Austro-Hungarian Karl Troop Crosses In GERMAN Groups

[Guest Rick Research]

This frighteningly huge 25mm widths 6 ribbon bar from David S's collection was presumably the top row of two with the now missing bottom row festooned with WW1 Commemoratives clutter

The characteristic (but visible from the surface of the moon ) pointless EK mini and two Saxon ribbons here suggest the wearer was a post-1938 Saxon with the Troop Cross here in front of a now missing Hindenburg Cross X-led lower row.

An entry from the 1924 Reichsheer Rangliste ("?K")--

[dond]

Rick, here's a stupid question. Could the EK device on the ribbon indicate award of the EK1? That is how its done on the 57er bars.

[David S]

Glad it's legit

If I remember correctly that was thought initially to be a fliers bar

More than one said that it might be a repro :cheers:

[Guest Rick Research]

Don: Nope. It's simply a pointlessly stupid fashion statement. Centered on Saxons--from whom it seems to have originated in the 1880s with the 1870 version--but we've found 1914s used by the Ottoman Turks, as well as in use during the war from 1918 dated German photos. It was NOT a miniaturized EK1. It was just DUMB.

David: who knows with the No Statutory Reasons For Being Awarded Saxon War Effort Cross! :speechless1:

[Guest Rick Research]

Found the missing box.

I believe this belonged to a Feldart Rgt 76 wartime Leutnant named von Otterstedt

purely from an accumulation of circumstantial evidence from Position Lists--since NONE of these awards was shown on Rolls and he was a 1930s (E) officer so invisible in earlier Rank Lists.

FAR 76 had at least a battalion of officers in Finland 1918 (German Xs on Cross of Liberty rather than the Finnish wrestling donut device); he only had a Wehrmaht 4 for total recalled military service by 1939; and he was serving in the Rhine fortifications when the war started ("Westwall"). Ended up as Oberstleutnant (S) in 1942, on home staff of XXV Corps in '44. No clue as to first name.

He's put his Troop Cross AFTER the Hindenburg Cross, which seems normal for what most GERMANS did. The Austrians still regarded it as a semi-decoration because of its lapsed privileges (instant entitlement to vote, in 1917/18) and it is almost always before a Hindenburg Cross in their groups.

But this thread is for GERMANS with the Troop Cross, not Austrians.

[saschaw]

Aaaah, now that's the Badener with Truppenkreuz you talked about. I was looking for a Baden award on the first bar and though one of us went crazy.

When was Otterstedt comissioned? The Baden award here's a silver merit medal, given to EMs and NCOs only. He didn't start the war as a Leutant, did he? If so it cannot be his, I'd say.

[Guest Rick Research]

Leutnant in 1918 with Patent retroactive as 21 May 1916, so that time he spent with Emperor Karl's troops probably cost him a BZ3bX.