Awards worn in buttonholes

[David Gregory]

The China vet medal bar thread shows how awards could be suspended and worn from a tunic buttonhole, which seems to be a popular image for many formal portraits made when awards were bestowed.

The Iron Cross is probably the most frequently seen award worn in this way, but it was also used for HHOX crosses and orders and decorations from many other states.

Does anyone have an example of a ribbon modified by having two reinforced buttonholes added to it for this mounting arrangement?

Please show your photos of awards worn suspended from the buttonhole.

I'll start off with a simple portrait of Unteroffizier Keller of 6. Kompagnie LIR 65. This is one of a few portraits of men from 6. Kompagnie who dedicated their photos to their "dear comrade Gefreiter Hasselmann", who might have been recovering from wounds. The photo was taken in Villers sur Pareid (spelling?) in June 1915.

[attachmentid=24521]

[JensF.]

I have only these two ribbons, EKII and War Merit Cross with "Bew?hrungsabzeichen" from Braunschweig, which were cut and used in a buttonhole of the uniform.

[Ulsterman]

1916:

[Stogieman]

Nice ribbons Jens! Nice device too. I've seen Prussian, Bavarian, Saxon and Mecklenberg Ribbons (as well as combinations of these)... but nothing with a device/attachment like you described in your initial post.

[David Gregory]

Jens, I still regret not bidding on that very nice combination.

Who can show any other awards suspended from their ribbon in the buttonhole like Ulsterman?

When my scanner starts behaving itself, I'll post some more.

[Les]

Here's one from a later war, but what's in the buttonhole -is- from WWI, and it isn't an EK. Sorry the photo isn't larger, but most taken of him show only the ribbon which can be mistaken for something quite different than what it is.

Les

(added: 27 January) Another photo of Ramcke taken during the middle of WWII, showing his GMVK ribbon but not the cross. The GMVK "war ribbon" was worn a litte differently than the EKII ribbon when looped through a buttonhole.

Edited January 27, 2006 by Les

[medalnet]

Certainly a brave man. PlM for NCO's awarded april 24, 1918, him being the a "deputy" (Offizierstellvertreter) in the Sturmabteilung des Marinekorps.

[Chip]

It would be interesting to know just how the medal is suspended in Ulsterman's photo. There is no exterior button hole on the Bluse. There is one under the flap, but how would looping through that suspend this medal the the position that it is in? I do have photos of soldiers wearing Blusen that have the EKII ribbon sewn on as if there were a button hole, but I don't recall having seen a ribbon suspending a medal in this manner on this pattern jacket.

Chip

Edited January 28, 2006 by Chip

[Daniel Murphy]

Normally, from what I understand, the medal was only supposed to be worn in the buttonhole on the day it was awarded. However it is also possible that this was done when posing for a photo such as the TR period picture above. I have also seen studio photos of Bavarian generals with their Max Josef order in the buttonhole. However I have never seen an imperial ribbon altered with buttonholes added (such as like a Blood Order) for wearing like that. I was just not done to my knowledge. What I have seen in a picture was an officer wearing his EK2 from what looks like a hook hidden under the edge of his buttonhole ribbons. Here is the picture. Any guess on what the second ribbon is? Oldenburg?

Dan Murphy

Edited January 27, 2006 by Daniel Murphy

[Daniel Murphy]

oops.

Edited January 27, 2006 by Daniel Murphy

[JensF.]

Les, this is the legendary Fallschirmj?gergeneral Ramcke who was awarded the Golden Military Merit Cross in Flandern in 1918.

Edited January 27, 2006 by JensF.

[Tom Y]

Two apparently different methods of suspension. Two Artillerymen im Feld with the ribbon through the cross.[attachmentid=24626]

And a studio shot where the Cross seems to be hung separately, maybe from a hook?[attachmentid=24628]

Does anyone have any photos of a "Wedding Bow" ?

[Ulsterman]

There is some small discussion about the "wearing the day awarded" pictures. In some cases, the highest medal was clearly worn in the buttonhole. Where the EK 'hung' is debated.

I have posted this one before, but ponder the medal bar. If you saw that in a show, would you think "one big,horrible wound"?

Edited January 27, 2006 by Ulsterman

[Deruelle]

Hi everybody,

One photo I have already posted but is show the MJ3 on the loop with others medals.

Christophe

[Deruelle]

Another one

[Guest Rick Research]

Buttonholes? I don't need no steenkin' buttonholes!!!

This is 5 ribbons, BTW.

[attachmentid=24738]

(EK2, probably a Saxe-Weimar White Falcon X since the wearer was a 1920 Thuringian LaPo officer, Silesian Eagle 2, a Godaloneknows, and some grade of Saxe-Ernestine, I'd say)

[Guest Rick Research]

Saxon Feldwebelleutnant Curt Beyer of Reserve Infantry Regiment 241 dated this photo 29 January 1916:

[attachmentid=24739]

Whether he had just received the EK2 on that date I don't know.

But thanks to the published rolls, I do know that he was awarded the Merit Cross with Xs of the Albert Order on 17 February 1916-- which he is proudly wearing in this undated photo:

[attachmentid=24740]

That was a very good day for Beyer's regimental colleagues--

his friend Feldwebelleutnant Max Seltrecht reciving a "SA4X" at the same time:

[attachmentid=24741]

Again undated, and probably a month or more after bestowal date by the time the actual decorations arrived and were handed over. Whenever this way, it looks like these two had their Full Glory portraits taken at the same time.

[notned]

Great pics gents!

I just love seeing the medals in wear...and of course the gents who won them!

Cheers

Paul

[Steve K.]

Here is my contribution to buttonhole attire and "wearing the day awarded"......One older chap with Bavaria's MVK3mS (ribbon can not be seen) standing next to a younger fella with one of Bavaria's higher bravery decorations, the Military Verdienst Medal Max Joseph (silver grade) with its ribbon, and the EKII pinned below with no ribbon!! Gotta love Bavarian audacity!!

[Chip]

Rick,

I wonder which Saxon regiment's uniforms Feldwebelleutnant Beyer dipped into in order to come up with Litzen on his collar. You would think that if the 241st was supplied with uniforms from the depots of say, the 100th or 101st grenadiers, that Herr Seltrecht would have them too.

Chip

[Wild Card]

Gentlemen,

To a comment made by Daniel Murphy in post #9, it seems to me that the MMJO knight?s cross is invariably worn in the button hole. Two examples follow.

Best wishes,

Wild Card

[Wild Card]

Ritter von Epp.

[Wild Card]

Karl Ritter von Gonnermann.

[Guest Rick Research]

Are you sure that's GONNERMANN? He should be wearing the Bavarian Ulanka style double breasted uniform of the 1st Heavy Cavalry Regiment!

I've got 4 of his award documents but never saw a photo of him before....

[Chip]

Rick,

This is the tunic for the Schweres Reiter Rgts. You must be thinking of the Chevaulegers or Bavarian Ulans.

Chip