Ulsterman

I think 7 is Hungarian WW1 and 8. is Austrian WW1 or red cross medal. I By the way-belated happy birthday Daniel.

I have about a dozen photos of post 1935 veterans wearing unofficial or proscribed awards. I know of about a dozen more. Most are NSKOV guys wearing a Prussian Veterans Association honour medal (which we know from award docs was awarded until at least 1940) or Freikorps awards. Germans, being Germans, tended to follow the rules. Pictures of proscribed awards being worn by Wehrmacht men in uniform are almost unheard of- I can think of fewer than 20 pictures I have seen in over 25 years of photo collecting- and I actively look for these. Most of the proscribed awards pictures I can recall are either being worn by prominent individuals (Prince Von so-and-so) who obviously thought themselves above the rules (or were oblivious) or Freikorps awards- which obviously were worn as a 'I was there' statement.

Medals mattered in the Third Reich. Wearing certain awards could be viewed as a political statement and after the Rohm Putsch, many people were highly aware of that fact and the young men in black uniforms who were willing to 'interrogate ' you about such things.

Most of the medal bars I have seen with WW1 awards, the HKx and the veterans' badges I presume to be NSKOV men and made in 1934-35. These guys got away with it because to remount their bar after the proscription in late 1935 cost money. Most people didnt have a lot of extra cash. Also, wearing an "illegal" bar three times a year in a parade hardly was earth shattering. Bars with these proscribed awards that also have Wehrmacht awards (esp. LS awards) on them are almost certainly fakes.

i too have seen this and wondered about it-a lot. My gut says its too odd-indeed unique- not to be original and that theres a good and hopefully researchable story behind it.

If this was faked, it would have required minimal research to make it "better". But the 2 purple hearts- out of sequence....but note the old ROK ribbons too.

If I had to guess-ships' cook/ medical ward on US vessel and thence transfer to US army forces in Korea @1947 after US forces there made garrison. Local knowledge and english speakers were rarer than gold and hence the odd, "chronological order" of awards. This guy must've been all over the place as an interpreter.

I have photos of ships crews @1947-48 with Korean and Phillipene sailors who have such ribbon bars-or close thereto.

The Really interesting ribbon is the correct placement of the US red cross service award.

The units represented on that uniform are not obscure.

Any chance your Colonel friend can give you a set of current Korean medal regs?

just looking at an old thread-insanely nice bravery medal there-2 palms is very,very rare. Having read about what some Ethiopian fighters did to just get the medal, it makes my mouth water. Its easily the equal of an MC/MM (Silver Star+ /DFC) in the West.

Ed is also on Facebook. He can tell you everything you need to know and may have extra ribbons.

good stuff. I used to build the Airfix lancers. Happy days .

I read once that Mercers' captured "Lanciers Rouge' lance was the model of all British lances, including the ones used at Omderman and in 1914.

Did he apply for disability? Sounds like he needs to contact a Veteran's Service Officer (VSO) at either the American Legion or VFW (he doesn't need to be a member); they can guide him through the claims process. I am certain he'll get service connected disability for the hearing loss at least. If you have questions PM me.

i agree. I used to work as a Senators aide and used to process claims like this all the time. If heres any documentation of his hearing loss, he'd be ok.

what do the repro tins look like? When I was a kid these were common-25p at most. I knew old guys who still kept their cigarettes and tobacco in them.

very cool. this was done well.

Great photo portrait of a Feldwebel of the 1st Brandenburg/2 Dragoons!

Ah, so the three ribbons on top is normal. Is it for the army and navy or did this matter? I wondered if it hinted at " diplomat" or "administrator" or something.

Well, did the rolls get finished?

the cat adds a certain something.....

Hmmmmmmm.........the plot thickens.why the three ribbons at the top? Usually, the ribbons go fewest first.

excellent pair! I love these rear eschelon groups.

nice "little" paint job. i can never get the plumes right.

really like the General one. You are the Russian Troiani! (i hope you make as much money$ too).

I note that this medal was for sale on the latest DNW website update. I would be very surprised if this was an original, issued medal. Ive had a look at a lot of sources and the closest Russian foreign "observers" were in Brussels with the Bourbon King. Prince Pozzo was head of the Russian attache and it would be fascinating to read his memoirs. As far as anyone can tell, at best this is an "unofficial" medal and probably is a fake, given its utter absence in earlier catalogs and references going back almost 150 years (+) now.

is this a BBC History magazine article? I note that all the on-line back issues are on sale over Christmas for only 99 cents. Theres some great stuff there.

while I respect JapanX enormously, please dont tear those bars apart yet. ive seen too many odd things pop up in photos over the years. I have @ 100 Japanese medal portraits and am going to have a look at them tonight. This thread has really focused my attention on Japan, which I have tended to ignore after 1918 historically.

Actually, the HKx was promulgated in the summer of 1934 and mass awards began late that Fall and into 1935. the other unofficial awards weren't completely banned until late 1935 and don't seem to have disappeared until 1936/37.

A couple of your photos belong to me- notably that Bavarian Red Cross General, which was taken in @1955-1960.

you might also wish to consult the thread about "mistakes in wear" , showing TR era medal bar errors ranging from the sublime to the truly jaw dropping.

Some older veterans never stopped wearing their earlier Weimar membership awards, especially local medals. Still, it was unusual, if not rare.

i too would want that last bar.

i am intrigued, especially about senior NCOs and their awards now....esp. for navy chaps.

this is a very interesting thread. i noted the odd, if somewhat crude construction of the bar , but honestly, assumed it was merely the Japanese way, as Japanese goods tended to be somewhat cruder in this era.

As for the NCOs' bar-well, educate me. Why wasnt this a Senior Sergeant or Deck officer?

This is a "navy style" ( fat ribbons) WW2 ( and earlier) era vet's ribbon bar. I've always wondered if it was worn on a reserve navy or army officers' uniform in the 1930s......Just a WW1 ribbon and a VFW medal.