non combat ek2 medal bar

[scottplen]

rick this is the bar could it be ided? i did not know how to send you the link!!

were would i start to try to id this?

scott :rolleyes:

[Ulsterman]

Scott, sadly I doubt very seriously if this can be traced. But hope springs eternal. Somewhere out there there is a photo of an O5+ officer wearing this bar.

However, the "story" this bar tells is a valid one.

As I said, I have a similar photo, which I think Stogieman once owned...see below.

Below is a typical rear echelon navy officer: judicial, administrative, quartermaster/feurwerks, signals, engineering etc... somebody who probably used algebra and math in their day job. Note no bar on the China medal. It would not surprise me at all if this guy was on the harbormasters' staff at one of the Belgian ports and it would explain the black/white ribbon a la the Boonzair thesis of "war zone" EK2 awards (as well as one of the famous @6,000 homeland service black/white ribbon awards Rick mentions).

Your bar argues for a similar technical career officer who did something important at home-and I'd bet that noncom. EK2 was handed out postwar. However, given he was in the armed forces probably in 1896 and definetly in 1897 and that there's no wreath, I'd bet he was demobbed in the 1920s and brought back in when rearmament started in 1934+

Edited January 9, 2009 by Ulsterman

[Paul C]

The ID is hopeless because the person was some type of official which are not listed Reichwehr Army ranklists.

[Ulsterman]

But there are Administrative lists out there....there's always hope....albeit little. :Cat-Scratch:

[Guest Rick Research]

Note the back-to-front China improperly worn before the Hindenburg Cross in the photo. The pre-war Colonial medals end up in as screwy positions as the "Sitzfleischorden" as one ex-Luftwaffe officer told me they called the desk-job KVKs.

I missed all this in the week I was without a computer for routine mechanical repairs.

These days, I can't advise accurately on prices (I miss the days of printed forever catalogs ) but I like both bars seen here... typical lifelong low ranking Beamten.

Paul's right about it probably being overpriced... but then look at what people pay for 5 MILLION "black white" EK 2s ("because" it has This Mark or That Mark... loose ) versus 13,000 "white black" ribboned ones. From that perspective a MOUNTED (not loose ) "white black" EK 2 is a treasure indeed. So, as a set with the ribbon bar... you have not done badly assuming you are going to keep this.

We ARE coming up fast on the 2014 Centennial.

But I agree with Jeff-- because this is a Pure Prussian combination, it will not be traceable. If there was some award from another state odd enough to be remarkable, and IF we can actually come up with one of the all but mythical Weimar-era military Beamten segregated Rank Lists (I do so hope they show awards!) THEN-- if the wearer was an officer equivalent and not a senior NCO level-- no way to tell from these awards-- at least there would be a Short List.

From the Feldgrau backing on the medal bar, I'd say it was almost certainly worn by an Army Beamter.

Note that he had service from before 1897 and was still in uniform in October 1936... but there are no 40 year oakleaves on either the medal bar or ribbon bar. I'd say this bar set dates from 1936-39 and was either put away when the war started in 1939 or he had actually retired before the 40 year oakleaves came out-- he might, after all, have entered service in 1892 or 1889 rather than 1896. Because there is no WW2 award on the bars, I'd say it's a 1930s set.

My paymaster Admiral never bothered updating his medal bar after the war started, either.

Great condition and nice set.

[scottplen]

thanks rick and guys!!!! I thought it was a long shot! i a going to keep it i think it is a sweet bar! :cheers: