Ulsterman

Reeeeaaaally interesting bar! It makes me wonder if there was an EK2 in a button-hole somewhere. A Feldwbl-Lt in a (medical) support role somewhere? Hmmmm.......where did sax-Mein. , Bavaria and Hamburg "mix"? I am having problems discerning the color of the Hamburg ribbon, but I suspect there is a chance it was a post Armistice award, as these seem to have been handed out in 1919-1920. That would explain the placement.

If so, then how would the maker know such obscure British imperial officer information from 80 years ago AND why haven't more of these popped up over the past 5 years?

carnival badge?

Don't forget the vets' award in the buttonhole! That is some photo. I am green with envy.

Ah-but in looking at even more new and really obscure information, it doesn't change the numbers much at all IMHO. The one new thing I have learned this week after far too much searching in obscure libraries and book footnotes is that there were a higher percentage of females in the class of 1925 than in following "entry years", but they tended to be somewhat older and less likely to have cadre status. Many were wives/daughters/Aunts/Mums of 1923 men. There's even an article on this phenomenon in an Applied Behaviour journal! Also, many of these early party members had poorer educations and lacked management skills. Still, their lower numbers mattered, especially as SA officers etc.. In one Gau Joe W. mentioned that in 1942 of all the 100+ GPB members a whopping SIX got the 25 year cross and one of these was not a NSDAP cadre, but an affiliated organization officer. I have come across some really obscure "Kampf and Sieg" publications that name a few hundred more GPB awardees. Given the NSDAP and Frauenshaft/SS/201 officers files microfiche at NARA it is hypothetically possible to actually figure out how many were eligible for the medal. One researcher has over 55% of the names so far. If only I had a decade of free time and lived in Maryland. Oh-I learned one other trivia fact today-but I am saving that until the book arrives from New York.

Further notes on the 25 year NSDAP LS medal: Two additional facts have surfaced. 1. Newspaper reports from 1942 state that the NSDAP 25 year cross was to be awarded for the FIRST time in 1942 (with a cut off date in 1941). 2. In perusing the Miller files of SS officers and other sundry interesting people, it is clear that some very few NSDAP 25 year crosses were awarded in 1942. These went to SS men whose careers WERE NOT professional party leiters, but old party members who held SS ranks and/or "officer status" in other affiliated NSDAP organizations. They certainly bounced around a bit and held concurrent posts in odd departments here and there. But, as a fact, it is certain that 25 year crosses were awarded to NSDAP members who held lower party (volunteer type) organizational rank before 1933, but were tagged as SS, SA or NSKK officers. However, the BIG shock is that of ALL the files I have looked at so far, ONLY those members in the NSDAP in 1925 received the cross in 1942! I had assumed that 1926 members received the medal, but there are those who joined in 1927 who SPECIFICALLY DID NOT get it, or it's not in their file (despite other awards from 1943/44 being noted). Nobody so far has turned up ANY NSDAP award dates after 1942, despite my pleas. That is one rare group of medals. :speechless1:

I think there was a battle bar and one below the drape.

Again. Thank you gentlemen.

True, I am with Chris-they have their place sometimes. I like them....some of them anyway. Depends on who is wearing them and what they mean I suppose.

thanks! i think i have him in the 1934 list hptmn. 1.4.33 #27...h. kraftf. schule i owe you all beers the other one was at the kreigsalademie in 1934-35, hptmn. 1.5.35

here's a small photo-great little bar. Can anyone please help with who he is? I can't read this.

Good Lord! :speechless1:

Nice though-I see lots of newspaper pictures with vets wearing these. The commemoratives look good too-better than many/most of the bombastic & poorly done US medals these days i think.

what does it contain? Unit histories? Any medal information?

very cool! :Cat-Scratch:

Well, perhaps Glenn J., our own Austro-Hungarian expert, can help?

Awesome "Mandarin" photos. The caps denote the administrative rank no? Can you tell the examination ranks by the front embroidery?

An interesting thread. Doing a googleimages search on these brings up all sorts of pictures of young blond ladies at gymkhanas on ponies these days. However, most photos show only the documents being awarded and the tests requirements (you can get cram books for the reiterabzeichen on amazon!) Does one still have to purchase the badges from a jeweler in Germany/Austria these days? if so, what do the newer ones look like?

wow! That PLM is magnificent! You are a master.

Thanks for the link. More to spend money on.

Paul will faint when he sees this. Look at those drum banners!

Well, I looked and nothing-sorry.

Well, they call them billy clubs over here-or nightsticks. I have seen the throwing on the pavement trick before at the St. Pats' Parade in Southie @ 1990. The archetypal eastern city cop @ 100 years ago was a irish.

whoa-nice,very nice.

...looks like a Napoleonic eagle to me too. I think it's a put-together.