On the 23rd of June, 1937, "Wachtruppe Berlin” was reorganized into "Wachregiment Berlin" and the officers and non-commisioned officers were now rotated on a yearly basis. One half were exchanged each spring, one half each fall for continuity purposes. The enlisted men were rotated each six-months. The companies continued to be formed from each of the seven divisions of the "Heer"; thus continuing to have their unique territorial association.

Each home province took special painsto be sure that “its” company in Berlin was well taken care of, the companies from Bavaria (the 6th and 7th) were shipped native beer and sausage from from Munich, for example. There was a high spirit of competition between companies, each striving to outshine the others. All personnel of the “Wachregiment" were now identified by a gothic “W" on their shoulder boards; this was embroidered in white for enlisted men, in white metal for NCO’s and in gold metal for officers. It should be stressed that this regiment was a highly special unit; all members were specially chosen and it was the elite unit of the entire German Army.

On the 12th of June, 1939, "Wachregiment Berlin" officially became "Infanterie-Regiment Grossdeutschland". By order, the last rotation of replacements took place in May, recruiting was to start immediately; the new regiment was to be selfsufficient in replacing personnel. Recruits were sought from all parts of Germany, in order to maintain the unique structure of the unit, as representing all of Germany. An order of June 27, 1939, authorized the first distinctive insignia for the new unit; this was a "cufftitle" or "cuffband", to be worn on the lower right sleeve by all personnel. It was green, with the wording, "`Inf. Reg. Grossdeutschland", in silver. In September, 1939, when the Polish campaign started, the new regiment was still largely untrained; personnel were being trained, both by the regiment at the Berlin-Moabit Kaserne, and by the "Infanterie-Lehr-Bataillon" (Infantry Instruction Battalion) at Doeberitz. Personnel of the regiment were hurriedly assembled, and the regiment took part in the latter part of the Polish Campaign as reararea security troops, still undergoing training.

Immediately after the conclusion of the campaign in Poland, in October of 1939, “Infanterie-Regiment Grossdeutschland" was reorganized and brought up to strength to get ready for the planned campaign in France. The regiment was reorganized under the command of Oberst von Stockhausen, with four battalions. “l. Bataillon” was organized with three infantry and one machinegun company. "II. Bataillon" was formed from the II.Btl./Inf.Regt.92,
identically to the first battalion. “III. Batallon” was formed from the mass of personnel of the “lnfanterie-Lehr-Regiment", again identical to the first and second battalions. “IV-Bataillon" was a heavy weapons battalion, formed with three companies of the remaining personnel of the “Infanterie-Lehr-Regiment”. The 13th company was equipped with light infantry guns, the 14th company was an anti-tank company while the 15th was equipped with heavy infantry weapons. In the following months, preceding the French Campaign, “Infanterie-Regiment "GD" was busy training with its new organization and personnel, and its new equipment, in order to become
fully operational.

James M. Stuart, "Grossdeutschland", Militaria, vol.1, No.3, c. 1968

Der Reichsautozug Deutschland

For those that are truly serious about our hobby, historical accuracy is of the utmost concern. Regulations, design, purpose and wear of the accouterments of the Third Reich are constantly being researched and redefined.

In the infancy of the hobby, any information that was gleaned from books, personalities, or even rumor, was eventually (or sooner) taken for gospel... not to be disputed, forever after,
amen! Now, as we have reached a more sophisticated level, we question what may be
accurate, misstated, or just plain wrong.

Ten years ago, I had occasion to view on overseas cap, armband and cufftitle. All were named to the "REICHSAUTOZUG DEUTSCHLAND", with the addition of the cap having "NSDAP" above the eagle on the patch. In John Angolia’s book, "CLOTH INSIGNIA OF THE SS", page 133, the armband is pictured and captioned underneath attributed to the "NATIONAL AUTOMOBILE COMPETITION GERMANY". The armband is described as being a machine embroidered national emblem with black embroidered title on yellow. In "THE SA - A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE" by Jill Halcomb, there are pictures of SA officers with the R.A.Z. (D.) insignia on their collar tabs. These pictures are of limited use, since they do not show any more significant insignia in wear. Also, on page 135, is the information that the R.A.Z.D. "served as transportation for the SA and other formations during Nazi Party events and rallies. It was also employed during emergencies? Also pictured is the patch worn on the overseas cap.

The items pictured with this article recently came into my possession. Along with these I was given some papers that my friend Robert Ehrlinger had received from the Bundesarchives in Germany. Included is a copy of three pages out of the "ORGANISATIONSBUCH DER NSDAP - 1943". It states that there is a staff leader directly under the Reichspropagandaleiter. Directly under the staff leader and responsible to him only are five sub-departments, one of which
is the R.A.Z..D. (See chart shown from page 297 of the "ORGANISATIONSBUCH" shown here.) On page 298 of the "ORGANISATIONSBUCH" is a one paragraph description of the R.A.Z.D.’s functions. It states:

The Reichsautozug Deutschland has the function to supply all meaningful political rallies of the Party, their divisions, and related units with the most necessary modern technical equipment. In addition, the R.A.Z.D. will take care of those rallies which are of a non-political nature.

That last sentence, "rallies of a non-political nature" has lead to a misconception that they were nothing but race car drivers of the ’30’s that happened to have membership in and the support of the Nazi party. There WAS NOTHING of a non-political nature in those days!

Let’s examine the words “Reichautozug Deutschland". Reichs is National; auto means auto; zug is a train; Deutschland is Germany. So, we have National auto train Germany. This is a literal translation and might mean more to an American as an official government auto procession. Everything at that time was an opportunity for National Socialism and an exercise in propaganda as orchestrated by the Reichspropaganda Ministry. The R.A.Z.D., under the aegis of the Ministry, planned the motorcades to the Party rallies and visits by Party and foreign dignitaries to various sites around Germany. It follows that, being in charge of the motorcade, they would have to be in charge ofsecurity for it and also for the rally to which they were driving, much in the same way that the U.S. Secret Service is in charge of and approves of arrangements for the Prcsident’s motorcade and security measures, when he or important personages, are scheduled to attend important public events or are in transit by automobile.

Nothing in the NSDAP manual makes any reference to the SA or SS having a foothold in the Propaganda Ministry vis-a-vis the R.A.Z.D. My belief is that both the SA and the SS staffed this particular office, with the inevitable infighting that was common between these two entities. With the SS in ascendance after June 30, 1934, they became masters of the office, responsible for security and R.A.Z.D. propaganda. The SA became mere chauffeurs, giving rides to the bourgeoisie and intelligentsia of the NSDAP going to Party rallies, and their officers nothing but fancy uniforms with no role in the running of the office other than to be front men and errand boys for the SS.

I am neither criticizing or disputing what John Angolia or Jill Halcomb state in their references. I’m sure that the SS and SA had multiple members participate in European road races. The point that I am trying to make is that the R.A.Z.D. was much more important and myriad in its aspects than either of the two authors depict in the amount of space the organization rated in their books.

Tim Alexander, "Der Reichsautozug Deutschland", Der Gauleiter, 1993

Third Reich Regalia - Luftwaffe Flying Badges

In recent months, interest in Luftwaffe flying badges has sky-rocketed. Consequently, this increase in demand has resulted in a sharp surge in the value of these pieces and unfortunately, a flood of reproductions. The most widely copied of the Luftwaffe flying badges are the pilot's badges. A true expose of the forgeries currently being circulated would require a massive amount of detailed information to be of any true value. Therefore an attempt is made here to supply the collector with several guidelines he may utilize to determine the originality of a pilot's badge. However, at the risk of sounding a bit trite, I feel it must be mentioned that the basic tool one must develope and cultivate is a keen eye to detail and workmanship. This asset must be fostered by the collector if he wishes to succeed in assembling a repro free representation of Third Reich regalia of any type. Even though the products of 1935 to 1945 Germany were not manufactured for the exacting eye of a collector, they do for the most part, reflect an earlier era of the machine age. Detail work was expected of the master engravers of prewar Germany and should be found on any product manufactured during the period. If one must make an excuse for the quality of a pilot's badge he is better off to pass, even if the piece is not a repro, the best investment is in better quality.

The Luftwaffe pilot's badge was awarded in two grades. The basic badge depicts a flying silver eagle imposed upon an oval silver wreath. The wreath is the distinctive feature of the badge. The higher grade or pilot—observer badge is the same essential design as the pilot, but the wreath is gold plated as opposed to the silver used in the basic grade. Therefore, when attempting to determine the originality of either grade, the points to examine are essentially the same.

To begin the appraisal of a pilot's badge, scan the front and back. Feel the metal in your hand, and the weight of the piece. The prewar badges were usually plated brass or zinc and are heavy. If the badge has excessive wear you may be able to detect the base metal, often the chest of the eagle and the swasticka are points to examine for these traces. Brass as a base metal can be considered a good sign, but this should be considered a guage of quality not originality. Certainly many wartime pieces were minted of lower grade metal. However, because brass is hard and takes an exceptionally good strike the better manufacturers depended upon it before the wartime shortages, and these, naturally make the best investment.

The eagle is the next stop in the examination. Look at the wings and check the detail of the feathers. They should be of fine quality and well executed. Each feather should be easily descernable from its counterpart. The fetching on the chest should also reflect the intricate detailing of a master die engraver. The wreath of a quality badge is usually fairly thick. The leaf
decoration should rise above the surface of the wreath giving the leaves dimension. The inside of the wreath should be smooth and well finished. Often the inside of the back of the wreath is beveled and all sharp edges removed. This was done to the higher quality pieces as they were finished off, just before they were plated. Very few period pieces exist that are not well finished on the inside, only those that are late war and of poor quality are unfinished.

Turning to the back of the badge look at the rivits. On a good quality specimen these should be relatively small and well formed. Do make sure they are rivits and not the cut off heads of straight pins. It is not unheard of for the more unscrupulous dealer to re-work a good fake and use pin heads to simulate rivits. Even if the period badge has had to be repaired in this manner, be sure an adjustment in price is allowed.

Now the last critical test, the metal. Pot metal strikes apparently were produced toward the end of the war. However, there are some excellent pot metal copies circulating throughout the country. It is believed they originate from England. The novice collector should therefore avoid pot metal until he developes the skill to differentiate between the new and the old. One key to identifying the fake is the rivits. They are usually large and flat. Occasionally they protrude through the badge too far and come very close to the front surface, if not through. when this
happens, there is damage to the wings and the feathers reflect a distinct lack of detail looking almost as if they had been smashed by a hammer.

The hallmark is no longer a good measure of originality. Many of the good repros now come complete with a hall mark. A good example is the marking GNL. This is a period mark that is now counterfeited. The difference between the copies and the original pieces are twofold. First is the mark. The L in the period monogram is slightly bowed on the horizontal. This gives it the appearance of “rocking". The copies utilize the standard L. The second difference is more critical, especially where these pieces bear a different mark. Inspect the area between the eagle's legs. The tail feathers should be evident. If this area has been completely cut away so that the bird has no tail between his legs be very careful. The period GWL badges are also on the heavy side, while the copies are very light. Recently a pewter based pot metal copy has been appearing on the market. The workmanship is overall of a poor nature, even as far as the stamping. The piece examined bore the club mark but lacked the traditional BSW lettering. The swastika in the eagle's grasp was much too thin and its arms were uneven. These pieces become dangerous when reworked and silverplated by the unscrupulous dealer or collector.

A thesis could be written, complete with measurements and exacting photos, showing the difference between the copies and the copied. However, this is only an article, not a book. If one is judicious and demanding during his examination, and follows the guidelines presented here, there is no reason to be taken by the phonies currently available. In fact, it is more likely that good pieces of lower quality will be bypassed. Bear in mind these are general rules and there are definitely exceptions, but unless a vet actually hands you a piece that does not conform to these guides do not invest in it, it is probably a fake.

Dan McCauley, "Third Reich Regalia, Luftwaffe Flying Badges, Military Collectors Association Journal, Vol. II, No. I, c. 1968

Blade Markings

A variety of markings can be found stamped, or etched onto suitable portions of a dagger, sword, or bayonet, and most collectors are aware of the more commonly encountered patterns.

Waffen-Amt: This mark was applied to government issued weaponry, and it indicates that the item concerned has been tested and accepted by the Ordnance Dept., as a suitable stock item for issue. The mark normally comprises a stamped version of a stylised Eagle, or Eagle and Swastika often accompanied with an inspector’s reference number (as WaA 813). The mark is most commonly applied on firearms, but has been noted on service issue equipment as widely diversified as leather belts through to swords. It's most common application on bladed weapons is, however, to be noted on the Service Mauser bayonet. Foreign produced bayonets, such as Czechoslovak Mauser bayonets which were extensively used by German
and Czech troops throughout Reich Protectorate areas were similarly marked with the Waffen-Amt.

Proofmark: The proofmark appears exclusively on blades, and not on the fittings. (Nazi-issue firearms bore a different form of proofmark}. Not every blade was subjected to the tests of full proof, only a representative selection of blades from each production batch. Proof entailed a blade being subjected to various and rigorous stresses, and a blade which suitably met all requirements was taken to denote that the rest of the adjacent production batch was similarly suitable. The blade which had been tested was stamped on the face surface (as opposed to the tang) with the proofmark.

Above: Stamped issue mark on a Police bayonet.

Issue Marks: Generally speaking these marks fulfil a similar purpose to the Waffen-Amt, differing in that they are not normally encountered on non-service issue items, and that their application is not made by a national agency. but by an organisational ordnance department. The most commonly encountered type is the issue code and numbering found on the Police Dientseitengewehr or Service Dress Bayonet. The marking was stamped onto the reverse of the crossguard, and reverse scabbard locket, and it was applied by the Police Ordnance Dept. at the same time of issuance of the bayonet. It was not applied to the small size Extraseitengewehr (Extra-Dress Bayonet) as this was a purely walking out pattern, and not mandatory for Service
personnel. The mark was not applied to Service-Dress Bayonets that were privately purchased from the manufacturer. Other versions of the Issue Mark were applied to Naval swords and daggers — if purchased through the Service Retail channel, but not if acquired privately.

The Postschutz dagger was normally marked with the DRP letters plus issuance number on the underside of the quillons, and on the bayonet on the ricasso. These marks were applied, most likely, by the SS Ordnance Dept. responsible for the Postschutz requirements. Issuance numbers had at one time been applied to the RAD hewer early pattern (on the scabbard throat lip) but the practice appears to have been short lived.

Above: Proof mark on a blade manufactured by SMF. Crude copy of the Eickhorn trademark. RZM mark on an Army dagger blade — quite incorrect!

The TeNo issue marks are interesting in that their application commenced at the factory, where the TeNo Organisational crest was etched onto the blades at the same time as application of the firms trademark, but the numbering of the blade and scabbard was attended to at the same time of actual issuance when a requisition releasing a dagger, or hewer,was received by the TeNo Ordnance Department.

Issuance numbers were also stamped into the crossguards of SA and SS daggers, and sometimes on the cross-guards of the NPEA daggers. In the case of the SA and SS daggers the practice appears to have been an early measure (although not practised on a national scale) and it was abandoned after a short while.

NSKK chains were all invariably marked on the reverse of the chain links with the manufacturers RZM code and the NSKK authority designation: Musterschutz NSKK-Korpsfuhrung, the marking was stamped into the reverse of the links. Some of the reproduction links — distinctive in that they have no markings, have been noted in recent years to have been modified by being engraved with the official markings. A
second attempt at marking up the links has been attempted with a stamping, although this has been recognisable in that the lettering is oversized and is too large to be fully accommodated on the available space.

Above: Precise etching of an original trademark, on SA dagger by August Bickel.

Trade Marks: The most commonly encountered mark of all is the manufacturer’s trade mark, which is normally etched onto the blade on the ricasso, although in some cases stamped examples have been noted (the firm of Clemens and Jung particularly adopted
this method in preference to acid etching). One of the characteristics of companies making a prolific use of trademark styles, is that they facilitate the possibility of applying a dating system to the marks, thus the discovery of spurious Rohm inscriptions on SA daggers was highlighted by the ability torecognise a trademark dating later than the supposed Rohm period.

RZM Marks: The Reichszeugmeisterei (RZM) marking was applied to political blades only, and it was issued in common usage from about 1936 onwards. The department responsible for this had in fact been created in about 1929, at which time it had been known only as the Zeugmeisterei. The RZM mark is commonly copied on spurious blades, and it has been noted as being erroneously applied to such blade patterns as the Army style.

Frederick J. Stephens, "Blade Markings", "Reproduction? Recognition!" 1976

Collectors Beware !

Usaully I don't post things from our Newsletters or Forum here in the Blog, but I feel it's important that the word get out to as many collectors as possible.

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Newsletter from Sept. 27, 2009

Is there ever one honest dealer in Eastern Europe? God knows we have our share of crooks in the U.S., but we do have "some" honest guys too. It has become so bad that every time I see a new membership come in from that part of the world I cringe. I know that odds are I'm in for problems. Almost without exception after signing up they start to flood our site with fakes. And, almost without exception, when I delete the ads and tell them not to post fakes, I get a return email saying they didn't know they were fake or arguing that their stuff is real or calling me "filthy swine" or some other colorful moniker. If I'm lucky they just keep quiet and don't post any more. If they do, then I refund their membership and ask them to go elsewhere. Then...I get the nasty email...

I tell you this not because I want to whine about my problems, I can handle it, but because I think you should all know... and I figure many of you already do. I hate to say it, but I would suggest that you don't even consider dealing with anyone from there unless you know them well. I would not even respond to ads from anyone in Eastern Europe. You're just asking for grief.

Now, all you Eastern Europeans who want to send me a nasty-gram can do so at:

info@germanmilitariacollectibles.com

I have a "Deleted" file all ready for it.

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The following day in our Forum

Last evening I send out a newsletter and addressed the problem of Eastern European militaria dealers and their fakes. I fully expected to get a response to this and was not disappointed. It's no surprise that many of you agree with my assessment of them and I have reprinted most of these below. I left the author's name off because I didn't get their permission to use it. I also (not surprisingly) received some emails from Eastern Europe. Amazingly, some collectors there actually agreed with me. I feel bad for the few good guys over there, they're taking the consequences of the actions of others. They're like innocent bystanders... and we all know what happens to innocent bystanders. It's unfortunate that to protect ourselves from some we have to avoid all.

Of all the responses I received the standout was from Matjaz Fritz. (I didn't even realize he was still on the mailing list) I'm sure many of you know who he is, he's been a subject in this forum and every other militaria forum because of his dishonest dealings. I wish I could reprint his email here but it is so full of curses and obsenities that I can't do it. I couldn't even figure a way to edit it, it's that nasty. I'll just say that his email is an insight into his personality showing a lot of anger, a hatred for Americans and contempt for all of us. You would have to be nuts to get involved with this guy.

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Here's some of the responses I received.

One of the reasons why I gave up collecting militaria was because of all the fakes. Even some "reputable" sellers have told me the items I bought from them are fakes when I've tried to sell them back to them a few years later. I came to the conclusion that I was wasting my money. The suspicion is so great that every item must be viewed as a fake until proven otherwise. Proof is an expensive and difficult thing to maintain. I know that around 95% of my militaria is genuine and I know exactly which items, but I am sure if I ever tried to sell them I would virtually have to give them away.

Indian artefact collectors in the US have a good saying: ''If you found it yourself then it is real, if you bought it from somebody else then chances are it is fake.''

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It's true.

I moderate at the forums, and can tell you, alot of problems due come out of Eastern Europe. We have an idea of who's who, but even tracking their Internet Protocal addresses can be tricky because they use proxy software, which hides, masks and changes their IP address, making tracking them that much more difficult. What i've found to be useful is communication between forum staff. I keep in contact a few others whom I trust and respect. Some of the forums I won't even waste my time with since they themselves have a long history of being involved with known fakes, with changing names, and committing otherwise moreally reprehensible acts, and often illegal acts. Those people from those forums are shunned, and that's just the way it is.

Tracking the bad guys from Eastern Europe is tough..but word gets around. I limit my business, and won't buy from anyone over there unless it's someone I know. I am even reluctant to sell to buyers in the East, since there is little recourse for theft, lost mail, and liars. I've heard of some guys saying they never received an item, only to demand a refund, and then it turns out, they've had the item all along. Damn crooks. Not all, but enough to give Eastern Europeans a bad name and turn off a lot of collectors.

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Yes, there're some honest dealer in Eastern Europe , but you may never encounter him because of your generalizing a problem (which does exist).
This makes me think back to the mid-70s when in my country someone rumored that all the crap came from the States. When I became acquainted with the phoneys then being marketed in the USA and started having contacts with US collectors, I quickly realized that those rumors were bullshit most of the times.
I have dealt with people from Eastern Europe and got what they offered: genuine pices were genuine pieces, repros were repros. Either they like me or they do not like Americans or your website drew the unwanted attention of the most unscrupolous ones (who certainly exist).
If there are crooks at West and at East , you may consider someone in the middle as well. What about Germans? ... I strongly discourage people form having contacts with the Krauts, they are pretty unreliable even in other spheres of commerce (I speak also from my 15-year professional experience with Germans) . Actually I did meet some really nice German people, they were the --- on vacation in this country .
I have known you since the good old days of Der Gauleiter and appreciate the even-mindedness and the normality of your site. Please keep it that way: never has prejudice elevated people.

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My name is ---- from Bucharest, Romania (Eastern Europe you may say). I am a guest of your site for quite some time. I hope my message finds you well.

I completely agree with your comments towards incoming fakes, irrespective where they are coming from. However, kindly note that such labeling will considerably diminish any credibility for an Eastern European like myself trying to make a good deal by courtesy of your website.

Therefore, please (i) do not advice your honest fellow Americans or any other nationality by all means not to respond to anyone from Eastern Europe, and (ii) take precautionary actions on a case by case basis.

We all, Eastern Europeans included, use your site because (i) it provides the degree of a guarantee for authenticity we are comfortable with, and most importantly (ii) we DO NOT KNOW each other. Otherwise, it would have been no need for your web platform.

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Dear Sir,
The tone of your letter is somewhat insulting. Obviously you , as so many Americans, have little or no knowledge of Finnish military history nor European political history . I suggest you google the name Siilasvuo Hjalmar or the Finnish Winter War for an easy start.


Your odds are not for problems on my part..... you just lost an opportunity.

(I'm still trying to figure out what Finnish military history has to do with this... B.T.)


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They have just about ruined the hobby. I don't see many of the younger
people at shows. The dealers charge prices that are way beyond the
reach of the Middle class. Just look at what ----
charges! The fakes are a BIG turn off to collectors. Collectors are
afraid to buy anything. Is it real or not? Even the big dealers get
caught selling fakes. I could tell you horror stories. I have been
collecting for years and am now getting out of the hobby. Want to buy
a Nazi helmet?

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Thanks for the info. Your sentiments about the eastern europeans is almost unanimous. I get that feeling all the time i see them with two posts and trying to sell a bunch of fakes. Sorry for that 1% of people from there that are actually good guys but we do not have a way to distinguish them. Cheers

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Is see Pawel Norwak from Poland joined the site again, his membership did not survive a full day. Hopefully he will decide to save money and sell only on those great FREE! sites.

This guy has been characterized as being intelligent and clever. I doubt that he is either.

After all if you do a Google search of his name, and add various other key words like Crook, Thief, Scam, Scum, Rip Off, Fraud, etc. you get page upon page of results from sites all over the world.

The amazing thing is that there was not one posting by him that competently refuted any of the complaints generated against him. There were a couple of half hearted statements along the lines of "I am honest, send your money soon."

The internet is forever. He cannot escape the statements about him and the scams he is trying to put over on people.

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Matjaz Fritz is a problem everywhere. As you know, he's been booted from every majory forum.
You'll like this one. Fritz contacted me about 2 years ago. He sent me photos of items which he claimed to own. I know for a fact these are not his items. It came up 4 years ago, and he got called on it. Even after that, he still trys to claim they are his items. Anyway, he sends me these photos, then asks me to send him photos of my stuff. Here's why: Fritz is known to steal photos. If you send him a photo of say an Eikchorn Prinz Eugen, he takes the photo, then trys to sell the item in Eastern Europe, where not many of us are involved. He either claims he owns the item and trys to sell it over there, or he assumes your identitiy and trys to sell the item, claiming to be you. He requests cash or a paypal, then never sends the item...since he doesn't have it. Meanwhile, you start to get contacted on the forums via PM or via email, from angry people asking why you havn't sent the Prinz Eugen sword they paid you for. We know this has happened as we did some detective work and have been in contact with buyers in Eastern Europe, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Repubic, and so on, and they confirmed they had been ripped off by Fritz, and he used this meathod. We had posted this in the fourms about 1.5 years ago.

He's hard to track as are others like him because they've gotten wise and now use masking software. I have software which uses fake Internet Protocal addresses to mask the real IP addy. The software basically randomely picks up an IP address from somewhere in the world, than latches onto it, and you surf, post, etc., under that IP addy, even though it's not yours. There's a variety of programs out there, some of which are free, that use this proxy software. This makes it hard to track some people. Like you said, these fools have the same tennor in their posts, and it's easy enough to figure out who they are. Also, I don't know if you recall a few years back, when Fritz first popped up, he began posting a bunch of items, he claimed to own. Immediately we were all suspicious. Well, it turns out some of the items belong to someone else and lifted the images from their web site.

He's a moron. But there's alot of guys out there like him. I'll run this by Ade, and if he gives me the green light, we'll post the message. It's likely it will require some degree of editing, as it's pretty offensive.

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Bob, No truer words were ever written!

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I would not want your babysitting job for Bill Gates money! I don't know how you do it. I have been collecting for 30 years and I have over 50 different unique collections, 3rd Reich is just one of them and I have 2000 plus items in that collection. It is a well known fact among all my collecting pals that WWII German stuff is by far the most treacherous gear to collect. A well known author on the subject once shared an email exchange with me after we battled for an item on Ebay back in 99 when you could find good treasures there. He told me that over 70% of all 3rd Reich collectibles are post war fakes, repros, replicas, bastards, marriages, touch ups and restorations. I started collecting fakes and repros back then to help educate myself and others. I have hundreds of items and many of them could fool even seasoned collectors.

You are so right about East European stuff. I can't imagine the shenanigans you've got to deal with. You sincerely deserve an award for your endless babysitting and your positive attitude whilst doing so remains upbeat, polite and yet firm with a great degree of patience. You're doing a fine job and the site is one of the best sources for Militaria and research material pertaining to it. I know that bright collectors and honest ones would agree. That's all that matters. Keep up the good work