GreyC

Hi Laurentius, thank you very much for the abbreviation and thankfully their full names. Both very helpful. So I spotted a few, and now know a few more because of you. As he has a Mecklenburg Dienstauszeichnung he will have served with Mecklenburg units during his military career, right? However, he wears the EKII first and then the other two Prussian ones. Only then the MMVK. So he seems to have been a Prussian in a Mecklenburg unit? Interesting is the OK on top. As part of a Mecklenburger Infanterie or FAR unit he was with the 17th division, the Oldenburger units were in the 19th division. They never seemed to have fought directly together but at least in 1918 were used in the same areas.The Dragoon units of both states shared the same High Cavalry Comand (No2). Maybe he was a staff-member of a higher unit and got the OK in this position. Best, GreyC

Hi, intersting bar! As I am trying to learn more about medal bars, could somebody be so kind to list the awards? My amateurish try: EKII_?_PreußischeDienstauszeichnung25Jahre_?_MecklenburgSchwerinVerdienstkreuz2Kl_?_OldenburgFAKreuz_DSWErinnerungsmedaille_DIenstauszMecklenburg? Thank you, guys! GreyC

Hi, sorry to appear nitpicking, especially because I basically agree. But I´d say "that comes out as Black on BW photos of that time" as later photos are no longer orthochromatic but panchromatic and therefore the colour red is then represented by a lighter shade of grey than black. Same with yellow.Nitpicking-mode over. Best, GreyC

Here you go:

Hi Andreas, this is as good as it gets (with regard to scan). I don´t have the original photo handy, but I was wrong with respect to the reverse which isn´t blank. His initials are H.S. he had a sister who lived in Spandau and relatives in Obergötzental. Can´t decipher from where he had written from. The photo is from 1921. I also attach the part with the city. Someting ending with ....stadt. Best, GreyC

Interesting information. Thanx! GreyC

Hi nice pix. Would not think funeral. Too little black clothing. GreyC

Nice pair. Congrats! GreyC

Interesting cards. Thank´s for posting. GreyC

Hi, thank you for the cool photo/medal display combos by Komtur, the additional photo w medal bar from ixhs and the interesting infos w regard to the Saxon and Mecklenburg medals Have a splendid New Year! GreyC

Hi Andreas, great to see these medals on a bar as "real" pieces. What is the first one called, please? Looks like the Saxon Ehrenkreuz für freiwillige Krankenpflege im Frieden? The one that I know has a red circle instead of blue, though. Is the blue one the one for wartime? Hi ixhs, thank you for your comments and your photo. We see Dr Rosenthal in a uniform of a doctor of the Red Cross. So he might have gotten the Red Cross medal for a service rendered for the Red Cross. You probably will neer know what they got it for, unless stated in the certificate for the medal. Best, GreyC

Hi Andreas, unfortunately not, nor any other information. GreyC

Hi Laurentius, thank you for your in-depth answer. I totally agree with you on the bar in question and its presumptive owner. It must have belonged either to a medical doctor of the Prussian forces that actually worked in a field-hospital or the like or some medical doctor in an Army-HQ or Divisional-HQ on the South-Eastern front. I have a special interest in the Freiwillige (Kriegs)krankenpflege of which the German Landesverbände of the Red Cross constituted the largest part. But there were also the Johanniter and Malteser and also a Jewish organisation (if I remember correctly) that belonged to this non-combatant organisation. I remember reading about the EK discussion you mentioned with great interest. I have only few photos with recipients of the non-combatant EK. I have attached two fairly rare photos from my collection. a) An officer of the Johanniter (German St. John´s) as member of the Freiwillige Kriegskrankenpflege b) a group of Freiwillige Kriegskrankenpfleger, one from the Red Cross, the rest Johanniter. Note the ribbon of the Red Cross guy (the platoon-leader / Zugführer in the middle): to me a combatant EKII for a non-combatant. In comparison the ribbons of the fellows from the Johanniter (left Gruppenführer). Clearly different but not a non-combatant EKII to me. Any ideas? GreyC

Hi Laurentius, this is not meant as a rhetorical question burt a sincere one. I wonder how often the Prussian Red Cross Medal was awarded to Prussian military officers /soldiers with combatant status, as the statut of the medal states that the medal was intended to be awarded from 1898 on to those who, in peacetime or war, had great merit in the service of sick and ailing people and for special services rendered in the service as members of the Red Cross.That, for me, points primarily to the members of the Freiwillige Krankenpflege and Freiwillige Kriegskrankenpflege (non-combatants) and not to military staff of the Prussian forces (be they medical doctors or not). There were of course also medical doctors in the service of the Red Cross and the ribbon above seems to point to a combatant, or does it? Do (any of) you have photos of Stabsärzte or the like awarded with that medal? Cheers, PS: This photo shows a "Kolonnenführer" of the Freiwillige (Kriegs)krankenpflege with the medal in question. Does not, of course, proof my point, just a nice example, I think.

Hi, the Grenadierregiment was aufgestellt am 11. Dezember 1943 in Westfrankreich für die 275. Infanterie-Division. Im Dezember 1944 bei Aachen aufgelöst. Neu aufgestellt am 21. Dezember 1944 bei Flensburg. Courtesy of Lexikon der Wehrmacht. So it is unlikely that a regimental history exists. If there is no label in the tunic with his name or at least initials are in it. You´ll have a hard time finding infos on him. GreyC

Last one: Two massgraves of the 73rds from September 1914 in the gravel quarry in front of my shelter August 1916 The Füsilier Regiment 73 from Hannover was Ernst Jünger´s unit. GreyC

Hi Tony, as always, very welcome. This is an interesting lot. It´s late, so I won´t be taking out my books, but I dare say that 1) Gardegrenadierregiment 2) seems to have been comandeered to a school (Maybe NCO school) see light striped thread on shoulder flap 3)Einjährigfreiwillige of an Infanterie Regiment with a regiment that has a monogram on its flaps 4) seem to me like Kadetten 5) Firemen, first row muscians. GreyC

Hi, first one informs addressee that they have arrived in Berlin, won´t sray there long and visit soon. 2nd from Landwehr-Infanterie-Reg. 40 is to brother. A thank-you note for a parcel. Unfortunately can´t read the 2nd part. Best, GreyC

Hi, Fieldgrey top, piping red, Besatzstreifen black, visor black if I remember correctly. GreyC

Hi, 3rd June 1917 x=Head of repairshop Helmich xx=Motorcycledriver Wohlebe of Motorcycle unit 1 (Kraftrad-Abteilung 1) Charleville-Mezieres, France Merry Xmas, GreyC

Very nice! GreyC

Hi, 1) Stop working, it´s lunchtime! 2) Female cousin to female thanks for parcel, will meet Xmas 3) Brother to sister thanks for parcel almost everything reached him unbroken. GreyC

Here is my contribution to the inter-war period. Photo taken in Northern Germany. What type is the other MG, please? GreyC

Hi, the last four are Russian before or during WW1. Of those the two on the left Cossacks (I belive). The first photo over all is Russian WW2. GreyC

Thank´s for the link. Interesting stuff. GreyC