JensF.

Thats very interesting!

http://www.polzy.de/html/orden.php?spangen=1

And No. 3:

No. 2:

Verdun in (real) color:

My most interesting smoking item. The remains of a Batschari cigarette box from hill 304 near Verdun...

These are some of a few real color photographs. They are not re-colored.

It is WW1. Which regiment is scratched into it?

WOW! That was a REAL bargain!

Rick, for which award is that colorful last ribbon? The Merit Medal from Jamaica?

Back:

Tom, I think your EK is the type with the two-piece tin core. I have its "twin brother" on this medal bar. Compare the crowns:

WOW! I always thought the document for the Bravery Medal from Hessen was the most beautiful one. But this one...

So this would be the same cross (with swords)?

There is still the possibility that this guy began the war as NCO (Feldhilfsarzt for example) and got the MVK 2. Later as officer he became the MilSanOrder. Btw. these are the award numbers for the MSO:

Milit?r-Sanit?tsorden 1. Klasse (neck ribbon): 11

Milit?r-Sanit?tsorden 2. Klasse (breast ribbon): 163

If you read some stories how someone got these orders you wonder even more, that nobody recognizes them. However the price is, this time, nearly ok for such an ultrare imperial decoration.

Here is an example from a Regimentsgeschichte. A doctor who got BOTH classes of that rare order:

Stabsarzt Dr. Hermann Ott, K?niglich-bayerisches 12. Infanterieregiment:

Stabs- und Battaillonsarzt des III. Btl. KB 12 IR "Prinz Arnulf". Born 9. august 1880.

Milit?r-Sanit?tsorden 2. Klasse:

Stabsarzt (Captain) Ott treated the wounded in the very first frontline after the capture of a french trench on oct. 30. and 31. 1915 northeast Neuville. Instead of staying in the save medical-dugout Dr. Ott asked the commander of the regiment for permission to treat the wounded in the first line to give them medical care as fast as possible. He treated and rescued wounded soldiers during heavy artillery- and trench-mortar fire; especially he cared for a heavily wounded soldier during a heavy handgrenade-battle in an trench-outpost. Dr. Ott showed exceptional gallantry and intrepidity and fulfilled his service above and beyond the call of duty.

Milit?r-Sanit?tsorden 1. Klasse:

During the Battle of Verdun Dr. Ott moved his medical-post voluntarily from the Chambrettes Ferme to the northern part of the Chaffour forest on may 25. 1916 to be closer to the fighting troops. There he treated, together with his Assitenzarzt Dr. Mau, hundreds of wounded soldiers for seven days and seven nights under the open sky and during heavy artillery fire without any cover. On june 2. 1916 Dr. Ott evacuated voluntarily the wounded out of an infantry-bunker nearby. He moved as one of the first of the 9. company through the heavy "Sperrfeuer" (artillery fire barrage?) and didn't left the bunker before the last wounded was evacuated.

This is Dr. Ott with both medals. The 1. class around his neck and the 2. class as ribbon in the buttonhole.

The "Milit?r-Sanit?tsorden" had the same ribbon but I think nobody would place it after an EK2 too.

WOW! Groups with the Goldene Milit?rverdienstkreuz are always fantastic! And especially for someone from Hessen. It seems this RIR 254 had a lot of brave men, Kriegerehrenzeichen in Eisen don't grow on trees too.

3) 3 small segments besides each other (loose swords)

I think this is the maker Otto Wennberg, or? I have this one which was made by him and identified by Uwe Bretzendorfer.

Swords and "F" are made from yellow gold, the medaillon discs are made from red gold.

The bulgarian Commemorative Medal was made in high quality with fire gilt finish. They usually look like new and I never saw one in bad condition or quality. Don't worry.

Les, this is the legendary Fallschirmj?gergeneral Ramcke who was awarded the Golden Military Merit Cross in Flandern in 1918.

I have only these two ribbons, EKII and War Merit Cross with "Bew?hrungsabzeichen" from Braunschweig, which were cut and used in a buttonhole of the uniform.

Back:

The silver screwback is really

Here is a gold plated silver badge with "800" and screwback:

Thanks guys. A promotion for a rescue operation would be much more unusual. Maybe he showed very high skills of leadership during that so they made him to Uffz?

Page 2 of the letter. I think someone who was recommended for an EK1 for rescueing other soldiers did something really great! Maybe he has digging while under heavy fire or something like this.

Now this is really interesting. He wrote a letter to the police to prove which awards he got. He writes about his EK and his Military Merit Cross which are listed in his Milit?rpass. He was awarded the Hindenburg Cross on december 13, 1934 for which he has got a certificate. On november 1, 1918 he was recommended by his battery commander for the Iron Cross 1. Class because he distinguished himself while rescueing 5 buried soldiers. In 1919 the recommendation for the EK1 was renewed but he never got it. I think it was lost in the chaos of the revolution after the war.