Zaim Qyteza

Dear James, If we look the dates of the documents, the confusion increase. Regards, Artan

Dear James. BESE E BASHKIM is idem with BESE DHE BASHKIM. The albanian language use both of the forms ?E?, ?DHE?, ?EDHE? for the english ?AND?. Dear Sir, you are looking for Prussian precision in Albania of 1914 (!!!) The same Prince Wied, was not sure for his own title. Here attached two documents. On the first he call herself ?His Majesty the King? on the other ?His Highness the Prince? (!!!). You must be sure, that the ?Military Medal? is the same with ?Medal of the Black Eagle Order?, and with (in vulgus dictum) ?Bes? e Bashkim Medal?. Regards, Artan

Meine Herr General,. Very interesant piece. Can you give as a better copy of this medal bar? I find in another Forum this one (see attach). Regards, Artan

Dear Sir, According to the son of the awarded, his father called his medal ?Bese dhe Bashkim?. You know that ?Bese dhe Bashkim? is the motto of the Black Eagle Order. I know also another document, that calls this medal so (see attach). I think that Kliartmann-Neubecker is wrong when writes that ?all the medals were accorded by Prince in emigration in 1918?. I have found in Albania, at least three bronze medals and one silver medal. Heaton-Armstrong also writes that Wilhelm awarded Black Eagle insignia, especially the medals. Regards, Artan

Dear James, This ?Medaille Militaire en Argent? is the Silver Medal of the Black Eagle Order (see attach). Note: The date of the document is "2.IX.1914", only a day before the departure of Prince Wied from Albania, on 03.09.1914. The awarded person, was the official translator of Prince in Albania and the decoration was as a last recognition of the Prince to his faithful collaborators. Regards, Artan

Dear Sir, I am still excited for the last found in Albania, here attached. I found it two days ago and is propriety of the san of the person named there. For your next trip in Albania call me before. Best regards. Artan

Hi all, Can anyone help me to identify these strange object in coast of Durres? Regards, Artan

Hi all, Can anyone help me to identify these cannons of Albanian army? Regards, Artan

No, all three pages are albanian orders and medals of the socialist period (1946-1990), except to the first page is an Prince Wied ascension medal with red-black ribbon. To the third page, all three medals with azure ribbon are not Albanian. Regards, Artan

Dear 922F (that strange name!!!) You are right. He is no the Prince Wied, but Heaton-Armstrong. Attached is a photo of Armstrong during his residence a Durres, before receiving the medals from the Prince's Auguste Hands. Regards, Artan

Dear 922F (that strange name!!!) You are right. He is no the Prince Wied, but Heaton-Armstrong. Attached is a photo of Armstrong during his residence a Durres, before receiving the medals from the Prince's Auguste Hands. Regards, Artan

Dear Sir, The officer is major Meleq Frasheri. He was an officer of Ottoman Army, passed to the Albanian service after the independence of Albania in 1912. Passed to Wied after his arrived in Durres. Passed to the A-H Army in 1916, after the occupation of North Albania from the A-H. Pased to the new Governmental Albanian troops after the fall of the Empire in 1918. Killed in action during a revolt near Tirana on Mars 1922. I think as you, that Klietmann's tabulation of awards is not entirely correct, because I found in Albania some pieces (however not many) of Black Eagle Order. Attach another picture of a decorated person, in this case a civil one. I don?t resist your explosion of emotions viewing the photos. Regards, Artan

Hi all, Nooo. Is an PFA badge, not an Italian Greece War badge. Attatch, another photo with the PFA Badge. Regards, Artan

I apologize. I forgot. The officer is an albanian major wearing mod.1920 uniform, in a photo of 1921.

Dear Sir, The photos of the persons awarded with the Black Eagle, are perhaps the rarest of the world. Regards, Artan

Dear Ian, I apologize if I was a little abrupt with my response. However I'm waiting for your kind help for the questions that I have done with the mail of yesterday. Regards, Artan

Dear Ian, For your courisity, here enclosed some diferent albanian fez used in A-H Army. Best, Artan

Dear Ian, You can be sure that the fez of the person No.2 is an Albanian fez, one of the many models used in central Albania. Apart of that, I know who these persons are. I have photos of at least 6 different types of Albanian fez used in Albanian units of A-H Army. A part of them, is impossible to find a Serbian soldier, an Austrian officer and other Albanians standing together during the WWI !!! Regards, Artan

Hi Eric, I thing that this is the badge of the PFA (Partito Fascista Albanese). The person wearing it is an Albanian person, and the Albanian badge for the Greek & Yugoslav campaigns in 1940-1941, was reserved only for the Italian military personel. Regards, Artan

Hi Kevin, Hi to all, During the WWI Albania was the country with the ?Guinness record? of the country where passed the greatest number of different Armies. Mainly, the north of Albania was under the A-H occupation, the south under Italian Army and Greek Army, the oriental part was under the French Army (Armee de l?Orient). A part of central zone was under the Bulgarian Army. Other armies passed and fighting in Albania, during 1914-1918, were Serbian Army, Montenegrin Army, German Units, British Units, Dutch officers, and on the end on the French army, in Kor?a (south Albania) was an Indochinese Regiment and another Senegalese Regiment (!!!). The unique Army that was missing in Albania during this period was the Albanian Army. Each foreign Army created Units with Albanians, with diferent uniforms badges, symbols and so on. So were a lot of Albanians wearing an uniform, that fought against other Albanians with another uniform. A real mess and chaos!!! I have a great lot of photos of Albanians military men, under the different Armies during WWI, but I have many difficulties to identify all the elements of their uniforms. Here attach another photo of Albanians in A-H Army. 1- It is an Austrian officer and an notorious albanologist. 2- It is Albanian. What is his rank? What is his cocard in the fez? Maybe black and read one? What is the distinctive on his breast? From his pockets hanging the chains of a pocket watch (was an albanian mode of these period). What it is his belt? He has rank insignia in his shoulders. Why? He has another distinctive on his left part of the fez. What can it be? Why his stars of the collar patch, are 5-pointed an not 6-pointed, as on the A-H Army? 3- It is Albanian. What are his collar patches? Maybe it is an mitrallieur? Why his fez is nonmilitary one and w/o any cocard or distinctive on it? 4- It is a notorious Albanian patriot. Do you want more questions? Regards, Artan

Another question for the Albanian no.2 of the picture. Why their stars of the collar patch, are 5-pointed an not 6-pointed, as on the A-H Army?

Hi Kevin, Thank you for your help. Why do you think that they are Bosnians, and not Albanians? What about the letters to the piece of stofa sewing to the fez? Regards, Artan