Another nice medal bar from the Australian War Collection

[Jason]

Here's another one I found on the AWM site that you may enjoy seeing...2 nice bars that came from the family of Leutnant Kurt Phillip Rudolf Ehrenberg. The following is the information listed with the bars courtesy of the AWM:

Summary:

Medals associated with the service of Leutnant Doktor Kurt Phillip Rudolf Ehrenberg, born 31 January 1893, who served with the German Army in France in the First World War, commanding an artillery sound ranging company, or Schallmesstrupp. A member of an academic family whose ancestors include Martin Luther, Ehrenberg was an architect based in Berlin who wrote an architectural history of the city of Karlsruhe (where the family moved in 1931) and designed two kilometres worth of wine cellars for one of the Czarist princes in the Crimea. Ehrenberg married a Jewish woman after the war and had a daughter and a son, Rudolf, who was born on 14 August 1921. Rudolf attended the Bismark Gymnasium in Karlsruhe from 1931 until 1936, but soon after the family moved there, they began to feel the growing effects of anti-Semitism. One day Rudolf's German language teacher arrived for lessons clad in full SS uniform; Kurt's car was requisitioned by the SA and Kurt's brother (also named Rudolf), Professor of Biology at the University of Gottingen, was stripped of his post and sent to serve with the Labour Corps. As a result Kurt Ehrenberg decided to get his family out of Germany. His daughter married and emigrated to the United States and his son Rudolf was sent to stay with his uncle, Max Born in Edinburgh (Born later won the 1954 Noble Prize in Physics and had devoted much time in 1915 and 1916 as a member of the German Army developing the theory of sound ranging). Kurt and his wife only managed to escape two weeks before war was declared in 1939. Kurt eventually immigrated to Australia with his son and his son's family.

cheers!

Jas

Edited February 9, 2011 by Jason

[Wild Card]

Excellent presentation and a beautiful bar of four.

Thank you for sharing.

:cheers:

[Jason]

They also have his EK1, and a couple of pics of him.

Cheers

Jas

[Jason]

His EK1 award ceremony

[saschaw]

Great Jason, thanks!

I wish I'd been on the Bismarck, too. ;)

[VtwinVince]

Very nice group, especially with the St. Stanislaus.

[Paul R]

That is an exceptional grouping with an even better lineage. Thank you!!

[Chris Dale]

That is an exceptional grouping with an even better lineage. Thank you!!

I can only agree, great work Jase!

And there's more Imperial German medals at the AWM too-

http://www.awm.gov.a...d_subjects_text

I particularly like this one-

http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/REL34246

"DescriptionGerman ribbon bar containing in order from left to right - Iron Cross, Austrian-Hungarian Medal for Bravery with miniature medal (Tapferkeitsmedaille Third Class), Cross of Honour for the Great War 1914-1918 with miniature medal, Turkish War Medal 1915. Also one loose Cross of Honour ribbon for the Great War 1914-1918 and one loose Tapferkeitsmedaille red and white ribbon.SummaryAssociated with the First World War service of Otto Wilhelm Anton Rubitschung, Calvary Platoon 702 of the German Imperial Army. Rubitschung was wounded, and was one of 10 German officers and 348 German other ranks captured by 1 Light Horse Brigade at Abu Tellul, Palestine on 14 July 1918. Upon his capture an Australian officer, Major Archie Dick who served with the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, confiscated his cigarette case, field glasses, and case for his pistol, which fortuitously contained Rubitschung's pre-war address in Germany. Rubitschung was later interned at a prisoner of war camp in Cairo.

For his actions at Abu Tellul, Major Dick was recommended for, and awarded the Distinguished Service Order. After the war when released from Cairo, Rubitschung returned to Germany for a period of time to finish his medical training, before relocating his family to Palestine to practice as a medical doctor. During this time, Archie Dick managed to contact him and the two started a correspondence.

In 1941, during the Second World War, the family was transported from Palestine to Australia along with numerous other German families, to be interned at Tatura, German Camp 3, in Victoria. Dick, who ran a wheat farm near Port Augusta in South Australia, had re-enlisted for service in 1941 and was stationed at the Loveday Internment Camp in South Australia. A few months later Dick went to Tatura and was able to meet Rubitschung and his family when they arrived. There he intervened on behalf of the family, and they received improved accommodation.

The family remained at Tatura for the remainder of the war, with Rubitschung working as the doctor in charge of Compound C. After the war, the family were unable to return to either Germany or Palestine, and as such settled and eventually became naturalised in Australia. Unfortunately, Rubitschung was unable to practice medicine in Australia due to his undertaking his training in Germany. The government offered him the opportunity to work in Papua New Guinea for a period of time, which would in turn entitle him to practice in Australia. However not wanting to be separated from his family, Rubitschung declined the offer and instead found work as an orderly at Wentworth Hospital, where he also helped conduct post-mortems."

Cheers

Chris

Edited February 10, 2011 by Chris Dale

[Jason]

The decorations shown in Chris's link were on display under glass many years ago, I was able to photograph them (badly) on a trip there. There were some amazing pieces, if I can find the pics I'll scan them and post them up once my PC is back online.

cheers

Jas

[VtwinVince]

Good Lord, that is an incredible collection they have there.

[Jason]

They sure do!! Until you see them laid out in rows its hard to imagine a more complete collection of decorations...I remember years ago a fellow collector went down there and saw the collection first hand, they apparently have huge metal drawer units lined with felt FULL of medals, bars and badges.

[Jason]

Gentlemen - SUCCESS!!!

I have received an email this afternoon from the curator of heraldry at the AWM advising there will be no problem viewing and photographing the decorations. If there are any of them you guys would like me to photograph for you let me know the AWM reference number(s) and I'll send the list to them on Monday next week...I'm hoping to see the lot, but time (and the curator's patience) may be a factor.

cheers

Jas

[Ulsterman]

This thread is excellent!

I had NO idea Born was german.