Pre war pic

[Sal Williams]

I saw this guy on ebay, curious about the awards and uniform. They said it was early 30's

[Hauptmann]

I saw this guy on ebay, curious about the awards and uniform. They said it was early 30's

Hi Sal,

Believe he's an Austrian. Will have to leave it to more expert eyes to tell you more.

Dan

[Kev in Deva]

I saw this guy on ebay, curious about the awards and uniform. They said it was early 30's

Hallo Sal,

Yep he is a Austrian WW1 veteran, I believe a Lieutenant with the Carol Silver Bravery Medal, Carol Troop Cross, Austrian WW1 Commemorative (issued in 1934ish), followed by Austrian Red Cross? blur, blur, and a blur

the collar tags beside the stars may even be for a machinegun unit!! Ricky would know

Any chance of a better scan or picture???

Kevin in Deva

Edited December 13, 2006 by Kev in Deva

[Guest Rick Research]

Very "Cabinet of Doctor Caligari" lighting!!!

Yes, machinegunner, WW1 uniform and insignia. Not sure he's an oifficer, but then I can't see any shoulder cords in that melodramatic GLOOM.

he's got the Austrian WW1 Commemorative medal in there, with swords on the ribbon so no earlier than 1934.

Rather like Gore Vidal here, apparently taken in the same funhouse photo booth, wearing his Prussian Gold Military Merit Cross out of his buttonhole, mid-1930s yet wearing a pre-war Prussian enlisted man's BLUE tunic with shooting cord:

Makes you wonder what they were thinking-- or drinking-- before getting Permanently Immortalized in their OLD uniforms.

[Ulsterman]

Isn't that a big Karl silver bravery medal? The medals behind the imperial red cross medal make me think Hungarian. I don't see a long service medal in there.

[Ulsterman]

..and aren't those swords on the red cross medal?

[Guest Rick Research]

That array is:

Franz Joseph Silver Bravery Medal 1st Class

Karl Troop Cross

Karl Wound Medal

Austrian WW1 Commemorative medal with Xs on ribbon (not Red Cross)

? (possibly a self-awarded "1873" general War Medal)

Tyrol WW1

Hungarian WW1.

[Chip]

Rick,

In your photo it looks like this man qualified for his shooting cord while in the artillery. At least it looks like a silver shell hanging from the lower end.

Chip