saschaw

What is the exactly colour of the last ribbon? Looks like a ugly yellow-green to me. If it doesn't match to the Serbian cross, what else might it be for? Maybe for a Italian St. Mauricius & Lazarus Order?! The seconds to last ribbon is for sure Russian, and if we believe(!) no one changed the Red Eagle Order, it is an officer's bar, which makes, I guess, a medal for Zeal impossible. Wasn't this such a NCO's award, whereas officers got real orders like Stanislaus and St. Anna? For me it is a WWI navy officer's bar from about 1918 to 20s - post-war I guess because he wears yet World War awards (at least the Iron Cross and the Oldenburg one!), but as well the Russian one, a enemy's award - and IF the last ribbon is GREEN and Italian, the same for this! @Heiko: I answered before I read your post. Seven hooks hook me ... @Yankee: was the Russian "Badge of Honour" a officer's or NCO award?

Sorry Rick, there was. It was against the regulations to wear both, even if you had a "right" for both ... Durchf?hrungsverordnung zum Stiftungserlass (taken from "Dombrowski: Orden, Ehrenzeichen und Titel"): Ein Vater, der Frontk?mpfer gewesen ist und zwei S?hne im Weltkrieg verlorden hat, kann nach seiner freien Wahl entweder das Frontk?mpferkreuz oder das Elternkreuz aber nur eines von beiden beantragen. Entscheidet er sich f?r das Frontk?mpferkreuz, so hat das die Folge, dass es nach seinem Tode zwar seinen Angeh?rigen verbleibt, von ihnen aber nicht getragen werden darf. Wiill er nach seinem Tode seiner Frau die M?glichkeit zum Tragen des Ehrenkreuzes verschaffen, so muss er das Elternkreuz beantragen.

The 1st ribbon looks more like a Lippe-Detmold Nichtk?mpfer than a Iron Cross which made sense if the buttonhole ribbon is a EK II. One of the awards with crown might be a Sachsen-Meiningen Kreuz, but cannot say for sure. By the way, it was banned to wear two different 1934 Ehrenkreuze, but still some did it. If they could have worn both of them, they should have chosen(!) one of them. He might wear two indeed.

Check on Ebay.de continously, such a 2 place ribbon bar WILL show up, tomorrow or in three years ...

Though the clasps are quite top, I think it'd be more likely that it's just for a Baden Knight's Cross IInd Class and an Austrain Military Merit Cross 3rd class - will be much cheaper. Small but rather nice group, by the way.

I have no idea WHAT he is, but the uniform does actually not look like one I would expect for German Military. He might be anything, but I don't think it's Bavarian infanterie. I'm not even sure if this is a military uniform, and I don't think someone wears a Red Eagle order 2nd class with a Crown order 3rd class together?! The other way round is common, but this is in my humble opinion more than just strange.

For me no possibility to identify the person, but only its awads: On the neck: - Preu?en, Roter Adler-Orden II. Klasse; - Preu?en, Kronenorden II. Klasse; And on the bar: - Bayern, Milit?r-Verdienstorden, Ritterkreuz I. Klasse; - Bayern, Verdienstorden vom Heiligen Michael, Ritterkreuz I. Klasse; - Preu?en, Kriegsdenkm?nze 1870/71 am Band f?r K?mpfer (no way to tell if steel or bronce, I'd guess steel); - Bayern, Denkzeichen f?r das Jahr 1849; - Bayern, Dienstauszeichnungskreuz II. Klasse f?r 24 Jahre. A nice early group, picture is taken post 1871 but pre1897, may be 1870s or 1880s. Good look with identifying.

Now this is just almost(!) right. The old MVKs (1st modell) were enameled too, but made of Silver, whereas the older MVOs are always real gold. Not possible to see on the picture, but as we know he's an officer and no NCO, it leaves just that, what derGeneral wrote.

But isn't Baden. May be something from Mecklenburg. But in the end, it doesn't even matter. It's a nice and genuine Oldenburg Freidrich August cross - on a not matching ribbon.

The double-headed eagle on the very left is not a miniature but a part of the Serbian order in front of it!

Ah, you meant Dunant? Don't think it to be him. I don't know, but guess that he, the founder of the Red Cross, wore "some" more medals, e.g. he was awarded a French Legion of Honnour in 1865 by Napoleon III.

A Saxon Albrechts order (not cross) might be right and likely, yes. To ribbon matches as well a Sachsen-Altenburg Regierungsjubil?umsmedialle from 1903, which doesn't fit as good as the Saxon AO does.

Thanks Kevin, now I see. The French one seems indeed to be right, and the Bavarian in 2nd place as well, isn't it?

Thanks Rick for your opinion. A Z?hringer merit cross might be likely, yes, and behind it ANY Baden merit medal, from "1870 on bravery ribbon" to "inter war era on civil ribbon" to the very common "WWI on bravery ribbon". If the order is correct, it should be a inter war merit medal, as a Medal on bravery ribbon outranked a (civil) Z?hringer merit cross. IF the Z?hringer cross is civil, and not one of those 556 on bravery ribbon as well ... I still wonder what medal hangs on 4th place?! And is it a 1870 or WWI Iron Cross? I loved to have the bar, would be much easier then. I hate such photos on which you can recognize just one half.

Pardon, but who's Durant?! I've no idea (yet) who this might be ... A 1870 French(!!!) on a German Breast?! Sounds rather strange. Would someone have a picture of it? I still think it might be Italian, as I've never seen such a shape before but on anything Italian. It's at least nothing German, I'd guess.

And its reverse:

To re-animate this nice, "litte" thread. It's still missing a single mount "Spangenst?ck" of the old pre 1913 long service award! It's the first one I've ever seen, so I bought it (on Ebay.de) - although it is really uuuugly. Avers:

Yes, most likely the Third Reich award, and that's why it's missing. The Prussian 15 and 12 or 9 year awards "should" not be worn together.

Bad, bad armrest ...

And some details. Thanks in advance.

Here's another photo I was able to purchase recently. It shows a man, for sure not a soldier but a civil service man, with some nice orders and decorations. The combination seems quite strange to me, and I'd appreciate any help. He's wearing: - Baden, Berthold order, commander's cross 1st class; - Baden, Order of the Zähringer Lion, commander's cross 1st class; - Montenegro, Order of Danilo, commander's cross 1st class; - Ottoman Empire; Medjidje order, commander's badge. He's as well wearing a sash with badge, but no star belonging to it. As the armrest covers it, I cannot recognize it. His 4 place medal bar contains: - Prussia, Crown Order 4th class with Geneve Cross; - (might be a Bavarian merit cross 1870/71) - Prussia, Kriegsdenkmünze in Stahl für 1870/71, on ribbon for noncombattants - (something from Italy ?!) The picture should be taken about 1896/97, as he's yet wearing a Berthold order (founded September 1896) and not yet a Centenarmedaille (march 1897) which he would have gotten as a 1870s person - or it's later and he just didn't want to wear it.

On his 8 place medal bar, he has: - Preu?en, Eisernes Kreuz 1870 or 1914; - Preu?en, ??? - Baden, ??? - Baden, Felddienstauszeichnung, evtl. mit Spange ?1870-1871?; - Preu?en, Kriegsdenkm?nze 1870/71 mit zwei Gefechtsspangen; - ??? - Baden, Regierungsjubil?ums-Medaille 1902; - Preu?en, Centenarmedaille 1987. Another 2 place medal bar, with LS awards: - Baden, Landwehr-Dienstauszeichnung; - ??? An on the left two veteran association badges, most likely: - Badischer Leib-Grenadier-Verein Karlsruhe und - Badischer Milit?r-Vereins-Verband. I'd appreciate ANY ideas ... PS: With bold things, I'm quite sure.

Very interresting list, though I don't think to need it some day ... I've got a Photo of an elderly man whose decorations I cannot all identify for sure, it MIGHT be one of those with this combination - might. I started another topic for it, as he may wear other things and none of those two bravery awards.

Here's the photo of the elderly man I mentioned in another thread. It's a photo postcard without date, but written on its back: "Liebe Martha Habe Deinen Brief erhalten. Besten Dank daf?r. Gru? Herman. Komme am Montag 6. July nach Heidelberg & hoffe Dich zum letzten Mal zu sehen denn werde bald nach England und dann von dort in meine Heimat, zu meinen Kindern & Kindeskindern zur?ckkehren." He is going to England and from there(!) to his children and their children, soon. It sounds like he's going away from Germany but to a place where HE feels home. Might be America if he emigrated, or maybe Israel if he's a Jewish settler?! He's for sure a old Badener, wearing decorations from 1870 war and WWI, but the picture is all but good quality. I hope someone could help me with it?!

Thanks Rick, rather fast you are. Nothing from Baden YET listet, he might have gotten something (maybe Silver and Small Golden Merit Medal, and Z?hringer Merit Cross) for sure between 1909 and 1913. Interessing to me seems the combination of German States NCO awards and real foreign medals, but I noticed similar things before. As soon as I re-find the photo, I'll scan and show it here.