For Cullen and anyone interested: I've been trying to find information on some of my dad's WWII German items and ran across this post. I have joined the forum but have not been able to post to the welcome site yet. Hope to figure that out soon. I'm a vet's daughter and an ex-USAF wife of many years but never served directly myself although I've worked for 3 branches of the US military. My dad brought home a dress sword and scabbord, black, very plain but with the eagle head on top of the hilt. HOWEVER, when you pull the blade, it also has that fancy Teutonic script which I puzzled out to be "Fur Grinnerung an meine Bienftzeit". Babelfish gives a literal translation of "for memory of my Bienftzeit". Could not get a translation for Bienftzeit at all. Just below the base of the hilt but on the blade itself, my sword has "JOH. HILLER" and below that "BAD CAANSTAAT". Further research reveals an Army hospital (there many years apparently) in an area of Stuttgart named Bad Caanstaat. Mine also has a line saying "Panzer - Abwehr - Abteilung 25" and below that "Kornweftheim". If you see this post and have any more information or if anyone reading this does, would love to hear from you. I also have a knife/fork set with an stag horn handle that I'd like to have information on if anyone knows anything about them. If I have any replies to this post, I'll be glad to add photos. :cheers: