Prussian Long Service Medals

[gjw]

Hi all! I know about the various grades and manner of wear og the Long Service Medals/Crosses of the 3rd Reich period. I was wondering if any of you can tell me about the awards of Prussia (and other states) Grades, how worn, etc? Maybe some pics if you don't mind.

Thanks so much and God Bless!!!!!

[Guest Rick Research]

Here is the master thread of pre-WW1 types:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3024&hl=

The regulations changed repeatedly over time, and varied from kingdom to kingdom. So expect verrrrrrrrrrrrrry long answers to what is NOT a simple request.

Prussian rules and regulations:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1037...perial+Math+101

The thread above contains scans of all the Prussian M1913 long services and previous XXV and XX Years Service CRosses with the exception of the IX Years Medal M1913, and includes scans of award documents.

Before the 1913 design changes, Prussian XXI, XV, and IX Years Service brooches and the LD2 were worn as ugly little rectangular bars on the lower chest-- see the first link above for many many MANY of those types including other German states versions.

Method of wear for other ranks pre-1913:

An Uhlan NCO circa 1900 (wearing ribboned awards on the left was a peculiarity of this branch's uniform) wearing the Wilhelm I Centenary Medal of 1897 and an IX Years Service brooch on his lower left side:

[attachmentid=63106]

Here is the literally unique Exception To The Rule, then-68 year old Feldwebel Ferdinand Caville, taken 5 October 1905 when he was on the staff of 81st Infantry Brigade Staff. Detail freaks will note his unique Crown Order 4, given personally by the Kaiser in violation of all regulations (Caville was on active duty more than 50 years, retiring as a Leutnant by Imperial favor). His XXI Years service brooch-- the highest class available to enlisted personnel before 1919-- is on his lower left side:

[attachmentid=63109]

[David Gregory]

Hi all! I know about the various grades and manner of wear og the Long Service Medals/Crosses of the 3rd Reich period. I was wondering if any of you can tell me about the awards of Prussia (and other states) Grades, how worn, etc? Maybe some pics if you don't mind.

Thanks so much and God Bless!!!!!

Hi Greg,

For an introduction, you might want to take a look at http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3024&hl=.

David

[Guest Rick Research]

Prussians wore their own awards before those of other German states.

This elderly (yet ex-frontline! ) Professor type circa 1919 is wearing a mishmash of his un-updated pre-war medal bar with the Prussian XX Years Reserve Landwehr Cross (LD1) ahead of his non-Prussian German and foreign Orders:

[attachmentid=63110]

Prussian regulations before WW1 rather peculiarly placed mere long service awards before campaign medals and crosses. Perhaps this was because the ONLY long service awards worn on medal bars then were the "officers only" XXV and XX.

Here is then General der Infanterie Adolf von Wittich in September 1900 as commander of the XIth Army Corps, wearing his XXV in front of his 1870 war medal and 1866 war cross:

[attachmentid=63111]

[derGeneral]

Fantastic CDVs Please could you show a bigger scan of Mister Caville's medal bar ?

[Guest Rick Research]

[attachmentid=63158]

and his entry in the 1908/09 German Orders Almanac (Paul C's EXCELLENT CD version)

[attachmentid=63159]

That has GOT to be a "50" disk over his Crown 4th Class.

[Glenn J]

Rick,

old Ferdinand was a Bezirksfeldwebel on the staff of Landwehr-Bezirk Stade. Bezirksfeldwebel (retd) Ferdinand Caville was elevated to the rank of charakterisierter Leutnant a.D. on the 15th of December 1906 shortly after his retirement. Landwehr-Bezirk Stade was subordinated to the 81. Infanterie-Brigade, thus the connection with that brigade.

Regards

Glenn

[gjw]

Great posts and pics!!!! Thanks for the info. Does anyone have any pics of individual medals/crosses?

Thanks again and God Bless!!!!!

Greg

[Solomon]

Here is a nice detail from a familiy-photo...

The man on the left is wearing the Prussian Long Service Cross for 15 years and the Centenar-medal.

Greetings

Solomon

[Solomon]

And here are some pieces from my collection

A) Prussia Long Service Cross for 15 years (the same on my familiy-picture...)

[Solomon]

B) Prussia Long Service ribbon-bar for 9 years (old style with black stripes on ribbon)

Rick?s first photo shows this one...

[Solomon]

C) A old bar with IC 2nd class 1914 and prussian long service medal for 12 years

Hope you enjoy it...

Greetings

Solomon

[Solomon]

Oh, there is something I?ve forgotten

Mini-bar with

Medal for the war 1870/71 for NCs (!!!!) on comabatants ribbon!

Centenar-medal

Prussian long service medal for nine years (again old style!)

That?s all...

Greetings

Solomon

[Guest Brian von Etzel]

This elderly (yet ex-frontline! ) Professor type circa 1919 is wearing a mishmash of his un-updated pre-war medal bar with the Prussian XX Years Reserve Landwehr Cross (LD1) ahead of his non-Prussian German and foreign Orders:

...and Silesian Eagle, NON-enameled version...

[camelneck]

On ‎12‎/‎3‎/‎2006 at 12:51, Solomon said:

And here are some pieces from my collection

 

A) Prussia Long Service Cross for 15 years (the same on my familiy-picture...)

 

Hi Solomon,

Nice crosses.   You have the copper version of the 15 yr Prussian LS Cross.   I happen to have the gold-plated white metal version of this same award.  I think?

When I first started shopping for this award, I remember I would see what looked like at least 2 different versions of this award:  a gold-plated version and a darker, copper version that had a bit of a red tint.  (The amount of red would vary from medal to medal.)  I ended up buying 2 of the gold-plated versions--one with a couple of small scratches and one that was nearly perfect. 

Recently, I was researching various long service medals on the website www.ehrenzeichen-orden.de.  Under the Prussian 15yr LS cross, they had a photo of the copper cross and a bit of information about it.  However, they didn't mention anything about the gold-plated version.  I then started reading about the various Hesse long service medals in order to figure out whether Hesse and Prussia used the same medals (just different ribbons).  I then pulled up the Hesse 15yr Long Service cross and I saw a photo of the gold-plated version of the cross and it looked like my 2 crosses.  It said this cross was made of gold-plated white metal. Except for the color of the metal, this cross looked identical to the picture of the Prussian copper cross.

All of this leads to the big question?  Since the crosses look identical, why is there a cross made of copper and why is there a cross made of gold-plated white metal.  I can think of 2 possible answers: 

1) The copper crosses were issued early in the war and the gold-plated white metal crosses were issued as the war progressed and copper became more scarce.   (As far as I know, white metal was only used for medals made in 1916 or afterwards so this makes sense.)

or

2) Prussia made their 15yr LS crosses out of copper and Hesse made their 15yr LS crosses out of gold-plated white metal.  Except for the color, the medals look identical.  Furthermore, I always thought that the Hesse and Prussia Long Service awards (9yr, 12yr, and 15yr) used the exact same medal.  (Thus, it was the ribbon that made it a Prussian or a Hessen award )  If all Prussian medals were copper and all Hessen medals were gold-plated white metal, this would be an exception to that rule. 

Any comments?   Below is a photo of the 15yr white metal version.

 

Edited March 29, 2017 by camelneck