Claudio

It's an Austrian post WWI veterans' cross: Ehrenkreuz der österreichischen Ehrenlegion.

Only 183 in 1916-17? I have other numbers: Friedrichskreuz 2. Klasse am Kämpferband: ca. 18’000 – 20’000 Friedrichskreuz 2. Klasse am Nichtkämpferband: ca. 700 – 800

Too me it looks like a plain combattan EK ribbon...

Dear John, From this picture you can't really begin to research very much about the bar; v.Schröder could have also been a mere soldier or NCO. The medals on this medal bar are very common: EK2 (5'000'000 awarded), KVK2 with or without swords (also millions), Hamburg Hansa cross (over 50'000), not to speak about the FEK (Hindy cross as you call it), pratically awarded to every WWI veteran who was still alive in 1934-35 and applied for it. Furthermore more than 10'000'000 German soldiers in the Army during WWI. As you can see the odds to find something on v.Schröder are pratically zero. Only the family could provide with more information. Usually families keep rather documents than medals, maybe there are somewhere hidden in some drawer or maybe they have been destroyed or thrown away, like his KVK2 (de-nazification process after WW2). The majority of the Germans just wanted to forget the war after 1945. ciao, Claudio

As WC rightly said and I'd like to add, a picture of the whole medal bar (front and back) would help even more... for a starter it would prove that the medal bar is in your collection and that you are not merely posting such questions for increasing the profit of a possible deal you intend to make. Sorry for being so direct... Claudio

Ordensklasse Verleihungen Großkreuz mit der Krone und Schwertern 2 Großkreuz 44 Großkreuz am Bande für Kriegsverdienst 3 Großkreuz mit Schwertern 82 Großkreuz mit Schwerten am Bande für Kriegsverdienst 4 I. Klasse mit der Krone und Schwertern 2 I. Klasse 70 I. Klasse am Bande für Kriegsverdienst 1 I. Klasse mit Schwertern 139 I. Klasse mit Schwertern am Bande für Kriegsverdienste 4 II. Klasse mit dem Stern und der Krone und Schwertern 5 II. Klasse mit dem Stern 150 II. Klasse mit dem Stern am Bande für Kriegsverdienst 4 II. Klasse mit dem Stern und Schwertern 268 II. Klasse mit dem Stern mit Schwertern am Bande für Kriegsverdienst 10 II. Klasse 220 II. Klasse am Bande für Kriegsverdienste 7 II. Klasse mit Schwertern 355 II. Klasse mit Schwertern am Bande für Kriegsverdienst 23 Offizierskreuz 186 Offizierskreuz mit Schwertern 243 III. Klasse mit der Krone 19 III. Klasse mit der Krone am Bande für Kriegsverdienst 10 III. Klasse mit der Krone und Schwertern 517 III. Klasse mit der Krone und Schwertern am Bande für Kriegsverdienst 28 III. Klasse 612 III. Klasse am Bande für Kriegsverdienst 19 III. Klasse mit Schwertern 834 III. Klasse mit Schwertern am Bande für Kriegsverdienst 44 IV. Klasse mit der Krone 601 IV. Klasse mit der Krone am Bande für Kriegsverdienst 59 IV. Klasse mit der Krone und Schwertern 3.042 IV. Klasse mit der Krone und Schwertern am Bande für Kriegsverdienst 112 IV. Klasse 1.108 IV. Klasse am Bande für Kriegsverdienst 170 IV. Klasse mit Schwertern 24.141 IV. Klasse mit Schwertern am Bande für Kriegsverdienst 544 Are these numbers correct or has somebody other statistics to show? These figures are taken from http://de.wikipedia....torden_(Bayern) Thanks in advance for your comments and inputs. ciao, Claudio

Here's the document to the Luitpold medal with crown...

Here is a group I already posted on this very forum, but I can't find it anymore. This officer served in the 1st FAR: Hptm a.D.Wilhelm Löll 1.Bayerisches FAR „Prinzregent Luitpold“ (*14.10.1888- † ?) Ordensspange: Preußen, Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse 1914-1924 am Kämpferband (OEK 1904), E gs/S Bayern, Militär-Verdienst-Orden 4. Klasse mit Krone und Schwertern (OEK 412), S Bayern, Militär-Verdienst-Orden 4. Klasse mit Schwertern (OEK 413), S Deutsches Reich 1933-45, FEK (OEK 3803/1), Hersteller R.V. Pforzheim 34 Bayern, Militärische Jubiläumsmedaille mit Krone und Jahreszahlen „1839-1909“ am Band, 1902-1912 (OK 518/1), Br ox Bayern, Goldene Hochzeits-Jubiläumsmedaille, 1918 (OEK 479), KM Andere Gegenstände: 6er Miniaturkette im (beschädigten) Originaletui des Juweliers Gebr. Hemmerle und 2 Feldspangen (5er und 6er) 1 Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (OEK 3293), 1 bayerische DA 2. Kl. für 24 Dienstjahre 1906-1921 (OEK 525), ohne Band Urkunden: Jub.-Med. mit Krone 28.10.1909, MVO4 mit X 16.4.1914, MVO4 mit Krone u. X 17.5.1918, Kyffhäuser KDM 23.09.1926, FEK 01.02.1935, Verw. Abz. in Schwarz 25.08.1936

Hi Dave! Thank you so much for taking the time to write down all this very interesting information... lots of work! I really appreciated it. ciao, Claudio

Very nice! :love:

Yes, I think so... if the officer was a proud Prussian then all the Prussian medals come first, not to mention that this bar was put together before he received the FEK (Hindenburg Cross), maybe in the 20ies, when pretty everything was possible.

I found this, searching on the net: http://www.ww2daggers.com/catalogue/weapons/imperial/army/19600.htm A sword given as present from Obltn (here in the text as Hptm "captain" mentioned) Wölfel to his comrade and Paymaster Georg Krommes. Text: Presentation M89 Infantry Degen w/Deluxe Hilt. No maker. Although unmarked, an illustration of the blade etch appears in the WKC Imperial sales catalog as etch pattern Nr. 15. Gilted brass hilt fittings show light surface wear to heavily-chiseled pommel, knuckle-bow and non-folding handguard, which features the Imperial eagle with raised “WRII” cypher on chest. Fittings retain much gilting throughout, to include the ornate pommel which features a raised silver facsimile of Kaiser Wilhelm. Dark brown, bakelite grip shows light surface wear with no cracks or chips and is complete with tight triple wire-wrap. Grip is complete with Imperial “WRII” cypher pinned to the obverse. Plated, double-etched blade measuring 30 ¼” in length grades excellent, showing light surface wear with some gray speckling but no nicks to cutting edge. Obverse blade features gilted floral panels at each end of a 9 ½” presentation panel featuring the following inscription, “Hauptmann Wolf Wölfel Seinem Freunde U.-Zahlmeister Georg Krommes. Kriegsyar 1915/1916” (Captain Wolf Wölfel to his friend and paymaster, Georg Krommes, war year 1915-1916). Reverse blade features gilted floral panels on each end of an 8 ¼” long panel featuring the following inscription, “II. Landst. Inf.-Ers. Halb.-Bat. Sondershausen.” (Sondershausen is located north of Erfurt). Spine of blade features gold filled oak leaf design, is distributor marked, “Deutscher Offizier Verein, Berlin”, and is complete with brown leather blade buffer pad. Straight, dent-free steel scabbard retains approximately 85% of its original black enamel which shows surface crazing and wear to paint, particularly, near the tip and frog of scabbard. Sword is complete with ranklist documentation from the 1914-1918 Honor ranklist of the German Army with the entry for Captain Wölfel assigned to the Landsturm Infantry battalion. Nice, presentation Imperial M89 sword which could easily be further researched. Exc+ $1,650.00 (19600)

Wow, thanks a lot Dave... even if this soldiers' medals can not be confirmed 100%, I never thought that it could be possible to find any recipient of these medals! The fact that both Meiningen's and Schwarzburg's could narrow down the research so much, it's great! Did you get this information from the Rangliste of the RFAR 46? ciao, Claudio

Pic of the back... Some of you might have already seen this bar before... :whistle:

Dear Forumites, Here a recent aquisition; I don't think that the name of the owner will be researchable, though. Description of the medals: Medaillen Preußen, Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse, 1914 (OEK 1909), E/S Preußen, Centenar-Medaille 1897 (OEK 1965) Sachsen-Meiningen, Ehrenzeichen für Verdienst im Kriege am Kämpferband 1915-1917 (OEK 2717) Br ox Reuß Ältere und Jüngere Linie gemeinsam, Fürstlich Reußisches Ehrenkreuz 1909-1918 (OEK 2001/1), Gold Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen, Fürstlich Schwarzburgisches Ehrenzeichen, Kreuz 3. Klasse mit Schwertern 1870-1918 (OEK 2785) S/Sv Deutscher Reichskriegsbund „Kyffhäuser“, Kriegsdenkmünze 1914/18 (DN 2.02.34a+b) Miniaturkette Wie oben passendes Miniaturenkettchen mit dem Frontkämpferehrenkreuz statt der Kyffhäuser Kriegdenkmünze Ciao, Claudio

last...

some more..

more pics...

No comment!

I just checked this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_Guards_Reserve_Division_(German_Empire) and apparently the 2nd Guard Reserve Division didn't have the 2nd Guard Regiment of Foot in its organigramm... aaargghh.... :banger:

Danke Sascha für Deinen Beitrag... but I have also found some interesting info on the web. Wikipedia DE http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infanterie-Regiment_%E2%80%9EGraf_B%C3%BClow_von_Dennewitz%E2%80%9C_(6._Westf%C3%A4lisches)_Nr._55 GenWiki (IR 55) http://wiki-de.genealogy.net/IR_55 Reserve- und Ersatz-Truppenteile zum 1. Weltkrieg 1. und 2. Ersatz-Bataillon Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 55, aufgestellt in Detmold (zwei Komp. des 2. Ersatz Btl. IR55 traten zum Brig.-Ers.-Btl. Nr. 26 bei der 10. Ers.-Div.). Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 55 (+MG.-Kompanie), aufgestellt in Soest (Stab, I. Btl.) und Paderborn (II. Btl). Unterstellung: 2. Garde-Res.-Div.. (Das Ersatz-Bataillon RIR55 wurde in Lippstadt aufgestellt). Could that be that the IR 55 fought along the 2. Garde Regiment zu Fuss and some of its soldiers got lipp'sche orders and medals? I exchanged some info to the Ebay seller and told me that he got the whole group on Ebay as well and that he didn't add nor took away from it... Ciao, Claudio

@ Claudius: I thought the same about the documents, that might have added, but why should have the seller on Ebay tried his luck to sell badly the documents and pictures, when he could have maximized his profit by selling them one by one? Furthermore many times on auctions I adquired stuff that came with a group which weren't even mentioned in the description. But you have a point; there's no evidence prooving that the documents and pictures are for this group... there are a couple of other documents, but no docs for the Lipp'sche decorations. About him covering an important job; that could also be, but not necessarly; maybe he was excessively proud of his awards. If the doc of the Hindenburg cross belongs to this group, then he was a mere mail man or messenger in a company (expedient in German means : Expedient Berufsbezeichnung Bedeutung: Angestellter, der die Post abfertigt Gerholz, Heinrich: Gerholz-Kartei, Eine Sammlung alter Berufsbezeichnungen, Verein für Familienforschung e.V. Lübeck, Lübeck, 2005. Ex|pe|di|ent der; -en, -en <lat.>: a) Abfertigungsbeauftragter in der Versandabteilung einer Firma; b) Angestellter in einem Reisebüro, Reisebürokaufmann. Quelle: Duden 5, Das Fremdwörterbuch. 7. Aufl. Mannheim 2001. [CD-ROM] Attachment/picture: document of the Hungarian WWI commemorative medal for combattants

Thank you all! The usual guys are always present, friendly and gentlementlike... Sometimes I expect that also the new ones or the ones that are only looking but could share a lot, post not only when they have a question pertinent to their own pieces or for research purposes, but also take part actively in this forum. @ Paul: I rather think the owner of this group is the one depicted in post # 8, for three reasons: this soldier appears in a couple of pictures (the other not), on the back of the first guy's picture (post # 7) there is a dedication to somebody and most importantly the one on post # 7 is a Feldwebel (Schlechte was only Unteroffizier). The iron cross 2nd class was bestowed on Uffz. Schlechte quite soon after the outbreak of WWI, 26th of October 1914 (see post # 20).

Thank you Christophe... for your nice words. Some time ago you asked me privately, why I don't post anymore... that's the reason! Over 120 views and no answer or comment to my thread. Same also about one thread I posted with lots of pictures of a museum I visited in Germany (U-Boot Denkmal, Laboe). ciao, Claudio

FEK Urkunde... sorry for the strange colour of the scan... it came out like this!