Bulgaria Some (very) basic questions

[redeagleorder]

Hello all,

Some basic questions about WW1 Bulgarian awards. As I understand it, Bulgaria awarded the Soldier's Cross for Bravery and the Military Order for Bravery during WW1. The former was split into 4 whilst the latter was split into 6.

Now for the questions: Was the Soldiers' cross for bravery awarded purely to privates or also NCO's? Or were NCOs awarded the sixth class of the Military Order? Did they also receive the 'with crown' version? Also, were the gold (1st and 2nd class) and the silver (3rd and fourth class) awarded according to the status of the recipient of for different degrees of bravery? Did the award of a higher class require the previous award of a lower?

Thank you very much.

PS: Here are pics of the awards, just in case the names are wrong:

Soldiers' Bravery Cross

Military Order for Bravery

[Dave Danner]

Your second picture is not the Military Order for Bravery, but rather the Silver Cross (6th Class) of the National Order for Military Merit.

The Military Order for Bravery had these classes:

Grand Cross - monarchs

1st Class - mainly generals

2nd Class - mainly colonels and lt. colonels

3rd Class - mainly majors and some captains

4th Class - captains and lieutenants

In 1915, the 3rd and 4th classes were divided into two grades each. In each case, the 1st grade was a pinback cross and the 2nd grade was a breast badge. This was similar to the way the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class are divided. I know of colonels with the 1st Class, so the classes weren't rigid.

The Soldier's Crosses had four grades:

1st - gilt cross with ribbon bow

2nd - gilt cross without bow

3rd - silver cross with ribbon bow

4th - silver cross without bow

These were generally awarded based on rank, with the silver cross for junior enlisted men and the gilt cross for NCOs, but multiple awards could be made. There is a picture in my book on Bulgarian awards of a Yefreitor (lance corporal) with three Soldier's Crosses. At least one has a bow, but they are hard to make out.

The Military Order for Bravery was the basic bravery decoration, but during wartime the lower classes of the National Order for Military Merit could also be awarded "on the ribbon of the Military Order for Bravery" and could also be awared with a "war decoration" wreath as a special combat distinction. The Order of St. Alexander could also be awarded with swords, but I think this was mostly awarded for military merit rather than bravery.

[redeagleorder]

Thank you for that detailed expalantion Dave!! So in general an NCO would be awarded the gilt version of the Soldiers' Cross (meaning the 1st or 2nd class) whilst a private would be given the silver version (3rd or 4th class)? I assume this applied to foreign nations like Germany and Austria as well during WW1? And the other two decorations (the National Order of Military Merit and the Military Order for Bravery) were strictly officer-only?

Thanks once again!!

Matthew

[Dave Danner]

Thank you for that detailed expalantion Dave!! So in general an NCO would be awarded the gilt version of the Soldiers' Cross (meaning the 1st or 2nd class) whilst a private would be given the silver version (3rd or 4th class)? I assume this applied to foreign nations like Germany and Austria as well during WW1? And the other two decorations (the National Order of Military Merit and the Military Order for Bravery) were strictly officer-only?

Thanks once again!!

Matthew

Yes, Bulgaria followed the same basic rule as most European monarchies of the era (and some to this day). Officers received the class of an order of knighthood appropriate to their rank and enlisted men received a cross or medal, usually associated with that order. There were exceptions, such as the Red Baron, a Rittmeister, receiving a class of the Order of the Red Eagle normally given to colonels. And in several states the lowest class of the order was often awarded to very senior NCOs, such as the German Feldwebelleutnant. This appears to be the case in Bulgaria, where the 6th Class of the National Order for Military Merit, the silver cross in your post, was awarded to some senior NCOs and warrant officer-equivalents. This would also appear to be the case with the 6th Class of the Order of St. Alexander, which was also a non-enamelled silver cross.

Since the Tsars of Bulgaria from Ferdinand I on were Saxe-Coburgs. it shouldn't be surprising that this is similar to the pattern with the Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House Order, which had several classes for officers, associated merit crosses for senior NCO/officials, and merit medals for regular NCOs and enlisted men.

[redeagleorder]

Okay, thanks once again Dave for that info!!!