Ratisbon’s 50th Contemporary auction
The next Ratisbon’s auction is fast approaching and runs from 2-10 July. All items sold are subject to a 22.5% Buyer’s Premium. Let’s see what’s been consigned, starting with an early M33 SS service dagger with vertical hangar. This is a nice clean blade featuring the etching ‘Meine Ehre heißt Treue’ and the maker's mark of ‘Rich.Abr. Herder, Solingen’. Bidding starts at £2,995.
Next up, a German Cross in gold to Major Hans Endres serving with Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 74. Part of the 2.Panzer-Division. He was also awarded the Knight's Cross on August 14, 1943.
This is made by Gebrüder Godet & Co. Berlin. Maker marked ‘21’ on the back of the pin, six-rivet type. It has a black, enamelled swastika without chipping, multi-piece construction with slight signs of wear. Bids start at £2,567.
Sticking with badges, here’s a Tank Assault Badge, 2nd class in silver. This is a rare badge, awarded for 25 assault days. Made of zinc, ‘JFS' maker-marked, semi-hollow construction. This was issued to Leutnant Karl-Heinz Wilhelm who served with Panzer-Regiment 4 and Panther Panzer-Regiment 26. Bidding starts at £1,369.
A hefty photo album now, with roughly 149 photographs documenting the service in the Eastern Campaign. Right at the beginning of the photo album is one picture of SS-Obersturmführer and Knight's Cross winner Fritz Vogt as well as a newspaper cutting. The photo shows him still without the Knight's Cross. Also nice to see, some of the soldiers wearing the early crusher visor cap and camo helmet covers. Also included are photographs of the battlefront and military vehicles as well as foreign PoWs. The first page has an attached Gebirgsjäger Edelweiss sleeve badge and a stamp featuring Adolf Hitler. Bids start at £299.
Staying with documentation, it’s a highly collectable Soldbuch, this one to SS Kanonier Herbert Fiedler serving with SS-PanzergrenadierRegiment 5 Totenkopf. Issued on 19 March 1945 by SS-FlakAusbildungsund Ersatzregiment München. Original applied photo. His units are listed on page 4. No awards. The SS runes or eagle on the front cover have been removed. Still, get started at £213.
Now, something you don’t see every day, it’s a Heer cavalry saddlebag. Made from soft brown leather with full straps, ‘WaA’ stamped and ‘cga’ maker-marked. Slight signs of use. Start your bids at £154.
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