The Oberleutnant From ... Everywhere

[Guest Rick Research]

Somehow Santa was able to get through the anecdotal global warming for Christmas and bring this puzzler to live at my house:

First off-- note the BMV4X ribbon is a 25mm width meticulously folded down TIGHT to "match" all the other 15mm wide ribbons.

How could that common a ribbon have been out of stock? Was this guy SO desperate for a "while-you-wait" ribbon bar at the corner Ma & Pa Cigars, Watches, & Ribbon Bar Emporium that it HAD to be made this way?

But this now begs the question---

Was he a PRUSSIAN?

Was he a BAVARIAN?

Prussian EK2 1914

Bavarian MMO4X

W?rttemberg Friedrich Order Knight (2nd? 1st?) X

Hamburg Hanseatic CRoss

Saxon Albert Order Knight (1st? 2nd?) X

Hindenburg Cross X

Bulgarian Military Merit Order 5th Class with Crown and Swords

and that's our only rank clue, since it was usually given to German Oberleutnants

If he was a young junior Lieutenant from Bavarian Inf Rgt 4 that could account for 3 of the 6 awards (BMV4X, EK2, WF3bX). He'd have to have joined or been commissioned after the last 1911 type Luitpold army jubilee medal was handed out.

Then again, whether REGULAR or RESERVE he could well have been promoted to Captain during the war, so one of his Orders could be a "bX" and the other an "aX"-- WF3aX and SA3bX? WF3bX and SA3aX?

Needless to say, although I am not looking forward to anything else in the coming Year Of Horror, I am most assuredly looking forward to Bernd's Bavarian Rolls and Daniel's W?rttemberg.

Until then... sleepless nights... pacing the floors... wearing holes in the carpets... :cheers:

[Riley1965]

Hi Rick,

The Bulgarian Military Merit Order 5th Class with Crown and Swords is a VERY Beautiful medal!!! I notice that the ribbon uses basically the same colors/pattern as the Bravery Medal (which is so UGLY )

Доц

[Guest Rick Research]

Yup-- that was their generic "all bravery awards" ribbon, so only having the crown above the Xs identifies which one it was.

Very rarely, some German outfitters had devices with the actual Bulgarian crown, but most just used that ordinary German version as "on hand."

[Ulsterman]

Hmmmmm...thinking pilot.....images of Sopworth Camels plunging earthward in flames....

[Guest Rick Research]

Yeah-- that was my initial impression too. It's a strangely "broad" combination which doesn't suggest any composite divisional affiliation, and the guy was for at least part of the war only an Oberleutnant, so not a General Staff officer throughout.

An ace-- or a flicker of cigarette lighters? :cheeky: