BlackcowboyBS

Hi Cartaphilus, à la suite means, that you have the titel and the right to wear the uniform but do not have any real commanding power, it is a honorous title.

Hi Christophe, yes I know. The knightscross 2nd class with swords under the cross have been awarded 75 times. That's all, but the knights cross 2nd class with swords through the middle is even much more rarer, there have been just 5 awards of that one.

How about this beauty? Hope you like it!

In a nice hotel close to the airport of Munich there is a nice painting which showa Franz Dettenhofer, the former owner of this hotel. In the German French War of 1870 / 71 he recieved the iron cross the silver and the golden military merit medal of the kingdom of Bavaria. I love the fact, that the painter had put so much effort in the details of the medails, isn't it amazing. That the owner of this hotel still kept this painting on the wall is even better, not quite usual in Germany these days. Franz Dettenhofer was famous for the liberation and rescue of some bavarian row and capturing of their french guards on the 7th. of december 1870. He got his silver medal on 1st of september 1870 and his golden medal on 11th. of october 1870. So he was a brave nco before he was a hotel director and owner of that hotel.

Hey Aardvarkblue, I have never seen that before, but I am pretty sure, that this is no official medal from any German state. If it is from some regiment or so, it is for sure not from the imperial era, due to any missing crown. Might be helpfull if you could tell us more on the ribbon, it seems to be black, but is it pure black?

The idea for a badge for the veterans of the Deutsche Bundeswehr was born in 2013 but not brought to life before on 26.th of November 2018 the definition veteran and who could get this badge was published. Any veteran who served in the Deutsche Bundeswehr could apply for this badge and then would get a letter with the badge after some time. I like the design, but to my likings it could have been bigger, I think the prince size of an iron cross would have been wonderfull. But here it is, mine arrived today.

well normaly the line over a n indicates an u, but this time you are right!

Dear gentleman, this photo shows the granddad of my wife. He was working at customs from 1936 on and was stationed on the German-Polish border in 1939, after France was occupied he was staioned on the spanish french border, where he got wounded. He earned his iron cross 2nd class on the 8.th of September 1939! pretty early, but my mother in law doesn't know why. To her knowledge he was always serving at customs and border controll. But what about his cap, that he is wearing in this photo, can anybody say something about that? Many people are stonished to see this cap. Thanks for your coments.

I read: Liebe Sabrina: Habe ich doch noch das k... mit meinem ... Gefühl ? ... Ich glaube ich muss da noch ein bisschen enträtseln, aber hat Utgardloki gut übersetzt

Gentlemen, during my studies on the Napoleonic Wars in Spain, I found a short notice that the british parliament endowed a golden medal for merit for the conquest of the city of Salmanca in 1812. The medal was out of pure gold, had a diameter from 5 cm. On the avers side the sitting Britannia is shown with a leaf of laurels. The revers side should show the inscription: Salamanca. The medal was awarded only to the higher comanders who lead the allied troops in this battle. The medal was worn around the neck. This is all, what I found, does anybody has a photo or more information on this special medal? It is not the normal medal with the clasp Salamanca! Thanks in advance.

well my spanish has gotten a little bit rosty, but I would translate it into the following: (Dem) Buchhalter der interamerikanischen Luftexpedition zu Beginn (des) Colombria-Dienstes (im) September 1925. Der Gemeinderat von B. Quila A. Lombardi

A nice bar, I am allways fascinated about the history which stands behind these bars! This makes our hobby so much more fun, at least for me.

I searched for any article here on the life saving medal from the duchy of Brunswick, but didn't found any post. Well for me this is one of the most beautyfull medals that is. First of all it is awarded for the most noble cause, for saving a life of an other human being. The medal was founded on 25th of april 1836 by Duke Wilhelm on his 30. birthday. (many orders or decorations are founded / and or awarded on the birthdays of duke Wilhelm) Total there are 129 awards in the history of the Duchy of Brunswick, last one was in August 1918 to a soldier. The recipients started from being 16 years old, no awards given to any females. Funny thing is, that this decoration could have been awarded for rescuing the goods and property of strangers. So if a house burned and one guy saved the belongings of another guy, he might have the chance to get this medal. As far as I am aware this was never the case. Nearly every award was given to people who saved other people from drowning. Every story of these 129 decorations would be worth telling, maybe someday there will be a book on this topic. The medal shown here once belonged to my collection, I sold it 26 years ago and still regret it. Here you see the backside of that medal on a single medal bar. Funny thing is, that on most every medal bar, where you can find the life saving medal, this medal is mounted with the back side to be seen. Showing the Nike - the Greek Goddess of victory - holding a twig of a palm in her hand and stepping on a orge from the see or a lindworm. Here is the front side of the life saving medal, showing the W for Wilhelm on crowned plate and surrounded by flags and two lions. The date of the foundation is shown in latin capitels. The medal is made of silver and at least four jewellers produced them during the history of the duchy of Brunswick. I really think that collecting life saving medals would be a nice collection. So enjoy this beautyfull medal shown here.

Hi CRBeery, in case of Brunswick I can explain that. They had their own long service medals until 1886. In 1886 the troops of Brunswick joined the command structure of Prussia, because Brunswick joined the prussian military convention. After 1886 even soliers from the duchy of Brunswick got prussian long services. So if a NCO got an services award for 15 year in 1882 he got the one from Brunswick and he could get the next level from Prussia. Normally they should give their old decorations or lower level back, when they recieved their newer and higher one. But some cases are known, where these people wore both decorations, even if this was against the official rules. Maybe these people just put their medal bar together after they left the army and put their old decorations also on that bar to show that they have served in Brunswick and not in Prussia. The only German state who never joined the military convention with Prussia was the Kingdom of Bavaria, as far as I know. So what I explain above could also happen to people from other german states. But you are right, this was not the normal way and strictly gainst the rules.

Alfred Meyer-Waldeck got the comanders cross 2nd class of the Order Henry the Lion 1910 during a world tour of Herzogregent Johann Albrecht, while he was visiting Qingdao (Tsingtau for us Germans). Truppel got the cross 1st class on the same trip from the duke regent. While some local people got awards from the duke regent in Bangkok, Tokio and Russia, no local chinese got any decorations from Brunswick on this world tour. But down to the honor medals and merit crosses nearly all classes of the order of Henry the Lion were awarded in Tsingtau to Germans.