New "Noncombattant" Bar?

[sambolini]

Hi,

I got his bar from D.N. this week. What really strikes me about it is that every award on it is noncombattant with the exception of the iron cross. In fact it almost looks to be a bar of a civilian beamter with the Hess Phillip Silver Cross and Austrian Merit cross on civilian/N.C. ribbon. However, the fellow was a reservist as indicated by his L.S. award and he also has the Centenary medal. Could he have been working close enough to the front to get an EK2 on war ribbon (i.e. transport, supplies, etc.) or perhaps sat at a desk back in Germany?

Regards,

Sam

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

For some time I have been working on the theory, (and so far it seems to be sure) that soldiers getting the EK for service (including those back in Germany) got one with a black ribbon. Everyone outside of Germany (in occupied areas) got the black ribbon, even if 500 kms away from the front. So a black ribboned EK with non combatant medals is by no means unusual.

best

Chris

[sambolini]

Hi Chris,

Many thanks for the input. I had a bar some years ago that was similar in that it had all N.C. awards (i.e. Hindenburg, Africa, China, all N.C. versions) but with a combattant EK2 like this bar. It ended up being potentially traced to a Navy doctor I believe. It certainly makes for some interesting speculation.

Regards,

Sam

[Ulsterman]

Interesting. I have been trying to come up with a career for this guy-the Austrian medal and the LS medal are odd as is the mounting. Still, I kept thinking "trains" or "quartermaster", but homestly have no clue.

[sambolini]

Hi Ulsterman,

Thanks for your thoughts. I have to assume by odd mounting you mean the precedence the awards are mounted in. I too thought about this. I have seen such "out of order" bars before, especially those assembled post 1918. The bar I mentioned to Chris B. was also assembled oddly. It had a Red Cross 2nd in second place after the EK2 and before the Hindenburg, Red Eagle, etc. I no longer own the bar, but believe I have a pic around here somewhere. I'll post a scan if I can find it.

Sam

[Claudio]

Hi Sam,

Interesting to see that DN has sold this medal bar. In fact, I can remember quite distinctly that this bar was on a table at the Gunzenhausen of another vendor last year. He wanted Eur 450.- much more that DN has sold this bar. I was very interested in this bar, but at that time for me the price was too high and the vendor wouldn't have gone down with the price. Now I see it on DN website for Eur 375.-. That means that that dealer in Gunzenhausen has passed this bar to DN for much less.

Sometimes I wonder why some dealers they want to make such a huge profit, risking not to sell their items and finally they exchange such items among them for much less! I can't really understand it...

Ciao,

Claudio

[Guest Rick Research]

The Austrian and Hessian crosses must have been carelessly reversed when the bar was made in 1938-- or maybe the wearer just thought it looked nicer that way.

But the Hessian Merit Cross of the Order of Philip the Generous would have gone top a higher rank/position (sergeant-major or equivalent in civil service) than the Austrian Silver Merit Cross with Crown (mid-level sergeant)-- suggesting which one he got first.

I'd say this fellow got both as a civil or court servant, so they actuaaly had nothing to do with the war. Having been on active duty in March 1897, he would have been just entering his 40s by war's end, so those are a couple of very nice awards to somebody of his status. He doesn't appear to have BEEN a Hessian, since there is nothing wartime from that state.

It's a very interesting combination. Oh for the matching award documents that would explain all!!!!!!

[sambolini]

Hi Rick,

Thank you for your thoughts on this bar. If only the Germans had engraved at least some of their medals/orders as in the U.K. , It would certainly have made finding the stories behind some of these bars a little easier to discover. Then again, the search is part of the fun of collecting, also, They would be much less affordable. British groups have always been sooooo expensive (and usually, but not always, less attractive )

Sam