Luftwaffe mess silver?
 

I have what I think may be a piece of mess silver of a Luftwaffe squadron. It is a small silver cup (84mm high x 65mm across the rim) engraved with a list of names, "3.(F)/122" and the date "23.2.1943 - "; a space has been left for a second date. The cup was made in the Netherlands by Van Kempen and is hall marked for the year 1918. It has been dreadfully bashed-about and dented but it could easily be restored. For the time being I am leaving it as it is, until I know a bit more about it. These are the names engraved on the cup, in 5 rows:

Oblt Blankenhan
Oblt Salecker
Hptm Otto
Stabsarzt Dr Leitner
Hptm Gruhle
Oblt Küppers
Oblt Goldberg

Oblt Riemer
Oblt Wuttke
Oblt Schultz
Hptm Gruschke
Lt Hemmer
Lt Högl
Lt Seubert
Lt Mollekopf
Lt Ziegler

Lt Joseph
Oblt Saile
Hptm Wieser
Oblt Asmus
Lt Listing
Oblt Hupka
Lt Kasper
Oblt Krebs
Lt Ruttloff

Lt Kolbeck
Lt Lauter
Lt Baumann
Lt Wischerath
Lt Eilers
Lt Kurzinna
Lt Rau
Oblt Müller

Oblt König
Oblt Vieker
Obzm Milbratz

Does anyone perhaps know of a veteran of this squadron who might know something about this cup?

Re: Luftwaffe mess silver?
 

Dear fkano

You certainly have something of interest, which belonged to someone (as you have gathered) from 3 Staffel F 122. Whether it would qualify as 'mess silver' in the more conventional sense seems doubtful. For what it is worth, I think it might be commemorative, and as F122 was a stategic reconnaissance outfit, it might be worth checking whether 3 Staffel flew a significant sortie on this date, or completed 500 days at a particular place -the possibilities are quite wide. From a purely selfish point of view it is useful to have a list of 3 Staffel personnel. Saleker and Krebs' names I have seen on Luftwaffe reconnaissance reports, but the others are not known to me. Stick a picture of the cup up if it's not too bent!

Just one thing -it's odd to read that the Cup is Dutch and hallmarked 1918- but that only tends to reinforce the impression that this was commemorative, and acquired locally to the then base of 3/122.

Best

Chris Going

Re: Luftwaffe mess silver?
 

Hi Chris,

Check out the following link. There is an image of said silverware.

http://www.mfipb.com/index.php?mforu...&showtopic=102

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher