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Here's the second one: Marine-Oberstabsingenieur (here still Stabsingenieur) Manger The RL 1913 shows him with RAO4, KO3, XXV and the Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure (Officer's Cross), seniority 27.1.1911, at the Werft Kiel.

The first one is really tricky, can you post a closeup of the bar?

I absolutely agree with the LD2 theory. Not long-serving, but long reserve.

Hi Stogie, interesting point, but - as I said - that is not a Saxon LS. He's got his Prussian LS in 2nd place. #5 must be the Altenburg Bravery medal.

Thanks to all for your comments! So this is Godet - nice to know. It is surprising how clean and new the bar looks - almost no wear. The Austrian ribbon looks almost too modern, being of the slightly pink-ish variation.

The back. So this is a long-serving NCO, in before 1897, with four Freikorps awards: 1) EK2 1914 2) Prussian XV 3) Centenary 4) Saxon FAM 5) rather an Altenburg Bravery Medal (than a Saxon LS) 6) Austrian Bravery Medal 7) Baltic Cross 8) Russian St. Stanislaus Order 3rd cl 9) Medal of the Iron Division 10) Medal of the "Deutsch-Russische Westarmee" I'm not sure, would #8 suggest that he ultimately made officer? I don't know the award criteria for the St. Stanislaus.

Gentlemen, look what Santa brought me:

For those who have not seen it: It is Hindenburg Non/Com, Danzig Cross, KVK w/o X. Precedence is certainly wrong, KVK should come first. But otherwise, it looks not bad.

The back. I am not sure: Does #2 (Spanish MVO) indicate an officer?

Nothing very special, just yer basic Legion Condor bar:

Not really Dutch, as far as I know. Rather Friesian (North German) origin.

Nice find! That is Dr. jur. Adolf ten Hompel (1874-1943), a lawyer from M?nster who became known in the years before 1914 for publishing extensively in favor of reforming Catholicism.

Jantzen was NOT an admiral. I had the same result about a year ago. He would definitely be in the admirals' bios series. The only thing I could imagine would be a posthumous, maybe even immediate-postwar promotion, but in that case, a photo would be rather improbable ... ... and even then, it is very unlikely that the bios series would have forgotten about him.

How did he get his Finnish awards? He should be added to the Finnish list, right?

Hm... Kiel sounds very interesting! But it would indeed be a small time slot for him to have had such a bar. Still, maybe. He needed a new bar when recalled 1935. Looking through the RL1918 and the Pete-Rick Finnish list, I have found one other possibility: Gustav-Wilhelm Hugo, born 8.8.1887, entered Navy 1.4.1905, KaptL 24.4.1916 Uu, a.D. 27.12.1919. Last post Cdr of Torpedoboat "V155". Listed in RL 1918 with EK2 only (no EK1, no HH). Apparently not recalled, can't find any trace after 1919.

I hope it is correct to assume that the Cross of Liberty 2nd cl was only awarded from Kapit?nleutnant upwards. If so, I think I have - based on the list compiled by Pete and Rick - two suspects for my officer bar (the second one): Hermann M?ller-Schmalfeldt, born 10.6.1887, entered Navy 1.4.1906, KaptL 26.4.1917L, a.D. 24.11.1919. Chief of 9th Mine-sweeping Half-flotilla. Listed in RL 1918 as Hermann M?ller with EK1 and HH (apparently changed his name later). BUT: He died 30.4.1929, so no Hindenburg! Siegfried Tschirch, born 22.4.1888, entered Navy 1.4.1906, KaptL 26.4.1917Mm, a.D. 6.3.1920. Chief of 8th Mine-sweeping Half-flotilla. Listed in RL 1918 with EK1 only (so no proof of HH). Kapt zS (E) 1.10.1939.

Has a tag from Grabow & Matthes, Kiel, on the back:

2nd bar - I think - to a Navy officer. I suppose #4 is the Cross of Liberty 2nd class, on peacetime ribbon? And what strange fad is this: Swords tilted??

Back:

Here's my Finnish contribution: 1st to an NCO, I suppose with Medal of Liberty 1st and 2nd class?

Very nice bar! If I am right, this is a long serving civil servant who also held (probably NCO) reserve status.

But apart from the top OKW guys, Hitler was quite reluctant in giving the RK to his staff, as he thought it should be a frontline award. For example, someone like Adolf Heusinger, chief of operations in OKH (and post-war first chief of the Bundeswehr), never got the RK.

... and why is HE buying REAL bars??? What does he do with them?? http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...item=6231874990

Yes, of course others had the Swords, Diamonds, PLM... But the sheer amount of sheet on his uniform got me carried away!

Hm... what about a very simple idea: Maybe the precedence is just "in order received"?? (provided no. 2 is not Finnish and he got the last two post-1918)