Claudio

His Membership's booklet of the Regiment's association.

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A very interesting document about the celebration of the 215th anniversary of the F?silier-Regiment Nr. 34! F?silier is an old denomination for Infatry or Rifleman, like in Switzerland all the infantry soldiers are "F?silier" and not "Sch?tze" or "Grenadier" or "J?ger".

His EK 2. Klasse 1914 document, quite a late date if he was really at the front since 1914! He almost risked to finish the war without getting a Bravery award!

Vizefeldwebel Schwantes' document of the Swedish Order of the Sword silver cross, dated 1909. His name is here correctly written or maybe he changed his name between 1897 - 1909 for obvious reasons...

his Urkunde for the Zentenar-Medaille as young F?silier... too bad that there isn't any date on it, but I presume that this document was issued in 1897-8... A very funny note... on this document his name is written "SCHWANZ", which in German means literelly "tail" or also "penis". His real name was "SCHWANTES". Maybe the Beamte/Schreiber (clerk) who wrote his name was a bit confused or was a joker...

Hi everybody! I am posting some nice ribbons that came in a whole group. Not bad, isn't it? Ciao, Claudio

Yes, thank you Dan for your kind reply and showing interest in this thread. You're absolutely right about the unit! Here I am posting his bar with his EK Besitzzeugnis and his Award (Auszeichnung) on double ribbon (colors of Sweden and Prussia). Ciao, Claudio

wow... over 40 people have looked into this thread, no one has even thought to write something about it. I am asking myself if I should go on and show the other interesting stuff I aquired with this bar. Too bad!!! I can't hide that I am quite disappointed! Ciao, Claudio

Dear forumites, I just came back yesterday from my "Strafexpedition" in Germany. Very nice and mild fall weather, good German food and beer... all in all a very good and relaxed trip! I was in Gunzenhausen (Militaria show in Bavaria), in Ingoldstad (bayrisches Armeemuseum... very nice!) and in M?nchen. From Gunzenhausen I got this bar with documents, therefore came with a name; it's always very nice for NCO bars, since they wouldn't be researchable. Here's the description of the medals: ? Preussen, Eisernes Kreuz 1914, 2. Klasse (OEK 1909) ? Deutsches Reich 1933-45, Ehrenkreuz f?r Frontk?mpfer (OEK 3803/1) ? Preussen, DA 2. Mod., 1. Kl. f?r den Soldatenstand, 15 Jahre (OEK 1974) ? Deutsches Reich 1933-45, Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen f?r 40 Jahre (OEK ? Preussen, Zentenar-Medaille 1897 (OEK 1965), ca. 1'233'000 Verleihungen (awarded pieces) ? Schweden, Orden des Schwertes, silbernes Kreuz A little quiz for your Imperial collectors; in which regiment has this NCO served? That should be very easy for the "alten Hasen" (veterans) on this forum. I will post more later... In the meanwhile enjoy this little-big bar! Ciao, Claudio

Hi Heiko, Gunzenhausen was fun! Not many dealers but lots of Imperial medals... not so many great bars and the few ones quite expensive, but all in all a very good show. I had also the chance to know some fellow collectors better. The all atmosphere there was much more relaxed than in Stuttgart... bayrische Gem?tlichkeit, I guess! I have spent some money there... but I will definately have a go for Thies auction, maybe I will try to get one max two good bars... The starting price for the Kaiser Wilhelm II's bar is Eur 25'000.-, it would be already about CHF 50'000.- (Swiss francs); I could buy myself a very nice BMW 3 with that money! Ciao, Claudio

Hi Heiko! Great bar!!! I remember to have seen it on Baldes' website catalogue a couple of years ago... Were you at Gunzenhausen? Ciao, Claudio

Dear forumites, I just received the medal bar... it's really very nice. The Hindenburg Cross is marked G S (Godet & Sohn) and I presume that this bar was put together by Godet or a professional Taylor or Orden & Ehrenzeichen dealer. Here's a brief biography I found on internet about the medal bar's owner (name researched by Rick Lundstr?m... many thanks! ): Ciao, Claudio Konteradmiral Otto Fricke (*29.05.1894 in Wennigsen, Hannover - ? 26.11.1966 in Heidelberg) Promotions: 03.04.1914: F?hnrich zur See 18.09.1915: Leutnant z. See 07.01.1920: Oberleutnant z. See 01.05.1925: Kapit?nleutnant 01.04.1933: Korvettenkapit?n 01.01.1937: Fregattenkapit?n 01.10.1938: Kapit?n z. See 01.09.1942: Konteradmiral Career: Entered the Navy as a Seekadett and attended Basic Training and on board the Heavy Cruiser ?Hansa? (01.04.1913-31.03.1914) Attended Naval School in M?rwik (01.04.1914-31.07.1915). On board the Light Cruiser ?Stuttgart? (01.08.1914-30.01.1915) On board the Light Cruiser ?Graudenz? ( 31.01.1915-22.11.1915) On board the Liner ?Helgoland? (23.11.1915-22.05.1917) Commandant of the Minesweeper ?M 38?, 4th Minesweeper-Flotilla (27.05.1917-15.09.1919) Watch-Officer, Flag-Lieutenant and Commandant with the 5th North-Seas-Minesweeper-Flotilla (16.09.1919-20.1919) Watch-Officer on the Cruiser ?K?nigsberg? (21.10.1919-31.05.1920) Platoon-Officer, Coastal-Defense-Regiment Wilhelmshaven (01.06.1920-25.10.1920) Company-Officer and Company-Leader, Coastal-Defence-Battalion II; at the same time, detached to the J?ger-Battalion of the 15th Infantry-Regiment (26.10.1920-03.04.1923) Adjutant and Group-Officer, Naval School M?rwick (04.04.1923-22.09.1924) Company-Leader, Ship?s-Cadre-Division of the Baltic Sea (23.09.1924-30.03.1925) Watch-Officer on the Cruiser ?Berlin? (31.03.1925-25.09.1927) Company-Leader, 3rd Naval-Artillery-Battalion (26.09.1927-02.10.1929) Watch-Officer on the Liner ?Hessen? (03.10.1929-24.09.1930) 2nd Artillery-Officer on the Liner ?Hessen? (25.09.1930-25.09.1932) Artillery-Officer on the Cruiser ?K?nigsberg? (26.09.1932-26.09.1934) Instructor and Staff-Officer with the Staff of the Ship-Artillery-School (28.09.1934-30.09.1937) Chief of Staff of the Inspection of Naval-Artillery; at the same time, with the Sudeten-District Commander of the 11th Naval-Artillery-Regiment at the West Wall (01.10.1937-30.04.1940) At the same time, Acting-Inspector of the Naval-Artillery (07.07.1938-06.08.1938) Port-Commandant Stavanger (01.05.1940-18.07.1940) Chief of Staff of the Naval-Commander Channel Coast (19.07.1940-17.04.1942) Chief of Staff of the Commanding Admiral France (18.04.1942-15.11.1942) Senior-Quartermaster in the Staff of Naval-Group-Command West (16.11.1942-31.03.1943) Inspector of Naval-Artillery (01.04.1943-22.07.1945) In Captivity (22.07.1945-19.04.1947) Released (19.04.1947)

Very nice bar, Christian... Did you notice that the Zentenarmedaille is a "Prinzengr?sse" one? I like very much all this enamaled orders after the Zentenarmedaille, especially the BMVO without swords and the AO withouth swords! Ciao, Claudio

Herr General! I saw this bar on the last two Hermann Historica's Auctions. The first time the bar wasn't sold and I am not so sure if in the next auction has been sold. From the description I think to remember that the bar came with some documents and very likely the name of the medal bar's recipient. Ciao, Claudio

Very interesting thread. Maybe Oberleutnant dR Klein knew the guy who was wearing my medal bar here below... Ciao, Claudio

Very nice Godet medal bar! I love the Godets... the ribbon are always so impeccably folded; their bars are the mercedes equivalent among all medal bars!

Very nice! Since I am an old pervert, I am going to ask you a very intimate question... could you show me her back (die Spange)? Remember what also always Rick says... the back can tell you a lot of things! Ciao, Claudio

Last one... even crappier picture! Yuk!

Some other crappy pictures (sorry there are not mine! )...

Dear forumites, I am pretty sure that this medal bar is all original. All indicates that it was worn by a KM career officer:DA 25 + 12, that exotic Chilean Order and the dark backing (Black?) on the reverse, which makes this bar so interesting! Any thoughts on this bar, although I am very sure that is everything ok with it... too bad for the heavely chipped Hanseatisches Kreuz of the free city of Bremen... also quite scarce... rarer than Hamburg but a bit more common than L?beck. The bar looks in to be in good conditions and I can't explain how could the Bremen Kreuz been so badly ruined if you compare it with the other medals. Maybe it fall on the ground! Too bad... Great is to see the tridementional condor on the top of the Chilean order (Chilean Merit Order) with its very wide wings... Is that the class for Junior officers? I think also the ribbon looks correct! I am quite sure also Rick (L.) would love to see this bar... Ciao, Claudio

Wow! That is quite a wonderful Nichtk?mpfer medal bar! That is one of the most beautiful Franco-Prussian non combattant bar I have ever seen. I am jelous... ciao, Claudio