Weimar Weirdness 02 Closeup

Closeup of the highly decorated WW1 pilot/very junior DLOV member's 1934 awards.

Although into the second year of the Third Reich, his ribbon bar is stiull absolutely typical of the no-rules enforced Weimar Republic. He is wearing his Prussian Hohenzollern House Order 3X quite improperly BEFORE his plain old Iron Cross 2nd Class 1914. This waas a particular favorite fashion among officers who had received the HHO and wanted to push it ahead of the MILLIONS of mere EK2s.

Because thsi photo is tiny and the ribbons are not clear, identification of the unnamed officer has not yet been made. Key to that may be what is probably the crown device, representating a saxe-Meiningen War Honor Cross.

He also wears a 1st Class 1919/21 Silesian Eagle with crossed swords on its 2nd Class ribbon last on the ribbon bar. that embellishment was only authorized in 1921 and would be banned under the Third Reich.