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Fragment No.1: Ribbon bar. Please note five (!!!) battle clasps for the DSWA medal.

Dear gentlemen, please assist me in personification of this WH Oberstleutnant, Great War participant and colonial fighter. Your help with identification of his impressive ribbon bar is most welcome! The most notable point is the Russian Imperial Order of St.Anna, 2 Class worn as a neck award. This is the first WH portrait with such an award in my collection. Portrait was made in 1939 in a photo atelier in Halle.

Hi, Marcin! Will do definitely as soon as I translate it into English. I'm a co-author of a book on German shooting badges 1894-1945 that hopefully will be published this November (I keep my fingers crossed)). Actually an article on Kaiserabzeichen is already on my website but it's in Russian only. My website is bilingual but time is needed to make a correct translation - an article turned out to be twelve pages and a half! Meanwhile if interested you are most welcome to browse website and have a look at other online materials that are already translated (a link is attached below).

You are right, Jens, that portrait seems to be an illustration of that case.

Well, that seems to be the most obvious explanation. By the way were other ranks entitled to carry Kaiserabzeichen in case they were transfered to another unit? As far as even NCOs had to take it off in that case, I assume simple soldiers/sailors were also notable to sport the badge from their previous company/battery/ship... But it's just my suggestion. Maybe someone could clarify the issue?

Close-up. SMS Kaiser Barbarossa never won Kaiserabzeichen :unsure:

Sailor with Kaiserabzeichen from SMS Kaiser Barbarossa.

And finally remaining neck awards and breast awards and badges. At the lest side three Ottoman awards: Mecidiye Nişanı and Nişani Osmani (both neck) plus one breast badge - Harb Madalyasi. At the right side - EK 1.Klasse, Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz and the most remarkable award, Order of Queen Tamara (Georgia).

Fragment with an impressive medal bar. 1. Eisernes Kreuz 2.Klasse ausg.1914 2. Königlicher Hausorden von Hohenzollern, Ritterkreuz 3. Preußische Kronenorden 4. 5. China-Denkmünze with two Gefechtsspangen: Huolu and Peitang-Forts 6. Zentenarmedaille 7. Bayern. Militärverdienstkreuz mit Krone und Schwertern 8. 9. Hessen. Orden Philipps des Großmütigen 10. 11. Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2.Klasse 12. Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Kreuz für Auszeichnung im Kriege 2.Klasse 13. Anhalt. Friedrich Kreuz 14. Lippe. Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2.Klasse 15. Hanseatenkreuz Bremen 16. Österreich-Ungarn. Militärverdienstkreuz 3.Klasse mit Kriegsdekoration 17. Ottoman Empire. Imtiyaz Madalyasi 18. Ottoman Empire. Liyakat Madalyasi

Gentlemen, I need your assistance with acquiring info (as complete as possible) on Theodor Duesterberg awards received during the Great War and soon afterwards in Weimar-era Germany. I have a huge collection of Stahlhelm photos including Duesterberg himself at various meetings and fucnctions but recently I bought an outstanding studio portrait of Steel Helmet leader wearing an impressive array of awards including several foreign (Bulgarian, Turkish, etc.). Thus I'm interested in the complete list of his awards to fill in some blanks in my knowledge of the subject ) The above-mentioned portrait is attached here. I'd be very grateful if you could identify these awards as well except most obvious ones.

Fragment of the reverse.

Fragment No.2: rest of the neck awards and breast-worn awards. The most notable among the latter is obviously the Order of Queen Tamara that was issued to personnel of the volunteer Georgian Legion briefly deployed in Georgia.

Fragment No.1: quite impressive bar.

Here's a recent valuable addition to my collection, a studio portrait of the Stahlhelmbund leader Obesrtleutnant Theodor Duesterberg made in photo atelier of Halle in 1927. Does anyone have a complete list of his awards to compare them with ones worn here?

Downloaded already, thank you for your help! :beer:

I see, Jens. Could you please post here some most importrant info regarding naval version?

Thanks a lot, Jens, for your help! Will update an article then based on the info you kindly provided. P.S. My first question was a silly one as far as no Wurttemberg units never won that award) Coudl you please update me on naval versions of a Kaiserabzecihen or give a reliable link in English where I can read more about it?

Good morning gentlemen! Please allow me couple of questions regarding Kaiserabzeichen / Königsabzeichen. The point is that actually I'm writing an article on those badges but can't find some information neither in books nor in Internet. I have to present an article this Monday so I have only two days left to complete it) So here are the questions: 1. Königsabzeichen der Maschinengewehr-Abteilungen for Württemberg machine-gun units. What monogram it had in its centre – that of Wilhelm II of Prussia or that of Wilhelm II of Württemberg? I mean, were those monogram different ones ore absolutely the same in shape? I understand that the difference should have been in type of crown, but what about cipher? I can’t find an answer, I came across a statement that Saxon machine-gun units were issued with a Badge bearing “FA” (for Friedrich-August) monogram in the centre, but nothing about Württemberg… 2. General question about Königsabzeichen. Were crowns on badges different for the states of Bayern, Sachsen and Württemberg? 3. Navy personnel – did they receive only Kaiserabzeichen der Feld- und Fußartillerie (awarded for shooting competitions between ships) or Kaiserabzeichen der Infanterie as well? E.g. awards for Matrosenartillerieabteilungen – did they compete in shooting from artillery guns only or from carabines as well? 4. I read somewhere (in a not too reliable sorce though) that commander of the winning infantry company was issued with a special version of a Kaiserabzeichen – unlike other ranks he received a badge made not of gilt brass but of silver (!) with a special engraving. Is it true or the source mixed up Kaiserabzeichen with Kaiserpreis, i.e. bust of the Emperor? Many thanks in advance, colleagues!

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Robin and Odulf, many thanks for identification and useful comments! :beer:

Fragment with the Finnsih badge and an imafe of the badge itself. Maybe this could help for an identification of a unit?

Many thanks for your help, Robin! Here's one more question that I will post here not to creat a new topic. What Waffen SS unit do we have here ("8" on shoulder straps of a SS-Strurmmann)? Please note that civilain in the middle proudly sports a badge "Petsamo-Rovaniemi" issued to German military personnel successfully completing the so called 820 km "Eismeerstrasse".

Could youplease help in identifying a unit of this SS-Sturmmann from the Totenkopf division? It seems there's a "5" on a shoulder strap.

I'd like to share with you a beautiful amateur portrait of a Fregattenkapitän Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière (March 18, 1886 - February 24, 1941). This portrait was made during world cruise of a Reichsmarine cruiser "Emden" and it's one out of dozens of photos from my collection that were taken by a crew mwmber during circumnavigation. Neck award: Pour le Mérite Bar: Eisernes Kreuz (1914) II.Klasse Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern Kronenorden IV.Klasse Dienstauszeichnungskreuz Hanseatenkreuz Hamburg Ritterkreuz des Österreichisch-kaiserlichen Leopold-Ordens mit Kriegsdekoration Orden der Eisernen Krone III.Klasse mit Kriegsdekoration Österreichisches Militarverdienstkreuz III.Klasse mit Kriegsdekoration Silberne Liakat-Medaille mit Schwertern Breast awards: Eisernes Kreuz (1914) I.Klasse U-Boot-Kriegsabzeichen (1918) Deutsches Sportabzeichen (DRA) Eiserner Halbmond (not worn or just not visible here)

Thanks for your reply! Frankly speaking, I don't know whether it could be Red cross medal... It should be strange if he had one like that.