Austria-Hungary My First Eisernes Verdienstkreuz

[Riley1965]

Thanks to Charles I now have an Eisernes Verdienstkreuz. The Iron Merit Cross on the ribbon of the Bravery Medal was instituted on 1 April 1916 by the Emperor Franz Joseph for enlisted troops and low-level officials. It was given on the bravery ribbon for meritorious service in war. A solid red ribbon was intended for awards made in peacetime, but no such awards were ever made.

Doc

Obverse

[Riley1965]

REVERSE

[hunyadi]

[Josef Rietveld]

Thanks to Charles I now have an Eisernes Verdienstkreuz. The Iron Merit Cross on the ribbon of the Bravery Medal was instituted on 1 April 1916 by the Emperor Franz Joseph for enlisted troops and low-level officials. It was given on the bravery ribbon for meritorious service in war. A solid red ribbon was intended for awards made in peacetime, but no such awards were ever made.

Doc

Obverse

Nice piece Doc, a little correction:

the iron merit cross was issued with red ribbon in wartime aswell. On the red ribbon ist was given to NCO's and soldiers for long and good service in functions not corresponding to front-line service like milit?revidenzassisten (like Karl Wojyla- the father of pope john paul II, rechnungsunteroffiziere, Waffenmeister, werksmeister etc.

On 10th of July 1916 the first 130 bestowals were published:

24 Merit crosses with crown on the kriegsband (bravery medal ribbon)

78 Merit crosses with crown on red ribbon

7 Merit crosses on kriegsband

21 merit crosses on red ribbon

on 25th of January 1917 it was published that ALL military organs in the hinterland were allowed to wear there decorations (the edict mentions golden, silver and iron merit crosses, military merit medals and franz-josefs-order) on the kriegsband.

regards

haynau

[Riley1965]

haynau,

Thank You for the correction. This is a new collecting arena for me. It is a fledgeling collection but a start.

Doc

[ccj]

haynau,

Thank You for the correction. This is a new collecting arena for me. It is a fledgeling collection but a start.

Doc

Nice, I now need one to display on my faehnrich tunic... If appropriate.

[Guest Rick Research]

Definitely NOT.

[ccj]

Definitely NOT.

What about Gold, Silver 1st, Silver 2nd, and Bronze Bravery and a Karl Troop Cross?

[Guest Rick Research]

Merit crosses were for TECHNICAL guys. Signals, engineering, medical...behind the front, near the front, not actually AT the front...

NEVER seen one for frontline INFANTRY.

They approximate WW2 KVKXs as opposed to Iron Crosses.

[ccj]

Merit crosses were for TECHNICAL guys. Signals, engineering, medical...behind the front, near the front, not actually AT the front...

NEVER seen one for frontline INFANTRY.

They approximate WW2 KVKXs as opposed to Iron Crosses.

I did not know that...

[Josef Rietveld]

Merit crosses were for TECHNICAL guys. Signals, engineering, medical...behind the front, near the front, not actually AT the front...

NEVER seen one for frontline INFANTRY.

...

Then you should have a look at the following Pictures.

For example Offiziersstellvertreter Lorenz Brandl Golden Bravery Medal 1918, Feldhaubitzenregiment No 43 or an unknown Kadett.

Although awards to kadetts were prohibited in happend.

[Josef Rietveld]

or Feldwebel Josef Beranek (Golden Bravery Medal 1918) from IR 21 or an unknown Zugsf?hrer.

all pics taken from J?rg C. Steiner Das Eiserne Verdienstkreuz

[ccj]

or Feldwebel Josef Beranek (Golden Bravery Medal 1918) from IR 21 or an unknown Zugsf?hrer.

all pics taken from J?rg C. Steiner Das Eiserne Verdienstkreuz

Excellent Josef, thanks for sharing. Can you show more?

You just don't see photos like that here in the USA...

[Josef Rietveld]

Greetings to Arkansas. I can only add this picture of Offiziersstellvertreter Josef H?llriegel, Golden Bravery Medal 1915 (Feldj?gerbatallion 10). He wears an very very rare (i have never seen one) variant called dicke krone thick crown a crown with no pendules like for s signum laudis but made of iron

josef

[ccj]

Greetings to Arkansas. I can only add this picture of Offiziersstellvertreter Josef H?llriegel, Golden Bravery Medal 1915 (Feldj?gerbatallion 10). He wears an very very rare (i have never seen one) variant called dicke krone thick crown a crown with no pendules like for s signum laudis but made of iron

josef

Thanks,

So he has the gold and silver bravery. I don't know the rules. I assume its not required to earn the bronze or small silver 2nd class before receiving the large silver or gold.

We need a thread showing photos of Austro-Hungarian soldiers and men. The photos you have posted are terrific.

[ccj]

That style crown looks much better with the cross than the normal type.

[Josef Rietveld]

Thanks,

So he has the gold and silver bravery. I don't know the rules. I assume its not required to earn the bronze or small silver 2nd class before receiving the large silver or gold.

...

Exactly. It was possible to earn 'only' a golden bravery medal. i add pics of a german made bar. Twice silver bravery 2nd class and Karl-Truppen-Kreuz and NO bronze bravery medal.

unfortunately i don't collect pictures they are all stolen from steiners book.

josef

[ccj]

Exactly. It was possible to earn 'only' a golden bravery medal. i add pics of a german made bar. Twice silver bravery 2nd class and Karl-Truppen-Kreuz and NO bronze bravery medal.

unfortunately i don't collect pictures they are all stolen from steiners book.

josef

How can I get my hands on this Steiner book? Does it have many examples like the photos you have posted?

[ccj]

How can I get my hands on this Steiner book? Does it have many examples like the photos you have posted?

The Karl Troop cross you post is of better quality than I normally see...

[Josef Rietveld]

The Karl Troop cross you post is of better quality than I normally see...

it is maybe of german postwar -manufacture as the shown bar. the bravery-medal is also a spangenst?ck marked BRONZE on the rim.

Steiners book is a softcover-booklet with 50 pages and arround 15 pictures of soldiers, iron merit crosses and awarding documents (legitimation, besitzzeugnis).

josef

[ccj]

thanks

[Josef Rietveld]

thanks

as an update: finally a Dicke Krone (Thick Crown) came unexpected across my way. The first one i ever saw in reality.

regards

Josef

Edited November 27, 2009 by Josef Rietveld

[Archer]

I have just seen this remark

Merit crosses were for TECHNICAL guys. Signals, engineering, medical...behind the front, near the front, not actually AT the front...

It's not for me to argue, but my great-uncle - a Reserve Chief Electrician (Stabselektrowärter)- was awarded the Iron Cross of Merit (Eiserne Verdienst-kreuz), with Crown, for loyally dutiful service in the face of the enemy (per 14 Corps Order 345) on 7 December 1916.

Does that mean "at the front" or "on active service"?

Edited December 27, 2010 by Archer

[Josef Rietveld]

I have just seen this remark

It's not for me to argue, but my great-uncle - a Reserve Chief Electrician (Stabselektrowärter)- was awarded the Iron Cross of Merit (Eiserne Verdienst-kreuz), with Crown, for ‘loyally dutiful service in the face of the enemy’ (per 14 Corps Order 345) on 7 December 1916.

Does that mean "at the front" or "on active service"?

Hi Archer, if your great uncle got his iron cross of merit for frontline service IMHO his cross should show crossed swords on the trifold ribbon.

something like am kriegsband mit schwertern = war-ribbon with swords

josef

Edited December 27, 2010 by Josef Rietveld

[Tim B]

Hi Josef!

So, are these the three styles of Iron Merit Cross I could expect to see? What was the award differences between these and the Iron Merit Cross w/o the crown?

Tim :cheers: