Mystery white enamelled Cross to FM Alexander- What is it ?

[lilo]

Hello All,

I'm new of this forum and I would like to know if some of you can help me in correctly identify an Order weared by the future british Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George ALEXANDER, when He was the commander of THE LANDWEHR in Latvia in 1919.

Below I have attached a photo (taken from a biographical book of Field Marshal H.R.L.G. ALEXANDER) that show the young Alexander wearing an uniform that seems to be Russian or German [??]. Below this photo there is an inscription that is almost illegible but that make as following :

'COMMANDER OF THE LANDWEHR in Latvia 1919'

As you can easily note, in the same photo Alexander clearly wear a 'White Enamelled Cross' on his left breast.

Moreover, a kind member of another forum gave me the following information taken from the 'Oxford Dictionary of National Biography':-

Quote:

"Not wishing to go back to barracks or to the army of occupation in Germany, Alexander applied in 1919 for an appointment to one of the many military missions in eastern Europe. He was first posted as a member of the allied relief commission in Poland under Stephen Tallents and later went with Tallents to Latvia, which was in danger of falling either to Russia or to Germany. The allies had no troops in the Baltic and only a small naval detachment under Sir Walter Cowan. Tallents placed the Landwehr, composed of Baltic Germans, under Alexander's command. At the age of twenty-seven he found himself at the head of a brigade-sized formation with mainly German officers. He was good at languages and had taught himself German and Russian; his authority derived from his charm and sincerity and his obvious professionalism. He kept his men steady and resistant to the attractions of the German expeditionary force under von der Goltz and led them to victory in the campaign which drove the Red Army from Latvia..

Alexander retained all his life a keen interest in Russia. During the First World War he designed a new uniform cap for himself with a high visor and flat peak, on the model of one he had seen a Russian officer wearing. He always wore the order of St Anne with swords which Yudenich awarded him in 1919; when he met Rokossovsky in 1945 the Russian general muttered to him in an aside that he had once had it too. In the Second World War, like Churchill, he admired Stalin and was enthusiastic about the Soviet army."

Unquote :

Having NOT clear the exact nationality of the 'Landwehr' and, in consequence, of the relative uniform weared by Alexander in the photo, I tried to compare some photo of 'Russian' and 'German' Orders I have in my database but any match with the Cross in the photo. Someone also suggested me to check any of the White Russian Orders but what I found still didn't match.

My Question :

Any idea about what is the Order He is wearing in the photo ?

Awaiting to hear from you

Best Regards

Lilo

P.S. for obvious reasons I repost this thread in the 'Imperial Russia' section of this splendid forum.

Edited November 28, 2007 by lilo

[Guest Rick Research]

The cap is German (God knows what colors the cockade bore), the gimnastyorka "village idiot" smock is Tsarist. Cannot see his shoulder boards clearly enough to tell what they were, but may gbe German or a local creation.

I do not recognize the badge.

[lilo]

The cap is German (God knows what colors the cockade bore), the gimnastyorka "village idiot" smock is Tsarist. Cannot see his shoulder boards clearly enough to tell what they were, but may gbe German or a local creation.

I do not recognize the badge.

Hi Rick,

thanks for the answer.

So, considering that the uniform was 'German', must I consider that the Order is also 'Imperial German' ?

Lilo

[Guest Rick Research]

No. The UNIFORM (at least the smock) is Tsarist Russian. The cross is typical of some sort of Russian unit badge.

The cross of the Baltic Landwehr itself does not fit this shape, though.

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo Lilo

Any chance you can scan or photo the Cross area rather than the whole page??

Might give a better idea what we are looking at!

Many thanks,

Kevin in Deva.

[lilo]

Hello Rick

After all day passed in searching for this 'white enamelled cross' I was starting to suspect that it wasn't at all an Order but some sort of Russian (or less probable Polish) unit badge. I didn't told this before because I didn't want influence nobody with my thinking to have a more free guess.

However I would hear also what others think about Rick's and mine guessing.

Kevin,

Unfortunately I don't have the book in question (I took the photo from ebay) so that I posted is all that I can post.

Awaiting to hear more from you

Regards

Lilo

Edited November 28, 2007 by lilo

[saschaw]

The cross of the Baltic Landwehr itself does not fit this shape, though.

Well, I'm pretty sure this i s a "Ehrenkreuz der Baltischen Landeswehr" from 1919 ...

[Kev in Deva]

Well, I'm pretty sure this i s a "Ehrenkreuz der Baltischen Landeswehr" from 1919 ...

Hi saschaw,

is this the cross you refer too??,

I believe this type, (Class II shown here,) does not look like the one in the picture:

picture borrowed from Militaria 123.com

Kevin in Deva

[saschaw]

Yes this is it, but without swords, as a pin ack cross, and as a real one ...

I'm not sure, the picture ist not of best quality, but in MY humble opinion it is ... ;o)

[Kev in Deva]

Seems the question has been already resolved for us, see:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=2346...mp;#entry222930

Kevin in Deva

[lilo]

Yes this is it, but without swords, as a pin ack cross, and as a real one ...

I'm not sure, the picture ist not of best quality, but in MY humble opinion it is ... ;o)

Hello Gents,

I think that Saschaw was been correct in thinking that what Alexander was wearing is really the "Ehrenkreuz der Baltischen Landeswehr" from 1919 .

I'm waiting an answer to definitively confirm this fact and as soon as I'll have the confirm, I'll post it here.

I would like to know :

1) Is it the "Ehrenkreuz der Baltischen Landeswehr" from 1919 an Order/Decoration OR is it an 'Unit badge' ?

2) If it is an Order/Decoration, what are the colours of the ribbon pertaining this award ?

Thanks in advance

Best Regards

Lilo

Edited December 1, 2007 by lilo

[lilo]

CONFIRMED !

the Cross ALexanders wears is the :

Badge of the Landwehr

Intended to distinguish members of the Landwehr. It appears as a straight-sided, white metal cross, covered with white enamel with a narrow sky-blue edging along the sides of the cross. On the cross is laid sword with its handle upwards, over which is a shield with a cross of black enamel. The reverse side is smooth with a pin for wearing.

So our member Saschaw was rigth !

NOW IT SHOULD BE IMPORTANT TO ME THAT SOME MEMBER KINDLY ANSWER TO THE 2 BELOW QUESTIONS :

1) Is it the Badge of the Landwehr (or "Ehrenkreuz der Baltischen Landeswehr") an Order/Decoration OR is it an 'Unit badge' ?

2) If it is an Order/Decoration, what are the colours of the ribbon pertaining this cross ?

Hoping that you answer my question

Thanks in advance

Best Regards

Lilo

P.S.

A precisation : We cannot see the 'swords' under the shield (with the black enamelled cross) because in the exemplar worn by Alexander this sword was part of the enamell and not in relief as in the photo our member Kev in Deva have furnished.

Edited December 2, 2007 by lilo

[saschaw]

I think it's a "decoration", but a Freikorps expert could verify this. As it's a pinback award, it has NO ribbon.

A precisation : We cannot see the 'swords' under the shield (with the black enamelled cross) because in the exemplar worn by Alexander this sword was part of the enamell and not in relief as in the photo our member Kev in Deva have furnished.

The cross comes with or without swords, so as we don't see swords on the picture I think this one is one without.

[Anonymus]

1) Is it the "Ehrenkreuz der Baltischen Landeswehr" from 1919 an Order/Decoration OR is it an 'Unit badge' ?

2) If it is an Order/Decoration, what are the colours of the ribbon pertaining this award ?

Thanks in advance

Best Regards

Lilo

It was unit badge.