Komtur

The name is engraved as part of the inscription of the last decoration. This memory cross is fixed so strongly, that it is impossible to take a picture of the reverse side.

Wilkens got the Colombian decoration for his services in connection with transfering two flying boats of the Dornier Do J type (civil version) from Europe to America. The memory cross on the last position of the bar shows the route of the Central America flight of the Dornier ATLANTICO and PACIFICO in August 1925. On the picture with this two flying boats before starting for this flight Wilkens is to be seen as a member of the crew.

With great input of Andreas ? the mystery of the last decoration could be solved:

Thank you very much! Just now a collector friend found a citation of the Colombian award to Hans Wilkens. The content of the article would be of great interest to me:

Could someone please help to translate the inscription on the reverse side of the last decoration of this medal bar? Thanks in advance, Komtur.

Medalbar with: 1. Iron Cross 2nd class 1914 2. Bremen Hanseatic Cross 3. German Honour Cross of the World War (for front-line veterans) 4. Colombia Centennial Cross of Boyaca (1922-1928) 5. Inofficial Colombian Cross with a inscription on the reverse side: A / HANS WILKENS / CONTADOR DE LA EXPE= / DICION AEREA INTER= / AMERICANA AL INICIARSE / TE SERVICIO DE COLOMBRIA. / SEPTIEMBRE 1925. / EL CONCEJO MUNICIPAL DE B. QUILLA / A. LOMBARDI Is there a Hans Wilkens to be found in the Bremen Hanseatic Cross rolls? Thanks in advance, Komtur.

He got the officer cross in 1917.

... and here is his medal bar:

This medal was my first thought. But looking at his career in Hildebrand/Henriots Deutsche Admirale, I was wondering, how he was able to receive it.

I think so.

See here.

5 + 21 Stern vom Ehrengroßkomturkreuz des Großherzoglich Oldenburgischen Haus- und Verdienstordens des Herzogs Peter Friedrich Ludwig. Only a few stars are to be worn on tht right site, the Oldenburg Ehrengroßkomturkreuz star is one of them. 11 + 24 Stern vom Großkreuz des k.u.k. Österreichischen Franz-Joseph-Ordens 8 Stern of the Roter Adler-Orden 2. Klasse mit Eichenlaub und Krone ??? The crown belongs to the crosses, the star is always without a crown.

He was at least 2 weeks in military service, but didn´t leave Germany.

It is the official medal-ribbon combination (Kriegs-Denkmünze von Stahl am Combattanten-Bande) for stay at home service of military personnel.

Couldn´t the ribbon represent a Militärsanitätsorden too?

Thank you, that is always of interest and seems in the frame of timerange of that delay I noticed until now.

Königlich Preußische Ordensliste 1905, Siebenter Nachtrag Some years ago I wrote an article about the post war awards of the Hausorden von Hohenzollern by the Ex-Kaiser. I found most of the informations about these Doorn Awards here.

Announcement in the Königlich Preußischer Staatsanzeiger for Fürstlich Reußisches Ehrenkreuz 3. Klasse: 20. Juli 1903 Ehrenkreuz 4. Klasse des Fürstlich Schaumburg-Lippischen Hausordens: 3. Januar 1908 But there is always an delay between the award dates and these announcements in the Prussian periodical gazette of some weeks or sometimes some month!

May be of interest too: Komturkreuz des Hausordens von Hohenzollern 27. Januar 1928

29. Mai 1911

I am afraid not. Prussian Court and State 1918:

Sorry for missing your answer and efforts ?. I know well, how long such research could last. Indeed Kühne is shown in the Ranklist 1841 as Captain with Iron Cross 2nd class and Officers Long Service Cross. But then I checked Major a. D. Kühne in the Königlich Preußische Ordensliste 1862 and found there additionally a Red Eagle Order 4th class given to him in 1842. So unfortunately on the portrait made in Halle/S. it seems not to be him. Kind regards, Komtur.

I am quite sure that means, what I tried to make clear by a sketch.

Thanks a lot! These are interesting news. I was aware of the Coburg origin of Ferdinand, called nasa magna by the Kaiser. I just finished reading a biographie of him. There is another connection of Czar Ferdinand to a medal group I own. To this group belongs a 2nd class of the Bulgarian Order of Civil Merit. The decoration was given to Dr. Carl Paira, who was director of the hospital Lahmannsches Sanatorium near Dresden, where the second wife of Ferdinand Eleonore, born princess of Reuß zu Köstritz, stayed some weeks before she died.

I started a topic in another section, but because of the connection to German decorations I linked it to this part of the GMIC too.