webr55

The back. A strange construction, with hooks:

This is the first Hungarian ribbon bar in my collection. Have I got the ribbons correct? 1) WW1 commem medal? Are those "things" two repeat clasps? 2) Fire Cross 3) Long Service Decoration 4) Transsylvanian Medal Regards Chris

BUT - Stengel's bar is not the same as on the picture. The swords are different, those are the older type swords on the pic. Here's a close-up:

Hey, where's Rick? I remember he's got at least two, Hahn and someone else...

Rick did this nice comparison of the close-up and my ribbon bar.

Second picture:

You know him already: Generalleutnant Alfred von Besser (1854-1919).

Yes, Albert Trenkler, much older than the other two, was Marine Ingenieur on SMS Hertha in Messina 1908. BTW, those two lower ribbon bars still have me puzzled. What lunatic put swords on the CO ribbon? And what is ribbon #2 on the Bavarian-style ribbon bar? (Or do they maybe not belong to the lot??)

Thanks Claudio! Your Gerhard Meyer was indeed Wilhelm's comrade on the Victoria Louise in 1908.

Thanks a lot for your comments, much appreciated! Right, the Messina medal is backwards, strange. And yes Rick, it simply HAD to be done.

Of course, a picture would be perfect, but at least we have this - thanks again to RickResearch! (MOH "Nachrichten Aus Luv und Lee" März 1941)

With the information that there were only two ships from the Imperial Navy in Messina (Hertha and Victoria Louise), Rick identified him as: Wilhelm Peters born Kiel 13 May 1888 Seekadett 1.4.08 (served on Victoria Louise) Fähnrich zS Lt zS 27.9.11 L5l Olt zS 19.9.14 A5a KaptLt zS 18.8.18 H KorvKapt zS (E) 1.10.34 #7 Fregattenkapitän (E) 1.10.1939 #6 During WW1 he served as a Watch Officer on torpedo boats V156, V158, V67, S32, and S60 of the 12th half-Flotille/VI Flotille until October 1917. Then he went to Uboat School and was commandant there of the old training submarine "U-A" until April 1918, ending the war as an instructor there. Listed in the 1918 RL with EK1 and OK1. Went aD 30.7.20. Recalled to the Navy in the 1930s. 1937 Marine Werft Wilhelmshaven 1938-1941 WBK Frankfurt/M. (that's probably where he got his South-German style ribbon bar with the Otto Schickle eagles), Torpedoschule Mürwik, Hafenkomdt. Le Treport and Dieppe Died 3 March 1941 of a heart attack "at the front" as Fregattenkapitän.

We discussed the ribbon bar back at WAF, in those days. It was Daniel who suggested that the last ribbon might be a Messina 1908 earthquake commemorative medal - on the wrong ribbon. This has now been confirmed. The ribbon bar uses the Saxon DA ribbon, while the medal bar has the Saxon Honor Cross ribbon on it. But this guy was in Messina in 1908.

Both have the same grey backing:

That was three years ago (I think I got it from you, Stogieman! ) But since last week, I have this:

I think this may have been the most expensive reunification since the German one. In the beginning, there was this:

Well, Dybwad went flying in 1929: --------- Lieber Dybwad ! Soeben erhalte ich Ihre Meldung ?ber Ihr Ausscheiden aus dem Regiment. Ich hoffe, da? Sie mit mir der gleichen Ansicht sind, da? dies nur eine durch die Verh?ltnisse bedingte Formsache ist. Da? Sie sich aber .... .... .... zum Regiment geh?rig betrachten, wie wir Sie auch k?nftig zu den Unseren z?hlen. Jedenfalls, wenn Sie einmal in schwieriger Lage sind, oder sonst nicht recht aus u. ein wissen, wie es immer einmal im Leben vorkommen kann, dann kommen Sie zu mir oder schreiben Sie mir. Ich werde stets bestrebt sein, Ihnen zu helfen, so gut es geht. Auch sonst hoffe ich, da? Sie ab und zu einmal von sich h?ren lassen werden. F?r Ihre Fliegerzeit w?nsche ich Ihnen Hals u. Beinbruch, frohe Stunden und auch Interessantes. Mit herzlichem Gru? Ihr Frhr. v. Fritsch --------- Maybe he was forced to leave the Reichswehr due to the conditions of Versailles ("die Verh?ltnisse"), because no officer was allowed to fly? Chris

Yes, I guess there was originally something else in place of the SS DA, like a Treudienst 25 or maybe an XV. Otherwise fine.

Nice... but no ones dares to comment on the SS bar... please show the back. Chris

And on top of that: The two eagles both look gold to me. 25+ years of service, but where did he hide from WW1?

Oh my...

No, nothing. They certainly look post-1945. But I have no idea whether these are Bundesmarine or merchant navy.

Georg Johannes Friedrich von Eppstein, raised to "Freiherr" in November 1918. An internet search confirms that he was Jewish and that the Nazi party apparently took issue with this late second ennoblement. It seems that he emigrated to the Netherlands after 1933, because he published something there on "Prins Bernhard" in Dutch in 1936. Or maybe it was just printed by a Dutch publisher.

The back. If this is the wrong forum, please move it to the correct one.

I have had these for many years. I suppose these are postwar items, but what branch and what time exactly? Thanks Chris