About this website….
Welcome!
The sole purpose of
this site is to offer a valid reference point for educating collectors and
historians about Third Reich General officer level militaria
and, in particular, that of the Field Marshal.
You will find detailed photos and descriptions of authentic period insignia,
uniforms and other regalia so that both collectors, historians and the casual
observer alike will have an accurate reference point to study original
specimens. While the German Field
Marshal’s and General’s of World War Two is the obvious primary focus, the site
will over time expand into an equally detailed study of WW2 era higher military
ranks of other nations such as the Soviet Union, United States, Great Britain
and Japan.
Why high
ranks? Well, many reasons merit this
study. First, with all of the great
textbooks that have been published in recent years, there is nothing specific
available for the General officer and high ranks collector. With little reference, it keeps the casual or
novice collector from obtaining the knowledge necessary to comfortably add a
piece to their collections. And, with
the premium prices now being realized in this niche area, even the most
advanced collectors can use good reference.
Secondly, the level of quality in the manufacture of General officer
insignia and Field Marshal batons of the World War Two era is un-matched by
anything produced for a military force since that time. These pieces of regalia are reflective of an
era when craftsmanship was indeed a form of art, which unfortunately has now
been lost as the last citizens of that era pass on.
The site will
remain a ‘work in progress’ as new reference material is added on a regular
basis, both in photographic specimens and expanded narrative description. It will be visually structured around photos
of original examples of militaria, initially with
less emphasis on text. Eventually I will
be adding more in-depth descriptions detailing regulations, interesting
variations, oddities, observations and opinions. I DO NOT plan on attempting to displace any
of the well detailed reference books that are already on the market for
collectors. These references draw on
intensive study from military archives and lay out many of the regulations and
orders that governed the production of insignia. Instead, this site will offer
an opportunity many of the older reference books do not; and that is the
ability to view better detailed, ever changing and up to date photographs of
this niche area of collecting. It will
also offer conclusions based on observations made from the study of many
original examples and all of the variations that have been found. As such, I hope through my efforts to simply
compliment these earlier outstanding published efforts and offer additional
information in support.
Photographs;
submissions and credits-
This site would
not exist without the generous contributions of collectors. Many thanks to those of you who have gone
above and beyond to make sure all the ‘holes’ were filled. I could not have done this without you!
Any visitors to
this site who have authentic Field Marshal, General
officer, or Admiral rank militaria in their
collections and would like to contribute photos to post on this site as
reference for others to study, please visit the submitting
photos page. In particular I’m interested in insignia, uniforms, command flags…..anything directly pertaining to a higher
rank. I will credit your photos if you
wish, or list them as ‘private collection’ if you prefer to remain anonymous.
You may find photographs
of items that have been credited to militaria dealers
on this site. These are items I have
specifically asked permission to use for reference study only and have credited
them for allowing me to do so. I do not
endorse any militaria dealers, nor will render my
opinions of them.
All photographs,
images and text on this website remain the property of the site (unless
otherwise attributed or donated) and may not be reproduced or otherwise used
without written permission.
Items listed for sale
and consignment-
The intention of
this site is to act as a reference for higher ranking militaria,
as noted above. However, being a
collector, I also have items available for sale from time to time and these
will be listed in the ‘sale’ section. Additionally,
I offer on a consignment basis quality pieces from other collectors who share
the same interest in high ranks. If you are
looking for a particular item, or would be interested in consigning an item
from your collection please contact me via email and I’ll
be happy to discuss it with you. I know
many other collectors who are looking for specific items or have something to
sell and may be able to help you out.