Gary B

Major High Career Field

Leutnant Elevated Career Field

Hauptmann High Career Field

Hauptmann Elevated Career Field

Hi Kev, Thanks for the response. I was referrgin to the cross on my bar. Well I can say thatr Germans did receive foreign awards, mainly from Romania and Blugaria, although I do have a bar with a medal from Morroco on it. So I guess it is possible for a German to have received a valor award from Italy, but it should be the valor cross with the IR cypher as you show. I can only speculate as to why this is not the case on my bar...did the tailor not have a WWII version? NO answer here? Gary B

Hi Paul, I did not realize there were only 360 positions for the Gen Staff...if I had known that I would have bought a certain Oberst uniform! Question.....in the article you wrote you mention that the Luft Gen staff was manned for only 360 positions and was slotted for the rank of MAJ to Oberst; yet you show collar tabs/boards for Oberleutant. I have also seen tabs for Hauptmann....is there an explanation? Gary B

Thanks, Kev. I will have to ponder this piece. As I have mentioned it is of proper construction but I have no answer as to how/why the combinations of awards. A member of another forum wrote me and told me that "This cross is not the merit cross, it?s the valore cross 1943 type with blue ribbon. The valore cross is the "Italian EK2"." Do you know anything about what he speaks of? Gary B

Kevin, Thanks for the info. Do you have a picture of the WWII version with the Italian republic cypher? Thanks. Gary B

Hi Kevin, Thnkas for the comment. This is indeed interesting information. I was unaware of the WWI version of this award. What would the award be if it does not have the sword device (Cross of War)? Was that just for participating in the war? The medal bar does not have any indication of tampering, as if the Italian medal was added later to replace a missing medal. It is very tight construction, yet not "new". I will look at it more closely. Gary B

Hi, Here is a combination you don't see often, well it is a first for me. Although the Italian WMC is mounted on an incorrect ribbon (should be blue with 2 white vertical stripes) the medal bar shows no sign of tampering. The ribbon looks like a LS ribbon and was probably used since the tailor did jnot have correct ribbon. I have seen this done on other foriegn awards I have, like the Order of Medi. Small details like the horizontal piece of ribbon over the mounting rings to hide them are a nice detial. Additionally, the mouting ring on the Italian WMC is the correct large angular type (can be felt beneath the ribbon) which gives further support that this was not a medal added to a bar that the LS award had fallen off of. Gary B

One more addition....Leutnant for Administration Air Security

A pair of Admin Leutnants for Air Security

Thanks Christian! Looks much better! I will continue to post other orders as I have time. Gary B

Dear Christian, Thanks for your comments. I am primarily a 3rd Reich collector and have only dabbled in Russian medals. These 3 medals are part of a larger collection of about 6 riker mounts full of soviet awards that were all purchased in 1993 in Russia. I have pictured an Order of Lenin that is part of the colleciton in a separate thread. Some of the orders have books/citations with them but I have to dig them out (including an Hero of the Soviet Union). Gary B

Rvs

Hi, Opinions welcome. Lighting was poor so the pictures are a little dark. Gary B

Detail Rvs

Detail Obvs

Rvs

1st class obvs

Rvs

Gents, here are some addition al pictures. Lighting was poor so the pictures are a little dark.....1st up is the 3rd class. Gary B

Hi Dave, Great article. I did not know it was you since I did not, up till this point, know your name! I will post better pictures tomorrow, if I can get around to it (wife is on travel and I am running the kids around). We had PMed previously about a large collection of Soviet awards I had in my possesion that I was trying to research. All were purchased in 1993 in Russia and include everything from these orders to Hero of the Soviet Union, Lenins etc. I dont know much about Soviet orders so this will be very helpful to me. Talk to you soon. Gary B

Rvs 3rd class: 102326 2nd class: 0800 1st class: 7

Hi, Having just read an article in the recent issue of JOMSA on this order I thought I would post a picture of these 3 classes. Although the 3rd class was awarded approx 70,000 times, the 2nd class was only awarded 600 times and the 1st class a mere 13 times. These awards were purchased in the early 90s in Russia. All orders are numbered on the reverse but the 2nd class falls outside of the range of issued numbers and would probably be an unissued piece. Opinions welcome. (Since our own Rick Reasearch was given speical thanks in the article I hope he will weigh in on these pieces...) Gary B