Heer Three-Place Medal Bar by ECK

[tyanacek]

Hello guys,

I bought this all-Third Reich three-placer over the weekend. The bar was assembled by ECK and it is always a nice bonus when you can find a medal bar with a label of the assembler.

The bar is very typical of ECK's work, with light gray wool backing cloth, squared-off ribbon rosettes, and their label affixed centered and along the lower edge of the backing cloth. Also typical of ECK's work was the use of suspension hooks for the medals, rather then sewing them down to under-wrap ribbons. In this way the medals could be removed if necessary.

Best regards,

Tom

[Paul R]

It looks like you did really well this weekend. That is another beautiful bar.

[tyanacek]

It looks like you did really well this weekend. That is another beautiful bar.

Thank you, Paul!

Here is another medal bar by ECK,, showing the consistency in their method of assembly.

Best regards,

Tom

[Ulsterman]

Very nice!

[Chris Boonzaier]

I wonder if one did the demographics, if the Schutzwall Ehrenzeichen is waaaaay more represented on bars of Germans with home bases along the French Frontier? I imagine a Division from Hamburg would not really have had a chance to get them?

[tyanacek]

Very nice!

I wonder if one did the demographics, if the Schutzwall Ehrenzeichen is waaaaay more represented on bars of Germans with home bases along the French Frontier? I imagine a Division from Hamburg would not really have had a chance to get them?

Thanks for the comments, Ulsterman and Chris.

I never once considered the demographic trends of Westwall Medal recipients, but it would only make sense that they would utilize units in close proximity to the area rather than bringing in units from out of the way places in the Reich. So I bet that the majority, by far, of Westwall Medal recipients were from areas bordering France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Likewise, I have a feeling that most medal bars having a Westwall Medal were assembled in shops situated along the Rhein River, in places such as Mannheim, Wiesbaden, Köln, Koblenz, and (of course) Frankfurt am Main.

Best regards,

Tom

[P.F.]

Some great examples Tom.

Here are a few of my 'ECK' medal bars. Their style of mounting is certainly recognisable, for me anyway!

Best regards

Pierce

[tyanacek]

Hi Pierce,

Both a very nice medal bars. I especially like your seven-placer with the NSDAP 10-Year Long Service Decoration. I remember when you first acquired that one and how envious I was.

Best regards,

Tom