Claudio

Extrait from the wasp...

Photo group with fellow comrades....

Photo of the original owner of the medal bar...

Detail of the MC's reverse...

Dear forumites, Usually I am known for collecting German medal bars (Imperial and third Reich), but I couldn't resist the temptation to add to my modest collection this very interesting medal bar of Major and Quarter-Master F.H. Osborne. • Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse privately engraved, ‘Presented by H.M. King George V at Buckingham Palace, Dec. 9th 1916 to R.Q.M.S. F. H. Osborne, The Bedfordshire Regiment’; • Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1902 (6887 Pte. F. Osborne, Bedford Regt.); • 1914 Star, with clasp (6887 C.Q.M. Sjt. F. Osborne, 2/Bedf. R.); • British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oakleaf (6887 W.O. Cl. II F. Osborne, Bedf. R.); • Defence Medal 1939-45; • War Medal 1939-45; • Jubilee Medal 1935; • Coronation Medal 1937, privately engraved, ‘Maj. & Qr. Mr. F. H. Osborne, Bedfs. & Herts. R.’; • Army L.S. & G.C. Medal, G.V.R. (6887 R.Q.M. Sjt. F. Osborne, M.C., Bedf. R.) Claudio

Hi Paul, Yes, I saw it too!!! Auszeichnungen des GFM Walter Model (see Wikipedia: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Model ) Eisernes Kreuz (1914) II. Klasse am 20. September 1914 Bayerischer Militärverdienstorden IV. Klasse mit Schwertern am 29. März 1915 Eisernes Kreuz (1914) I. Klasse am 19. Oktober 1915 Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern am 26. Februar 1917 Mecklenburgisches Militärverdienstkreuz II. Klasse am 22. November 1917 Österreichisches Militärverdienstkreuz III. Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration am 22. November 1917 Türkischer Eiserner Halbmond am 22. November 1917 Verwundetenabzeichen (1918) in Schwarz am 27. August 1918 Spanienkreuz am 31. Mai 1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz II. Klasse am 22. September 1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz I. Klasse am 2. Oktober 1939 Panzerkampfabzeichen in Silber am 29. August 1941 Verwundetenabzeichen (1939) in Gold am 25. Mai 1942 Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 am 15. Juli 1942 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten Ritterkreuz am 9. Juli 1941 Eichenlaub am 17. Februar 1942 (74. Verleihung) Schwerter am 2. April 1943 (28. Verleihung) Brillanten am 17. August 1944 (17. Verleihung) Nennung im Wehrmachtsbericht am 21. Februar 1942; 3. September 1943; 5. August 1944; 19. April 1945

Nice bar Paul! It was nice to see it in flesh and personally... The MVO4x looks like a Jakob Leser with center Gold medallion (L)... Do you have the awards date, like for instance for the MVO4x? It would be nice to see if it was an early WWI awarded MVO... ;-) Now what you need is to find the photograph of Model wearing this bar... that might be a bit tougher! Good luck! Ciao, Claudio

Thank you Rick! I knew that I could rely on your elephant like memory or cobra-like sense of observation... ;-)

Dear forumites, I'd like to show here a picture which came together with a group of documents I purchased lately. The German General on the left is quite easely to be identified; it's GFM Georg von Küchler (see also http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_von_K%C3%BCchler ). The second one on the right, it's a bit tougher to indentify but I think to have a name for him: Generaloberst Alfred Keller (see http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.de/Luftwaffe/K/Keller-Alfred.htm ). Do you agree with me? I am just double checking... ;-) Thanks for your kind replies or comments. Ciao, Claudio

Dear forumites, Herewith I am showing a picture which came with a group of documents I recently acquired. I guess that for some members here, it would be quite easy to identify this General. Thank you very much in advance for your most appreciated assistance. Ciao, Claudio

I saw this bar personally and was quite impressed... Great acquisition Mike... way to go! ciao, Claudio

Back...

No luck in Gunzenhausen... but at least I got these two ribbon bars... another small wonder and another re-unification of some pieces of the same officer (not cheap). Note the shape of the Wiederholungsspange, it's a first 1st class!!! :whistle:

Thanks Christophe! Interesting... I thought that much less LKr were actually awarded, considering the size of the "Fürstentum", about 150'000 inhabitants in 1910 (see http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lippe_(Land) ). But of course many of these crosses were awarded to "Foreigners" (Prussians, etc.). Ciao, Claudio

Hi Tom! Grear Godet medal bar you found! Congrats! When I first saw it here, I also thought that the research on the original owner of the bar could be quite difficult, also considering that he was a re-called old reserve officer. I particularly like the combination of the SEHO and the LKr... just Great!!! Somebody has the numbers of how many LKr were awarded in WWI? They must not have been many.... Ciao, Claudio

Very interesting additions, Mopsi, thanks! Here I found some interesting links regarding the Northumberland Fusiliers: http://www.1914-1918.net/northfus.htm http://www.1914-1918.net/northfus.htm You can compare with Thord-Gray's service status with the Northumberland Fusiliers: 1914-10-28 Major 3rd Bn Northumberland Fusiliers (NF) 1914-11 Major 2/C 15th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers (NF) 1915-05-01 Major CO 15th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers (NF) 1915-06-18 Lieutenant-Colonel CO 11th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers (NF) Ciao, Claudio

@ Mopsi: Thanks for your great additions! What an eventful and exciting military life and career had Mr. Thord-Gray... Ciao, Claudio

Hi Jeff, Actually I can't contribute so much in this thread, since Elmar already translated very accurately all the data you have mentioned. I can add a couple of interesting websites, but are unfortunately (for you) in Italian: http://www.collezioni-f.it/museo/crimea/crimea.html Here an interesting link explaining the difference and origin of ranks name... evidently BASSo (basso meaning low) refers to a low rank (or Enlisted Man): http://www.vecio.it/cms/node/439 I am afraid I don't have a lot more to add... Ciao, Claudio

Hi Paul, Strange on the 2 GzF ribbon bar is that piece of backing being cut out and than sewn back.... are there any traces of ribbons' replacements??? Despite that I like the bar, but I would really check everything also with the UV-light... Ciao, Claudio

:love: Nice braunschweig'sche officer of the reserve bar!!! I like it... ;)

Interesting bar! The last order looks like the Japanese order of the Golden Kite.... but I might be wrong! ciao, Claudio

Whoops... I see now! I was to much excited about that I guess... but still I would like to know how much would fetch nowaday a RAO3SchleifemitXamRing... any era! :speechless1:

...and last but not least the document for the Long Service cross for 25 years (DA für 25 Dienstjahre, Offiziere)...

The document for the Kronen-Orden 2. Klasse... ;)

The less exciting but still very nice document for the Kronen-Orden 3. Klasse...