Dave Danner

The 119th was in the Battle of the Somme, called the "Gro?e Schlacht in Frankreich" or the Kaiserschlacht in German records, from 21 March to 6 April.

Agree on the fakeness. On the Mecklenburgers, also add, among others: Brigade-Ersatz-Bataillon Nr. 34, later II./Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 362, later I/Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 273III/Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 409I/Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 432 (formed from 2.Landsturm-Infanterie-Bataillon Schwerin IX/2)III/Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 463Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 90Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 214 (except for III/RIR 214, which was from L?beck and Schleswig-Holstein)Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 76 (except for III/LIR 76)Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 386III/Landsturm-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 37 (formed from 1.Landsturm-Infanterie-Bataillon Neustrelitz IX/4Reserve-J?ger-Bataillon Nr. 14Also included are elements of other units, such as Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 187 (one of its companies came from GrenR 89), and Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 265 and Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 266, both of which were raised in the corps area that included the grand duchies, but were probably more drawn from the more densely populated Hamburg/Bremen areas and Schleswig-Holstein. Half of Reserve-Brigade-Ersatz-Bataillon Nr. 36, which later became III/Reserve-Ersatz-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 4, was drawn from RIR 90's Ersatz-Bataillon. I suspect, given the two grand duchies populations, many of these units, regular and non-regular, relied on non-Mecklenburgers more and more as the war progressed, though notionally they were sponsored or formed by Mecklenburg units.

First item on the page: 蒙古战功勋章 - měng gu zh?n gōng xūn zhāng - Mongolia outstanding military service decoration 编号 - biān h?o - serial number 状态 - zhu?ng t?i - status 价格 - ji? g? - price The entries under status don't translate very well, at least for me. A couple say "sold". 待售 either means "on hold" or "awaiting sale". The zip code in the address and the area code in the phone number in the contact page are in Deyang, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.

They have prices, so I assume they are ostensibly being sold.

Based on the divisional history, from 7 to 16 April, its division, the 119.Infanterie-Division, was in combat between Arras and Albert. From 17 to 18 April, it was in battle near Armenti?res. From 20 to 30 April, the division was in positional fighting in the Flanders and Artois region.

As noted on WAF, the number of Wilhelm-Ernst Kriegskreuz recipients in the air arms was small, 23 found in O'Connor's research. Of these, the number who were observers would narrow it further. I think, but I'm not sure, that the second ribbon is one color, and thus possibly a House Order of Vigilance or the White Falcon with Swords, Saxe-Weimar's principal order. The number of aviation recipients of both the White Falcon and the Wilhelm-Ernst Kriegskreuz is about five or so, according to a quick cross-check of the appendices to O'Connor's book. Of these, at least one had a Saxe-Ernestine House Order as well. That ribbon bar doesn't show any other Imperial awards, since #3 appears to be the Ehrenkreuz f?r Frontk?mpfer. So without access to any Luftwaffe lists, I'd say you could narrow it down to one hand's worth of names, even if you'd had an accident in shop class.

One more from the Bavarian book: Ludwig Ritter von Tutschek, awarded the Pour le Merite on December 8, 1917. He received the MMJO on 11 December 1914 (for actions on 21 September 1914) and was ennobled on February 1, 1915. He began the war as commander of Kgl. Bayerisches 15. Infanterie-Regiment K?nig Friedrich August von Sachsen. He then went on to command J?ger-Brigade Nr. 1 of the Alpenkorps. In February 1917, he took command of the 15. Kgl. Bayerische Infanterie-Division, and in September 1917, he returned to command the Alpenkorps. Note the tan line at the brow. Too much time in the Alpine sun with a helmet or field cap on.

Just as logical. So we may never know for certain.

My inclination is Bulgarian. The lack of a Centenary means he probably wasn't very senior before the war started, so an Austrian Merit Cross on the statute ribbon is less likely. A wartime award would more likely have been on the war ribbon, as on the bar haynau shows. A St. Alexander would be on its red statute ribbon, and a Bulgarian merit medal could be given to almost any rank (it came in several grades) on the red ribbon, before or during the war.

Of course, it's remotely possible that it is a Bulgarian Merit Medal or Order of St. Alexander VI. Class. Both of those went to NCOs and were worn from a ribbon substantially the same color as the red ribbon of the Signum Memoriae. Technically, I think there were differences of shade in a lot of these, but German ribbon mounters often used what stock they had.

Signum Laudis is an officer's decoration. This bar says senior/technical NCO.

An observation/clarification: #6 is red. The Milit?r-Jubil?umskreuz from 1908 was worn from a white ribbon with 5mm red stripes 3mm from each edge. The Jubil?ums-Erinnerungsmedaille f?r die bewaffnete Macht und die Gendarmerie, commonly referred to as the Signum Memoriae and issued in 1898, was the one which came on a red ribbon. Members of foreign regiments of which the Austrian Kaiser was Inhaber did not receive the Milit?r-Jubil?umskreuz, receiving instead the medal in 8th place here, the Inhaberjubil?ums-Medaille f?r Ausl?nder. The lack of a Centenary means one of two things: either he entered service just after the centennial but just before the 50th anniversary of Franz Josef, or the red ribbon represents another Austrian medal. The former is actually possible, since the Signum Memoriae was awarded in late 1898. So if he was called up that year, he might have missed out on the Centenary. That would help in figuring out which W?rttemberg long service is appropriate. Also, the lack of a W?rttemberg Milit?rverdienstmedaille makes me think the guy would have been too senior or too much "too the rear with the gear," to have gotten one of those, which was after all far more common than the W?rttemberg Verdienstkreuz. As for whether it would have been a Landwehr or regular long-service, Franz Josef was Inhaber of FR 122. Is there any reason to believe that if this guy had been a regular joe who'd done his time and gone into the Landwehr, Franz Josef would also have been considered Inhaber of LIR 122 and the men of LIR 122 would have gotten the Inhaberjubil?ums-Medaille? I don't think so. As far as I know, Landwehr regiments didn't carry that type of tradition (though in July 1917, LIR 2 was given the title of Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment K?nig Wilhelm II. Nr. 2). So likely he was someone still in FR 122 in 1908, and thus a regular NCO, not a Landwehrmann. Actually, as I think about and review notes, a Zahlmeister or Werkmeister or some other technical NCO seems likely. Lack of a Centenary means probably not enough years of service to be a Feldwebelleutnant. But I am not too knowledgeable on these higher NCO and warrant officer-type ranks. These are the ones most likely to receive the W?rttemberg Verdienstkreuz, though.

Based on the precedence, it has to be a Frackspange. A KDM outranks a Centenary, and anything on the Kriegshilfe ribbon outranks a KDM. Speculation is nice, but the likeliest scenario is still a Red Eagle 4th, Prussian Kriegshilfe, KDM and Centenary, reflecting an 1870-71 noncombatant, later decorated for long service to the state/society, who helped out the war effort in the later years of his life as well.

From the same book, Otto Ritter von Rauchenberger. Commanding General, 1. Kgl. Bayerische Infanterie-Brigade, August 1914-? Commanding General, 2. Kgl. Bayerische Infanterie-Division, May-August 1915 Commanding General, 14. Kgl. Bayerische Infanterie-Division, August 1916-May 1918 Commanding General, 6. Kgl. Bayerische Infanterie-Division, May 1918-Armistice

Just a scan from a book on the Bavarians in WW1, but on topic: Paul Ritter von Kneu?l:

Southeast Asia 45-46, assuming the list above is based off the GSM clasps, was pre-1947, so it was the British Indian Army. After 1947, they wouldn't be British. Same for others similarly situated, except of course the Gurkha regiments which continued in British Army service. For the Canadians, New Zealanders and Australians, the 1931 Statute of Westminster is probably the cut-off date. Newfoundland is an exception, since in 1934 it reverted to Crown Colony status, but in World War Two its troops were by agreement between Britain and Canada brought into Canadian service. In 1949 it joined Canada. South Africa also was a party to the Statute of Westminster; I think its status was also the same after 1931, but it might have been more or less autonomous before then. Except for the northern counties, Ireland's connection pretty much ends at 1922, even though Ireland technically stayed in the Commonwealth and was a party to the Statute of Westminster. The soldiers of 1/The King's African Rifles and 2/The King's African Rifles who served in Malaya during the Emergency would thus count as "British" in this context, as would 1/The Fiji Infantry Regiment, 1/The Northern Rhodesia Regiment, 1/The Rhodesian African Rifles, and all of the Malay Regiment battalions, the Sarawak Rangers, the 1st Singapore Regiment and other units from British colonies. But the Royal Australian Regiment, the New Zealand Regiment and other Aussie and Kiwi units wouldn't.

Another research angle, though not related to photos: Reserve-J?ger-Bataillon Nr. 20, like Reserve-J?ger-Bataillon Nr. 7, was raised in B?ckeburg by J?ger-Bataillon Nr. 7, the "B?ckeburg J?gers". B?ckeburg was the capital of the Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe. So with that connection it is possible that Maj. Friederici also received a Schaumburg-Lippe award like the Kreuz f?r treue Dienste. The award rolls exist in the Nieders?chsisches Staatsarchiv B?ckeburg. I don't know if they've been republished by Autengruber or other researchers.

4 November is seven days before 11 November, so it was literally in the week before the final week, just to be technical. He was already in IR 68, as commander of 8.Kp./IR 68 when the war began, so when was he adjutant of IR 98? Did he go there and come back? The Pour le merite website has his name misspelled as Friderici, perhaps confusing him with the various Prussian officers by that name. It is possible other sources might also have that misspelling. Reserve-J?ger-Bataillon Nr. 20 has a unit history which might have pics, but I imagine it is rather hard to find.

#2 is the Merit Cross with Swords (Verdienstkreuz mit Schwertern) from the Kingdom of W?rttemberg. #4 is a W?rttemberg long service medal. F?silier-Regiment Kaiser Franz Josef von ?sterreich, K?nig von Ungarn, (4. W?rttembergisches) Nr. 122 had the Austrian Kaiser as colonel-in-chief. EDIT: could be the Merit Cross without Swords, since there's no swords device on the ribbon bar.

Lance corporals are not NCOs in the US Marine Corps. They are NCOs in the British Army. I guess it depends on the military. I suppose we use what we use because Gefreiter doesn't literally translate into English. It derives from gefreyter Knecht in medieval German armies. Since Gefreiten are senior to privates but below corporals and sergeants, lance corporal is a common and convenient, if not wholly accurate translation. The wikipedia article on Gefreiter, by the way, recommends against translating Gefreiter as lance corporal, because of the NCO/private issue.

Which might lend more credence to it being a civilian RAO/KO combo? With the ZLO earned as a Lt. or Lt.-equivalent in some rear capacity (the lack of an EK makes me think he wasn't someone called up and given command of a platoon)? Brian, thanks.

It looks gold to me too, though my eyes are a year older as of Monday. The only issue I have with ID'ing it as a major off the retired list is the lack of a long service and a Centenary Medal. And, if a Badener, a Bronze 1902 Jubilee Medal. But perhaps the wearer eschewed "mere" service and commemoratives. My inclination, though mere guess, was that the RAO and KO might be civilian long and faithful service awards, and the person was acting in some sort of wartime capacity that was major-equivalent in earning the ZLO with swords. That might explain the lack of a military DA and Centenary.

No, logically, there isn't much of anything "lower" than the Bulgarian Civil Merit Order. Any German awards lower than an order, such as coronation, jubilee, marriage or service medals, would rank higher than any foreign awards, no matter what grade the foreign award is. So the only things that might appear on a secong row might be a bunch more foreign orders, and there is no reason for that to be the case. And even if the guy had a bunch more foreign orders, they would also likely be commander 1st class or grand cross level awards which don't normally show up on ribbon bars. Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria were among the few whose higher grade awards show up as miniature devices on ribbon bars like this. The guy probably had, as mentioned, other Bavarian orders of higher grade, and also likely other German state orders of higher grade, but these also wouldn't show up on a ribbon bar. Bavaria also, unlike other states, didn't have any prewar weddings or jubilees such that everyone close to the royal court had a commemorative to make it easier to identify those who attended or served.

A military recipient with foreign orders that high would have had enough time in service to have a long service cross and the 1905 Jubilee Medal for the Bavarian Army. And given the grades of those orders, a lot of other stuff. Also, the Bulgarian order is a civil order; it could be given to military personnel, but not usually, and those military personnel who had it usually also had another Bulgarian order more commonly seen among soldiers. The Franz Josef was more commonly seen, but even that was also, like the Red Eagle, as much a civil as a military order. I don't know much about nobility, but given the rather high grades of the Austrian and Bulgarian orders, it wouldn't surprise me. It's the Iron Cross on the white/black ribbon that throws me. I am trying to imagine what circumstances might lead someone, say a Bavarian baron running a charitable organization or something, to get an MVO before the war and the K?nig-Ludwig-Kreuz during the war for war services, and whatever else doesn't show up on the bar, plus the higher orders from the two German allies. And then get him an Iron Cross on the ribbon you see most typically for medical personnel at the front, but maybe Rick L. has a better perspective on other circumstances. Or maybe there are other ribbons and I have the ID wrong.

My guess is it was to a Bavarian in some sort of civil capacity whose other awards - maybe Order of St. Michael, Civil Merit Order of the Bavarian Crown, etc. - were higher grades so not on the ribbon bar.