Common medals in a rare combination

[JensF.]

I think there are about 100000000000000000000 single War Merit Medals 1939 around, but this is maybe the third big medal-bar in 5 years on which I see a mounted KVM 39.

-EKII with high detail stamped iron core, maker "R" (large ring) and a "g" at the small ring

-Sachsen Friedrich-August Medal in Silver (real silver)

-Hindenburg-Cross (maker R.V. Pforzheim 18)

-KVM 1939 made from bronze (no maker)

[JensF.]

If someone has another medal-bar with a mounted KVM, please post! Any idea why they are so rare on medal-bars?

[Guest Rick Research]

I had the usual Bavarian WW1 trio plus a KVM years ago in pre-computer days.

I think they are so rare mounted because the "usual" sort of person who got one was a war plant worker or a civilian who did not have any other medals to wear one with. I don't think I've ever seen a single mounted KVM, for example.

This is a very nice bar in the correct early precedence before its position was upgraded to in front of campaign medals, around 1942+. This guy must have been a "second place winner" in a civilian job because non-military awards of the KVK and KVM were "rationed" to specific numbers annually that a given local civil or political authority was able to give out-- so if Landrat X only had 3 KVK2s he was allowed to award, but 10 KVMs...

this was the "runner up" prize.

Another thing-- despite the huge numbers of the loose KVM medals we see-- where are all the award documents for them? I don't think I have seen ten Urkunden in 30 years!

[Chris Boonzaier]

The rarest combination I ever had (documents) was 3 medals to one man

1) KVK2 with swords

2) KVK2 without swords

3) KVM

Would have been a very intresting bar.

[Chris Boonzaier]

If I remember correctly the 1) was for bravery in an air raid, 2) had something to do with his job as Blockleiter and 3) as a locksmith.

[Jason]

Hi gents

here's my little KVM bar.

cheers Jason

[Jason]

By the way Jens, thats a really beautiful bar you 've posted!!

cheers Jason

[Dave Danner]

Jason, aside from the KVM that's an interesting combination.

Combatant EK and Friedrich August Cross, with combatant Ehrenkreuz f?r Frontk?mpfer, plus the Red Cross Medals and a non-combatant Hungarian WW1 Commemorative. Front half says combat soldier and back half says medic.

[Stogieman]

I have one with both the KVK, no swords, and the KVM! I think maybe the third like that I've seen until today!

[Jason]

Hi Dave, cheers. Its a really puzzling bar, you're right......I sometimes wish bars like these were researchable. Maybe someone who started as a medic and ended up a combatant, or vise-versa???

Its a toughie!

cheers Jason

[David Gregory]

Hi Dave, cheers. Its a really puzzling bar, you're right......I sometimes wish bars like these were researchable. Maybe someone who started as a medic and ended up a combatant, or vise-versa???

Its a toughie!

cheers Jason

Jason,

It might also just be the way that the awarding bodies classified the type of award.

Award groups to military medical personnel might contain combattant awards for front-line service, and non-combattant awards for men in similar units who never got close enough to the front to even hear a barrage. I have seen both as document groups with the associated medal bars, and at least one documented group which suggested that a combattant award was bestowed by one state for front-line service, and a non-combattant award by another state for service probably far from the front during a different phase of the war.

To throw further confusion on the issue, I have a Milit?rpass and other documents to a man who mainly served with Saxon medical units from 1914 to 1918 and was awarded the Saxon Friedrich-August-Medaille in silver, the EK2 and the Hessen Milit?r-Sanit?ts-Kreuz. The latter award was bestowed on both the red/white ribbon for non-combattants and the blue/red ribbon of the Hessen Allgemeines Ehrenzeichen for combattants. Judging by the service record entries in his Milit?rpass, he was probably awarded the cross on the blue/red ribbon for combattants and I assume his EK2 was also on the black/white ribbon.

David

[Ulsterman]

Jens and Jason:

Those are wonderful bars.

I have seen wartime SA photographs with men wearing the KVM on their medal bars.

Edited December 2, 2005 by Ulsterman

[Stogieman]

Mine is interesting in that the 2 mentioned pieces (KVK2ns,MKVK) are mounted with a pile of WW1 combat awards... I would have loved to have seen documents to this fellow!

[Bob Hunter]

I think this three place Saxon qualifies with an older three piece version of the Albert Cross to the Albert Order on one end and the Prussian General Decoration on the other.

[Bob Hunter]

reverse

[Stogieman]

I'll interject that even as an ex-patriot Saxon collector, this makes exactly three of these 3-piece AK's I have had a cjance to handle....... ever! Very, very hard to find cross!

[Bob Hunter]

Thanks for adding value to the product, Rick.