Ultimate Freikorps fighter medal bar

[Noor]

Hi,

Here is one great bar what I have. I presume it's pretty hard dask to get any similar set with the 4 "foreign" awards!! So, here we go:

1. EK 2

2. XV Long Service Cross

3. Bulgaria Royal Order for Bravery, Soldier's Cross

4. Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty, Medal of Liberty, 1st Class

5. Commemorative Medal of the War of Liberation (Vapaussodan Muistomitali)

6. "White Russians" medal but what would be the correct name?

7. Kyffhäuserbund Kriegsdenkmedaille 1914-18 an Einzelbandschnalle

8. Silesian Eagle 2nd Class

Any comments and help to "read it" would be great!

Edited November 27, 2009 by Noor

[Noor]

russian medal

[HeikoGrusdat]

Hi Timo,

nice bar, your white-russian medal is the

medal of the Soldaten-Siedlungs-Verband Kurland

very rare indeed with a nice value...

greez

Heiko

PS: goodies arrived... :beer:

[Noor]

Thanks Heiko! So, can you find out the owner's photo now as well?

I just some how love that set.... so dramatic... he just didn't found piece after the end of WW1!!!

PS: Jeez, it was fast!

[Douglas Jr.]

Beautiful bar! One of the best Freikorp's bar I ever seen, for sure.

Congratulations!

[Noor]

Thanks Douglas!

Is there more information about the "medal of the Soldaten-Siedlungs-Verband Kurland"? Who was entitled for this medal and any aprox. figure how many of those had been awarded in total?

Regards,

Timo aka Noor

[Noor]

Just wondering about Bulgaria Bravery Cross.... is there any information available what German units was with the Bulgarians and approx. how many Germans got this award at all? As much I researched, there where mainly only Air Corps advisors (as well some artillery guys), etc who helped them. Bulgaria was strong enagh to not need any other man power from Germany at this time anyway?

Also my question remains regarding the medal of the Soldaten-Siedlungs-Verband Kurland - still can't find anything about it!!!!

[Deruelle]

Hi Timo,

Very rare and nice medal bar you found there.

I have never seen any informations about how many freecorps medal were awarded during this area.

Christophe

[Histaria]

From that wonderfully unique, insightful, and erudite book Awards of the German Freikorps (quoted in toto with permission of the author):

The Baltic had for centuries held a facination for many Germans, and following WWI the new "crusaders" of the Freikorps moved into the area motivated by the threat of Bolshevik expansion there, in hopes of obtaining a base for attacks on the post-war German government and to obtain land for estates and settlements. One group representing the latter interests was the SSVK (Soldaten Siedlung Verbandes Kurland or Soldier's Settlement Association) whose spokesman Karl Freiherr von Manteuffel encouraged Awalloff Bermondt to create a medal for Baltic fighters, influential supporters, and others instrumental in the settlement organization.

A medal was designed by v. Manteuffel and it was executed by Professor Emil Doepler and struck by the Oertel firm of Berlin. The 33 mm gilded medal shows a knight riding to the east. The reverse bears v. Manteuffel's family coat of arms . . . Awards were made from 1919 until 1923.

[Ulsterman]

From that wonderfully unique, insightful, and erudite book Awards of the German Freikorps (quoted in toto with permission of the author):

The Baltic had for centuries held a facination for many Germans, and following WWI the new "crusaders" of the Freikorps moved into the area motivated by the threat of Bolshevik expansion there, in hopes of obtaining a base for attacks on the post-war German government and to obtain land for estates and settlements. One group representing the latter interests was the SSVK (Soldaten Siedlung Verbandes Kurland or Soldier's Settlement Association) whose spokesman Karl Freiherr von Manteuffel encouraged Awalloff Bermondt to create a medal for Baltic fighters, influential supporters, and others instrumental in the settlement organization.

A medal was designed by v. Manteuffel and it was executed by Professor Emil Doepler and struck by the Oertel firm of Berlin. The 33 mm gilded medal shows a knight riding to the east. The reverse bears v. Manteuffel's family coat of arms . . . Awards were made from 1919 until 1923.

I have LONG awaited a revised and expanded edition of V. Agers' now classic (and purloined) work.

Excellent info! Thanks!

Good to see you here.

[Noor]

Thank you Histaria - top class information!

Regarding this medal - was it banned after 1934 like most of the Freikorps awards (excluding Silesian Eagle and Baltic Cross) to wear on uniform. Anyway, because lack of Hindenburg Cross, I think I can quess that this bar is from 20s anyway.

Also I am quessing that the owner of this bar was career NCO because Prussian 15 years service Cross.... lets say 2-3 years service before the Great War, 1914-1918 accounted as a10 years of service and because biggest demobilisations took place March-April 1920, then other aprox 2 years after the war.

It's weird that there isn't any other bravery awards after EK2 but instead Bulgarian. Meantime Silesian Eagle and Soldaten-Siedlungs-Verband Kurland shows that he was fighting after the war.

Maybe he had next to his Sileasin Eagle 1st class as well wound badge and that can be the reason why nothing else from the WW1 period?

Again, if someone can advise what units fought with Bulgarians and got the Bulgaria Royal Order for Bravery, Soldier's Crosses, it would be great! Did Germans got that cross as well after the war as a members of Freikorps???

All the best,

Noor