Solomon

Wow, thanks...

@arb Thanks a lot for the additional information! I guess, he went to Artillerie-Werkstatt Lippstadt already in 1914, as the potential predecessor (and director) left Lippstadt in December 1914. If Ferdinand Metze followed him as the new director, I still have to investigate. @VtwinVince No, it was clear from the beginning, that I won´t keep the father´s group, as there is no link to Lippe-Detmold and that the two groups can be easily separated. In addition the two groups were not a snap and I have to refinance a little bit. @Lukasz Gaszewski It´s even more weird. Ferdinand Metze got the house-order 4.th class Div. A with swords, the medalbar shows the 4th class Div. A with swords at the ring, but the minature-chain shows the 4th class Div. B with swords (awarded only 37 times).

Just to complete the picture I would like to show you what else was coming with this group: It´s the medalbar and the epaulettes of Ferdinand Metze´s father: Oberstleutnant Adolf Metze, Infanterie-Regiment 22 The medalbar shows - Red Eagle Eagle Order 4th class (returned after death) - Order of the crown 3rd class Prussia (returned after death) - Long service cross Prussia 25 years - Order of the Zähringer lion, knight-cross 2nd class - war memorial medal 1870/71 - war memorial cross 1866 Königgrätz - Century medal Prussia The identification was pretty easy, Adolf Metze was the only one with the surname "Metze" in the Almanach 1904/05 and the medalbar fits exactly to the entry. Best regards Roman

Hi Dave, yes, you are totally right...the Prince was in a rush in November 1918 to get rid all of his remaining awards in his drawers. I just checked his receipt...the award document was sent to him on 20th December 1919 (!!!), although Metze signed the receipt on 15th November 1918, two weeks after the official award date... So this might be another evidence for my theory. Best regards Roman

Of course, he was 86 years old, when he died...mea culpa. There are some additional interesting information, explaining it maybe better. He entered the army at the age of around 20 years (the Prussian century medal is missing, so for sure he entered after 1897), let´s say 1898... From 1898 until 1919 I count 21 years of service. But war time service was counted double (1914-1918 = 8 years instead of 4 years), so the countable years of military service was in 1919 already >= 25 years (17 years of normal service + 8 years of war service = 25 years). I have he list of awards, he received until he got the Lippe order in November 1918 (he had to fill out his receipt for it). In this list e.g. the Friedrich-August cross 1st class from Oldenburg and the civil merit cross from Saxony-Weimar is missing, clearly received after the end of the Imperial monarchy in Germany on 11th November 1918. This also explains, why the Oldenburg cross 1st class is a zinc one, awarded quite late.

Dear all, the following unique group, which recently found its way to me, I would to show: Georg Ferdinand Metze born 18th July 1878 in Moulhouse-Elsaß died 2nd November 1964 in Bremen at the age of 84 years. The following data of his career I already know: Patent Oberleutnant on 17th September 1909 In 1912 in artillery-regiment No. 22 (XVII. AK) Sent to Artillerie-Werkstatt Spandau (Berlin) Since 19th June 1912 Hauptmann Since 1913 in member of the administration Artillerie-Werkstatt Spandau Between 1913 and 1918 moving to Artillerie-Werkstatt Lippstadt (near Paderborn) Acc. to own notice in November 1918 director of the administration of the Artillerie-Werkstatt Lippstadt Retired as "Major a.D." His medalbar shows: - Eisernes Kreuz 2.Klasse 1914 / Iron cross 2nd class 1914 - Rettungsmedaille Preußen / lifesaving medal Prussia (awarded April-May 1917) - Dienstauszeichnung Preußen für 25 Jahre / long service cross Prussia 25 years - Lippe-Detmold Hausorden 4.Klasse Abtl. A mit Schwertern (am Ringe !!!) / Lippe-Detmold house order 4th class Div.A with swords at the ring - Lippe-Detmold Kriegsverdienstkreuz / Lippe-Detmold war merit cross - FA-Kreuz 2.Klasse Oldenburg / FA-cross 2nd class Oldenburg - Hanseatenkreuz Bremen / hanseatic cross Bremen - Verdienstkreuz für Heimatverdienst Sachsen Weimar / merit cross for civil merit Sachsen Weimar - Braunschweig Kriegsverdienstkreuz / Brunswig war merit cross In addition he got - Eisernes Kreuz 1.Klasse / Iron cross 1st class (935 marked) - FA-Kreuz Oldenburg 1.Klasse / FA-cross Oldenburg 1st class in zinc - Frontkämpferehrenkreuz / Hindenburg-cross (not shown) At the miniature-chain the hanseatic cross Bremen, one of the iron crosses and one of the FA-crosses Oldenburg is missing. Details regarding the Lippe-Detmold house-order Div. A 4th class with swords at the ring: Five pieces of the house-order 4th class Div. A with swords at the ring (LDH4mXaR) were ordered at C.F. Zimmermann in Pforzheim, but according to the files it was never awarded. Ferdinand Metze received the 4th class with (normal) swords as number 664 on 2nd November 1918. In total this class was awarded 82 times. I have a theory, why the 4th class with swords at the ring is mounted on his medalbar. According to my files there was none 4th class with swords left according to the inventory list of middle of 1919. From the five delivered 4th class with swords at the ring to were missing middle of 1919. So I assume that the order with swords at the ring was given to Metze in order to replace the official awarded one with swords, as he received it just one week before the Prince of Lippe-Detmold resigned. The following pieces are also belonging to this group: ribbonbar with IC2 1914, lifesaving medal, war merit cross Brunswig, hanseatic cross Bremen ribbonbar with IC2 1914, lifesaving medal, merit cross for civil merit Sachsen Weimar, Brunswig cross, FA-cross Oldenburg, war merit cross Lippe-Detmold, hanseatic cross Bremen photo with Hindenburg / Ferdinand Metze stands in front of Hindenburg (1st row, 5th person from right) CDV Ferdinand Metze (without awards) Officers belt from Ferdinand Metze epaulettes of Artillerie-Regiment No. 36 and one single, quite rare epaulette with crossed canons (Hauptmann) for members of the technical institutes of artillerie I hope you like it as I do. If anyone has any additional information on Ferdinand Metze I would be glad to get it. Best regards Roman

Oh yes, indeed. ? Wilhelm II.´s sister Viktoria married Prince Adolf zur Schaumburg-Lippe in 1890. Wilhelm II. only agreed, because it was forseen that Adolf also would take over the principal Lippe-Detmold. In fact he only ruled Lippe-Detmold for a few years until Grafregent Ernst zur Lippe-Detmold took over Lippe-Detmold in 1897 and handed over his power to his son Prince Leopold IV. zur Lippe-Biesterfeld in 1905. Prince Adolf zur Schaumburg-Lippe lost finally the lawsuit against it in 1905, although the Emperor Wilhelm II. interfered a lot. And this fight for the small principal Lippe-Detmold was also the reason, why Wilhelm II. never visited the castle in Detmold. Today it´s a quite funny story...I have a few books from that time dealing with this lawsuit in my collection...

Well, Prince Leopold IV. was not appreciated by the Nazi party, too. There is a (true) funny story, that Leopold IV. denied to welcome Adolf Hitler on his castle in Detmold. Instead he met him at the "Detmolder Hof", a hotel closeby the castle ? Leopold IV. tried to convince Lammers in an open letter to him, by Lammers replied that he cannot do anything to get Georg von Eppstein free. Von Eppstein used to be married with a non-jewish lady, but when she died, his protection died, too.

Oh I have a picture of Lammers in my collection. No.3 is the Lippe-Detmold house order with swords (no idea which class, as he is wearing the 2nd class at the neck) No.4 is the Lippe-Detmold war merit cross. ...and I know, why he got the Lippe-Detmold house order 2nd class with swords: There was recently an interesting article in our local newspaper about it. The adjudant and personal friend of the former Prince Leopold IV of Lippe-Detmold Georg Freiherr von Eppstein got arrested and deported by the Nazis in 1942. Leopold IV. tried to convince Lammers that von Eppstein would be allowed to emigrate to The Netherlands, which was denied. For this Lammers received for sure the 2nd class of his house-order without success. Georg von Lammers died in the KZ Teresienstadt in 1942. ...and another intersting fact: Lammers was in the same regiment as von Eppstein during WW1. Here is the article about the Lammers-von Eppstein story (in German): https://www.westfalen-blatt.de/OWL/Kreis-Lippe/Detmold/3696981-Briefe-zeigen-Lippes-letzter-Herrscher-wollte-Freund-vor-dem-KZ-bewahren-Enkel-kauft-Grab-Wie-der-Fuerst-um-das-Leben-eines-Juden-kaempfte

I won´t exclude this at all. This cross came along with a mixture of other badges / awards (see picture below) from a private person for small money. Already the mixture of two British awards from WW1 and WW2 with a badge of a German veteran´s meeting from 1936 was quite unusual and the seller had no idea from where these medals / crosses were coming except that these ones were coming from her grandmother 35 years ago. BR. Roman

I know the usual iron propaganda crosses "For Kaiser", "For Kultur" etc....it might be a biker´s cross or decoration, but it is at least 35 years old. IMO for a biker´s cross it is too ugly...a quite strange piece.

Hello, this little (ugly) fellow came along with two British stars and I´m wondering if it is a propaganda IC or one of the crosses, you could buy in UK for money during WW1? The cross is unmagnetic, quite heavy (17,6 grams), smaller than the original equivalent and crooked / non-symetric. The core is black painted. Can anybody help me with some additional information or maybe pictures of a similar cross? I´m pretty sure, that it is quite old, not a modern fake. Thanks in advance. BR Roman

Wow, thank you for the additional information...quite interesting!

Thanks for your help, which is really appreciated. Unfortunately there are no more additional information from the seller (private person) on this cross and the rest of the badges and awards which were sold with this one. I will show you, once the stuff arrived. BR Roman

Hi, I just got offered and bought the 1914-15 star medal shown below. In my opinion it should be an original award, or? Now I need some help in identifying the previous owner. I read 2262 L-Cpl. J.Botham, Linc.R. L-Cpl. should stand for Lance Corporal (J.Botham)...does Linc.R. mean Royal Lincolnshire Regiment? What would be the value of this medal, as it is definitely not my area of collection. Thanks in advance. BR Roman

No, a Lippe-Detmold war merit cross 1st class doesn´t exist...but it pretty much looks like a Lippe-Detmold cross for heroic deeds, like the attached one. In addition the guy wears also the ribbon for the war merit cross Lippe-Detmold. Do I see correctly a "55" on the shoulder of the upper left guy? If yes, everything would fit, as the 55 infantry-regiment was the one from Lippe-Detmold. Best regards Roman

No, not only a valor award, it was also awarded by non-combatants, e.g. teachers. It was somehow turned into a valor award for the veterans of the war 1870/71 by spending later the swords for the ribbon.

Tztztz...lovely nice little bar...everything fits including the swords on the ribbon (showing that the former owner awarded the silver cross during the war 1870/71 and "awarded" in 1912 as a veteran). By the way, here is a very similar medalbar from my collection, unfortunately without swords.... Best regards Roman

Thanks for the correction...you are right... By the way, with Google Maps I found the place, where this picture was taken...there is still a restaurant with the same name. Regards Roman

Nice idea....here is a rare one from my collection (snapshot of my great grandfather): A marine officer is greating together with some paratroopers an officer of the Luftwaffe (see flag on the car). The marine officer is also wearing the Kuban shield...

Hi Dave, difficult question, which only can be answered with the help of the award receipts (stored in the archive). In general since 1915 the LMVM was lower ranked than the LK, which was usually awarded together with the IC2. But even here exceptions exist, as I have documents in my collection stating the LMVM award and later the award of the IC2, without having the LK. By the way, formely the LMVM without swords on the medal was only awarded y high ranked officers and was turned in 1915 into a medal for the troops. Officers got during the WW1 at least the LK and / or the house-order. Regards Roman

Just discovered this nice topic regarding Sturm-Bataillon.... I also have to contribute something from my collection, directly received from the descendants of Fritz Kleineges, Wachtmeister at Sturmbat. No.5 (Rohr) / Haubitzen-Batterie - award document for Lippe-Detmold cross for heroic deeds (received on 11th June 1918) - the rest of his awards (IC1, black wound-badge, Feldehrenzeichen) Regards Roman

Hi gents, I would like to show you a quite rare picture of Prince Woldemar zur Lippe-Detmold, who was ruling the principal Lippe-Detmold from 1875-1895. Pictures of him are quite rare...on this one he is wearing the uniform of a "Rechtsritter des Johanniter-Orden" ? Regards Roman

To be honest I don´t know exactly. I think I was reading somewhere, that these medals were given during a visit of the Prince to "his" soldiers, as the IR 55 was always considered as the Lippe-Regiment. My guess would be a retrospective ceremony.

Hello Laurentius, thank you ? I asked a very good question, which already caused 100 years ago a quite significant confusion. In fact, following the statutes, the military merit medal was awarded, when the deeds of the soldier were not sufficent enough to receive the war merit cross (and / or the Prussian Iron Cross). But especially at the beginning of the war (1914-1916) almost nobody returned his military merit medal after receiving the cross and even the "Staatsministerium" was unsure about the returning procedure. So the Prince was officially asked about it and in 1917 the "Militärkabinett" sent an official letter to the Staatsministerium in order to clearify that the medal had to be returned after receiving the cross (I have a copy of this letter in my files). If you go through the receipts of the military merit medal you will find various stamped receipts, stating that the medal was returned after awarding the cross. To summarize...some did it and some not. That´s why you find medalbars with both awards as well. There was only one exception: In 1915 the Prince ordered to award 55 wounded soldiers of the IR 55 with the military merit medal (without swords!), used more like a wound badge...these 55 medals had not to be returned!. Below you will find an example of such a stamped receipt of the war merit cross. I hope, I explained it in an understandable way...quite complicate topic. Regards Roman