landsknechte

I'm guessing this messkit might be Soviet, judging by the colors. Can anyone confirm?

...and it appears that it's lost in the mail.

I think the only alteration on this photo is the addition of the text. Having actually worn hobnails on hard flat surfaces, there's a certain "resonance" to this picture.

There was always "Mad" Jack Churchill: http://wwiihistorymagazine.com/2005/july/col-profiles.html He was reputed to have carried one into battle on a number of different occasions, in addition to the longbow he was fond of. Yes, longbow.

George Silver is just a wee bit on the curmudgeony side... For what it's worth, when he refers to "Italian", he's referring to rapier based schools.

The regiment was raised in August 1939, and then was redesignated a "Grenadier Regiment" in October of 1942. I would presume it came from somewhere between those dates, unless it was already stamped and given out to someone subsequent to that date. If I remember correctly, the Infantrie Gesch?tz company would have been numbered "13". Maybe someone got superstitious.

Thanks guys!

The man behind the bar:

One for a Bavarian, Luftwaffe Major Friedrich Freiherr von Berchem

I've got a Saxon Friedrichsorden that faded almost completely to white. A lot lighter than this one, in fact. Now that you mention it, the green does have a vaguely similar hue to it the Hungarian decoration. Not quite as "forest green" as normal. Could it have been someone's odd take on "Prussian first" precedence?

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I can't seem to nail a spot on photograph of it, sitting here in my flourescently lit office with a dinky little point & shoot digital. Ugh. The ribbon in question is a smidge more yellowish than it appears in the photo, but it's pretty close. Depending on where you are on the ribbon, it ranges from a dingy dirty white to white with a hint of pea soup green. The colors are off, but this photo shows the extent of the fading.

Got the ribbon bar in hand with today's mail. Pryed up the fold in the ribbon with my fingernail, and voila - a very faded Anhalt. Similar, but less dramatic fading, on all of the ribbons. The backing is actually a very dark Navy blue. If it's a fake, it's a very very old one. Looks to be genuine, IMHO.

Ooooooooooh. That does make a bit more sense. I think.

Here's the reverse:

I'm eyeballing this ribbon bar, but I haven't a clue what the ribbons in first, second, and fourth place are. Anyone recognize 'em??

I've been distracted enough with my personal life over the last few months (I'm only just starting to come back to the hobby and the forum), that I've completely lost track of who is doing what in this area. Didn't know if there was any new clues that could be derived from the non-Bavarian ribbons on these bars. Also, I saw a mention in another thread that Bernd was working on, or at least has access to the MVK rolls. I had thought that it was previously the MVO's that were researchable. The sixth ribbon on the double wrap bar is either the Freidrichsorden or the Prussian Crown Order. From that, I'd assume that we're either looking at an officer or a Beamter recognized as an officer by a foreign state, and treated as an enlisted man by his own state. I had thought the light blue whatever it is pretty well ruled out the MVK3XmKr. If that is the case, I'd imagine that the number of MVO3XmKr or MVK1mKr on the war merit ribbon would be a rather small pool. ...or am I overlooking some totally obvious scenario? On the second one, I have scribblings in my notes that indicate that you were able to cross check the Bavarian and the Saxon rolls to discount an officer with this combo.

I had always been running under the impression that they were awarded with the different ribbons to different classes of people. This thread is the first that I've heard of the war merit version being given to everyone. I had assumed that the war merit ribbon was more akin to the white-black EK. Just trying to figure out the mechanics of how this process went through for the average frontline soldier that would typically be associated with the "standard" MVK/MVO. If everyone who had a the frontline ribbon had already been awarded the the war merit ribbon, I would expect to see more of it floating around.

...and the other.

Long shot, I know. Now that there has been some more work on the various state's rolls, I was wondering if these two bars were any closer to being identifiable...

Do we know if everyone was physically given the war merit version, or were they awarded it on paper only?

I'd imagine there was significant difference in the rules between who could own one, and who could carry one and where they could get away with carrying it. I've never researched this particular subject, but there are countless references out there in regards to people in the merchant and artisan classes attending various sword schools in the early to middle 16th century. I know Albrecht D?rer was an avid swordsman, for one. Going into the lower social orders, it was the norm amongst the "volunteer" (aka mercenary) armies that soldiers were required to provide their own arms and armor. Obviously they weren't formally members of a military organization prior to mustering, and by their private ownership of weapons it would follow that these items were relatively freely available for purchase. I would suspect that the increasing power of the nation-state that came about in the early modern period, and the corresponding decline of a specific knightly class would lessen the "threat" posed by one single armed individual and thus the restrictions could safely be lessened.

...not the impression made by the stamp, but the actual stamp itself. The body of the stamp, the handle, etc.?

Even if we never know the exact grade, should I at least assume the war merit ribbon is the lower grade?

Why then was it worn in first place, as if it were a higher grade?