Pour le Merite winner wearing Old Style Ribbon Bar in 1918 0
It would be difficult to find a more highly decorated frontline General than Siegfried von La Chevallerie (1860-1950). This undated photo was taken before bestowal of the Oakleaves to his Pour le Merite on 11 October 1918 and awesomely bedecked as he is here, he is wearing a "Pure Prussian Front" fashion statement leaving OFF his non-Prussian awards.
A further peculiarity is that in the final months of the war, he is wearing what was, after 1915, the Old Style ribbon bar-- the "shoot me first" target for 1914 enemy sharpshooters. In third place is the ribbon for his Prussian Order of the Crown 3rd Class from before the war which was returned and supposed to be replaced by the 2nd Class with Swords of that order halfway down his front.
But then, since he is wearing an enlisted ranks belt, a glove-leather holstered Luger, and a hunting cutlass as a personal arme blanche out of sight in this closeup-- I guess the general did pretty much what he pleased.
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