Claudio

Hi everybody,

Here's a medal bar with the FAK2 (sounds bad, I know...) and clasp "vor dem Feinde". I must say that the condition of this bar is mint!

Medals' description:

? Preussen, Eisernes Kreuz 1914, 2. Klasse (OEK 1909)

? Oldenburg, Friedrich August Kreuz 2. Klasse mit Spange ?vor dem Feind? (OEK 1563)

? III. Reich, Frontk?mpferehrenkreuz (OEK 3803/1)

? Oldenburg, Haus- und Verdienstorden von Herzog Peter Friedrich Ludwig, Ritterkreuz 2. Klasse (OEK 1523)

? III. Reich, WH-Dienstauszeichnung f?r 25 Jahre, Kreuz (OEK 3852)

? III. Reich, WH-Dienstauszeichnung f?r 12 Jahre, Medaille (OEK 3854)

? Italien, Erinnerungsmedaille des Erdbebens in Messina 1908

Wearer's description:

Biographical data of Kapit?ns zur See (E), Gerhard Meyer:

Born on 03.01.1889, entered Navy on 01.04.1908. As Seekadett, he was onboard SMS Victoria Louise in the Messina relief campaign. Leutnant 27.09.1911 J5i, Oberleutnant 19.09.1914, Kapit?n-Leutnant 18.8.1918 and was an officer on the SMS Pillau in WW1. He commanded the "Friedrich August Batterie" of XII. Matrosen-Artillerie Abteilung until November 1918 and then as a Watch and the Gunnery Officer on S.M.S. "Pillau" for the rest of the war.He advanced to Korvettenkapit?n 01.04.1927 in the Reichsmarine, Fregattenkapit?n 01.10.1932. His final grade was charakterisiert Kapit?n zur See (E) 30.9.34, in which he was "active" in 1937 on the staff of the Reichs War Ministry, Naval High Command, Abteilung f?r Artillerieentwicklung und Konstruktion ("M Wa I") of the Marinewaffenamt. The pre-war 1939 M.O.V. Directory shows him as "zD" but still there, with his office phone number. He went z.D. in 1940. In 1960 he was living with his wife Marie Luise (born 8.6.1XXX) at Breitestrasse 13, Berlin-Steglitz, and was a sales representative of the "CDH" bedding company of Bochum, specializing in quilts, mattresses and so on. By 1963 he had re-retired from that job, and was living at 15 Hortenstrasse 20B, Berlin 15. Kapit?n zur See au?er Dienst Gerhard Meyer died 17 August 1980.

Hi Stogie,

If you want you can move the thread. However the medal bar is not phisically with me... so I post some largers scans I had on file.

Ciao,

Claudio

Stogie,

I was looking at yours with interest... but I need one without the case!

Ciao,

Claudio

Well in German Inhaber means Owner. Logically thinking if your an owner of a regiment, that regiment receives your name because you own it. Chef is the commander of the unit. One Senior General/GFM or member of the Royal family could have been made commander as honoray title, but still is not the owner of the regiment and the regiment doesn't bear his name.

These are all assumptions of mine... are they correct?

Ciao,

Claudio

No takers for this spectacular medal bar? Strange... These are not going to get any cheaper in the future, that's for sure. It isn't cheap, but still not out of everybody's reach.

Ciao,

Claudio

Like this maybe?

Hi Chris,

this is all about collecting Militaria: to see beyond the sheer material value of collectible. To find the real stories, put faces to the medals and be able to bring to life forgotten tragic and dramatic soldiers' destinies.

Thank you for having told your story!

Ciao,

Claudio

@ Mark: Here's a picture taken from the book on Imperial Headgear "Deutsche Offiziershelme aus der Kaiserzeit 1870-1918, Band 1, Joachim Hilsenbeck, Steinach Verlag" (page # 162) of Major Theodor Seible, wearing his medal bar with a KDM 1870-71 (3 clasps) without an Iron Cross 2nd class 1870, with WK3 and WF3a clearly without swords... so I guess my medal bar combination is possible. Maybe the wearer of my bar and Major Seible knew each other, because I strongly believe they had almost the same age and same rank.

Ciao,

Claudio

To make even more interesting I am posting another Spange with the AO, researched by Rick who found the recipient of these medals:

? Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (OEK 1909)

? Kriegverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse ohne Schwertern (OEK 3836)

? Sachsen-K?nigreich, RK St. Heinrich-Orden (OEK 2088)

? Sachsen-K?nigreich, Zivildienstorden RK 2. Klasse mit Schwertern (OEK 2155)

? Sachsen-K?nigreich, Albrechtsorden 2. Kl. mit Schwertern (OEK 2212)

? S?chsiche Herzogt?mer ab 1826, RK 2. Klasse mit Schwertern (OEK 2478)

? Ehrenkreuz f?r Frontk?mpfer (OEK 3803)

? ?sterreich, 1. WK Erinnerungsmedaille

? Luftschutz-Ehrenzeichen, 2. Stufe (OEK 3509)

? Deutsches Schutzwall-Ehrenzeichen, 1939 (OEK 3520)

? Ungarn, 1. WK Erinnerungsmedaille

Adalbert Flaccus

born 24 December 1880 in Alterwald, Rheinprovinz. Also in Saxon J?ger Bataillon 12 (last KNOWN rank Lt dR 23.1.09 W), civil occupation Diplom Ingenieur (hmmmm, that Westwall.....)

StHO 29.4.17 as Oberlt dR and a company commander in JB 12 on the Macedonian front

SV3bX 24.12.16 (a nice birthday present!) as Oberlt dR in JB12

SA3bX 19.10.15 as Lt dR in JB 12

SEHO-R2X 20.5.16 as Oberlt dR in JB 12.

Ciao,

Claudio

Not so easy, Claudio. Detlev did not know what it was.

Hi Les,

I meant easy since somebody (you?) did already the research on this group and I was lucky enough to have seen the same the pics of Detlev's sale. After Detlev knew whose bar was, I guess he speculated on that to make some extra bucks... That's good for him, since he's making his living out of it; he's after all a dealer! As from a collector point of view, it would have been better or nicer if the previous owner had sold this group straight to a collector (like me for instance )... for less!

I won't forget easely such a group, also in ten years or more... don't worry!

I have got now quite a nice archive of images of nice medal bars... named and unnamed once!

Take it easy,

Claudio

That's an easy one; Niemann just sold his medal bar a couple of weeks ago.

It's Hauptmann Erich Linnarz, commander of the Zeppelin LZ-38, who went on the first air-raid on London. His group has been already discussed on this very forum (see thread http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=7005&hl=linnarz ).

Ciao,

Claudio

Wouldn't the Bundesverdienst Orden come before all Iron Crosses, or did it vary by specific classes?

What that '57 group says to me is:

Mountain troops. The Bulgarian award goes nicely with Crete (see period photos of Julius Ringel etc etc, having come down through Greece earlier in '41), and the Finnish one... XX. Gebirgsarmee. The classes of awards are consistent with a wartime Lieutenant, though I don't know what the last ribbon is. ???

Hi Rick,

The last ribbon is for the "Auszeichnung des 4-Tage Marsches von Nimwegen (Niederlande)" (see link of our friend and collector Jens http://www.rkwetterau.de/html/hauptteil_ausland_oez.html )

Ciao,

Claudio

It would be interesting to see the back.

What I find a bit strange (I'm being a bit anal... I know! ) is the fact that the RAO is worn with the ring out, showing, instead of the other two orders with their rings nicely tucked in and covered with their ribbons. As you can see the RAO has been more worn than the other to medals (medallion quite damaged). Maybe the wearer displayed on his breast only that order or was wearing it also without the other two medals.

I remember Siebentritt's auction... it was quite an epic one!!! With the most magnificent Colonial medal bars and groups.

Here below I just show you an highlight of this auction... I didn't scan the page dedicated to the Zanzibar orders. If I remember well, most of the them didn't sell immediately during the auction, maybe because many collectors did find it too exotical or just didn't know about this order.

Ciao,

Claudio

Thank you for your kind words.

The fact that Rick says that one day someone could find the legitimate owner of this medal bar makes it, at least to me, very interesting... I am tempted to keep it!

Ciao,

Claudio

reverse

For sale, here's the description of the medals:

1) Preussen, Eisernes Kreuz 1914, 2.Klasse (OEK 1909).

2) Deutsches Reich 1870-1918, Kriegsdenkm?nze 1870/71 f?r K?mpfer mit den vier Gefechtsspangen W?rth, Sedan, Villiers und Paris (OEK 1941/4/10/13/24)

3) W?rttemberg, Milit?r-Verdienstorden, Ritterkreuz 1914-1918, Chiffre "WR", Gold, (OEK 2967)

4) W?rttemberg, Wilhelmskreuz mit Schwertern (OEK 3078)

5) Deutsches Reich 1933-45, Frontk?mpferehrenkreuz (OEK 3803)

6) W?rttemberg, Orden der W?rttembergischen Krone, Ritterkreuz, Gold (OEK 2938)

7) W?rttemberg, Friedrichs-Orden, Ritterkreuz 1.Klasse, Gold (OEK 2980)

8) W?rttemberg, Dienstehrenzeichen 1.Klasse, Kreuz f?r 25 Dienstjahre, 1891-1921 (OEK 3089)

9) W?rttemberg, Silberne Erinnerungsmedaille zum 25j?hrigen Regierungsjubil?um K?nig Karls, 1889 (OEK 3014)

10) Preussen, Centenar-Medaille 1897 (OEK 1965)

Eur 3'600.- / USD 4'400.- + Shipping (worldwide at cost)

Bank transfer only.

Ciao,

Claudio

... also Herr Oberst von Stockhausen had an "Ehrenkreuz" or "Honor Cross" (also called Offizier-Steckkreuz)...

Hi Dan,

When I bought mine it was in 2002 from Zeige's Auction and I paid around 730.- Euro with case including the commissions.

I totally agree; prices of such pieces are dramatically increasing. I remember also that years ago some of these orders didn't sell good, like the RK with Krone of this order, but lately they are fetching quite high prices. I know a German collector from a forum on the net in Germany he's has quite a beautiful collection of Mecklenburg medals (see thread: http://www.militaria-fundforum.de/thread.php?threadid=22043 ).

My Steckkreuz came with a note of the auctioneer:

Die Firma Godet bekam nach der Einf?hrung des Greifen-Orden im Grossherzogstum Mecklenburg-Strelitz sehr bald das alleinige Privileg als Hofjuwelier. W?hrend im Grossherzogstum Schwerin das Ehrenkreuz in gr?sserer St?ckzahl zur Verleihung kam, wurden nach Strelitz lediglich 55 Examplare geliefert, wobei auf die Firma Godet 40 Exemplare entfallen.

translation: The Godet company received quite immediately after the foundation of the Order of the Griffin the privilege to be the only Court Juweler in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Because the fact that the Grand Duchy of Schwerin awarded more Honor Crosses of this order (also because this order was the primary order of the Grand Duchy of Schwerin), only 55 pieces were delivered to the Grand Duchy of Strelitz, of which 40 were produced by Godet. (hopefully the translation is correct...)

I don't know if somebody can have some documents to proof this statement... interesting nonetheless!

Ciao,

Claudio

Hi Andreas,

Beautiful orders you have! It seems that you have all the most exotic or rarest classes with swords of these orders... very impressive!

The problem for me is that I should first see such babies personally and touch them with my hands, like you, in order to have an idea about the quality, construction types, period of manufacture and different makers' variants.

If I was in Germany, I would go regurlarly on Auction houses just to see and compare the quality of these orders.

At Thies auction in December last year I was impressed about the high quality of some orders. Such craftmanship is nowadays inimaginable, since there are no longer juweller who would make an effort to make such highly complicated designs combined with precious metals, enamal and hand-painting. It would not be commercially feasable. That's why nowadays orders, also German State orders, they look quite crappy if I can say so! During this auction I saw a Gold Komturkreuz of the Oldenburg House order. It was such a jewel! Very light and very delicate design... a dream! If you can hold one of this real orders in your hand, you can't be fooled so easely with cheap repros. But you have to see them with your own eyes! Not always pictures on internet can be as good as having such an order in your bare hands and inspect it carefully.

Thank you Andreas for letting us see such beauties! Really remarkable...

Ciao,

Claudio

Hi Dan!

Everything looks good about your Steckkreuz! Constuction of the needle system on the bag, details of the Griffin (medallion), type of enamel, etc.

I have one (cased "Godet") for your comparison.

Ciao,

Claudio

and here one without swords, but 1st model, with a more pieces medallion construction.

My brother's Verdienstkreuz of the AO mit Schwertern am Einzelbandspange:

Yes, Andreas, it has a "R" under the lower arm of the cross like the one on Wolff's bar, too.

Ciao,

Claudio

and reverse...

This is my "solo" AO RK 1. Kl. m.X... obverse: