Austria-Hungary KuK Soldiers wearing medals - show your photos

[Markgraf]

1st Lt. with I. & II. class Silver Bravery Medals and Karl Truppenkreutz. He recieved as Fähnrich or lower rank because these Bravery Medals were non-officer awards.

Thank you for your commentary, Markgraf. I always have difficulty distinguishing between the rank insignia for a Gefreiter and for a Leutnant/Oberleutnant as they seem the same or similar to me. Because of the awards, which you point out are for non-commissioned ranks, I had assumed he was a Gefreiter. How can you tell, in this particular case, that he is actually an Oberleutnant, please?

Oops...just Leutenant not Oberleutnant, excuse me.

The surest evidence is the lack of the shoulder straps. Normally the the infantry officers didn't have shoulder straps. The second thing his rank stars - the stars for enlisted made from "bone" (celluloid) and had different form. Tomorrow I will show some photos about it!

[Trooper_D]

The surest evidence is the lack of the shoulder straps. Normally the the infantry officers didn't have shoulder straps. The second thing his rank stars - the stars for enlisted made from "bone" (celluloid) and had different form. Tomorrow I will show some photos about it!

Ah, shoulder straps - thanks you for that tip. I also look forward to your photographic analysis of rank stars and I am sure I am not the only one who will learn something!

[Markgraf]

So, the stars:

On the left the regular rank stars for enlisted, on the right the embroidered stars for officers.

Sometimes the one year volunteers had metal stars on his privately purchased uniforms (Zugsführer)

The regular "bone" enlisted stars were vulnerable.

[Trooper_D]

I have just received this chap and really ought to try to digitally clean him up but I though he might be of interest so am posting him in his natural state rather than wait. I wonder if anyone might be able to a comment as to how or why an oberleutant might end up with the Iron Crown and two Military Merit medals (I guess silver and bronze, with one of them being pre-war) - not to mention a certain German award?

Edited January 15, 2014 by Trooper_D

[Markgraf]

Really, a well-decorated officer, but it wasn't rare during wartime...

Otherwise he is a member of a mounted branch. The backside can be read "Pöstyén" - the Hungarian name of today Piešťany, Slovakia. As a spa town it was a recreation center during the WWI.

Can you show a bigger size picture of his cap, please?

[Trooper_D]

Can you show a bigger size picture of his cap, please?

I am very happy to.

Edited January 16, 2014 by Trooper_D

[Markgraf]

According his buttons he's an artillery officer.

[Trooper_D]

According his buttons he's an artillery officer.

How very interesting - I wasn't expecting that! That would explain the dark colour (brown?) of his tunic.

[Markgraf]

Yes, dark brown tunic with madder red facings.

[Markgraf]

A group photo of battle-hardened Truppenpioniere (fortepan.hu)

[Trooper_D]

These three chaps seem to have done well for themselves! I am particularly interested in the man on the right, wearing what I believe is the Rote Kreuz Ehrenkreuz. Can anyone tell me what this was awarded for, please? Any other information would also be welcome.

Edited March 25, 2014 by Trooper_D

[Markgraf]

As far as I know the most common way of the award was a defined donation for the Red Cross.

Additional infos:

The officers on the photo are Hungarians. According the crosses (Goldenes Verdienstkreuz with/without crown) they are non-combattants. Sadly I can't identify the collar badges.

The place is Iwangorod, a Russian fortress (today Poland) http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twierdza_D%C4%99blin

The message on the postcard is a birthday note.

[Trooper_D]

As far as I know the most common way of the award was a defined donation for the Red Cross.

Thank you, as always, Margraf for this information - particularly that about the Red Cross award. I hesitate to call it a 'paid-for' award but that is rather what it sounds like (it is such an attractive decoration, who would be able to resist!). I wonder if any German speakers might be able to add anything to this, using this extract from a contemporary three-part folding postcard showing the major Austro-Hungarian ODMs, from my collection?

[Trooper_D]

For general interest, and because it is relevant to this thread, I am posting a complete scan (but in three parts) of the front (and part of the rear) of a postcard I own, which shows the major Austro-Hungarian ODMs. It's interesting to see photos of them when they were shiny and new, isn't it?

[Markgraf]

Thank you, as always, Margraf for this information - particularly that about the Red Cross award. I hesitate to call it a 'paid-for' award but that is rather what it sounds like (it is such an attractive decoration, who would be able to resist!). I wonder if any German speakers might be able to add anything to this, using this extract from a contemporary three-part folding postcard showing the major Austro-Hungarian ODMs, from my collection?

The text is the general description of the award.

Awards for the service of the Red Cross with war decoration

Founded by Franz Josef I for the 50th anniversary of the Red Cross. Had 5 classes (breast star, 1. & 2. class cross, silver and bronze medals). The inscription is: Patiriae ac humanitati (For Fatherland and humanity)

[Trooper_D]

Awards for the service of the Red Cross with war decoration

Thanks for the translation. 'Service' - well that comes back to your point about a suitably sized donation, doesn't it

[spolei]

Here the decoration with the Karl-Truppen-Kreuz to austrian telephone operators.

[Markgraf]

Korporal with Kraftfahrer-abzeichen and Silbernes Verdienstkreuz. Note the "K" cap badge and the so-called "Karlblouse" tunic.

Edited March 31, 2014 by Markgraf

[Iver]

...two photos of Josef Kremžar Edl. von Felskampf (probably one of the last few nobilited persons in Austria-Hungary - diplom from 22.10.1918)... He is wearing EKO.III and MVK.3...

Edited April 1, 2014 by Iver

[Trooper_D]

Josef Kremžar Edl. von Felskampf (probably one of the last few nobilited persons in Austria-Hungary - diplom from 22.10.1918).

Wow, that’s cutting it fine! Good find, Iver.

For those who can read Czech - I can't - there is more about this gentleman on pp 79-81 of Heraldická ročenka Praha : Heraldická společnost v Praze, 1993 20 (Google Translate tells me that this is 1993 Heraldic Yearbook of the Prague Heraldry Society). It can be found here,

http://www.historie.hranet.cz/heraldika/hr/hr1993.pdf

For those who are interested in such things (i.e. me) here is his coat of arms from his Diploma of Nobility (from the same source).

[Iver]

Josef Kremžar Edl. von Felskampf:

*1869 Ljubljana
1.11.1887 - Kadett IR.96
1.11.1889 - Leutnant IR.96
1892 - Leutnant Josef Kremžar (IR.96) was transfered at own expenses with
Oberleutnant Ad. Kappler (IR.91) mutually.
1.5.1894 - promoted to Oberleutnant IR.91 in function "Bataillon - Adjutant"
1.5.1902 - Hauptmann IR.91
1.11.1913 - Major
1.9.1915 - Oberstleutnant IR.94

October-November 1917 commander of BH FJB.4

March-June 1918 - Commander of newly established slowenian IR.117

Awards:

1911 - MVK
1912 - Service Cross 3.class for 25 years
1916 - MVK mKD
?1916-18 - EKO.3

...i hope thats correct, if someone has more informations...

[Odulf]

Member of a Telegraph unit with the Iron Cross of Merit 1916 (without Crown)

[Markgraf]

According his buttons, he's a telegrapher of an artillery unit. A late corduroy tunic (probably privately tailored). A very-very good photo!

[Odulf]

Thanks for this supplementary info!

There is still a lot to learn about Imperial Austrian uniforms

[Odulf]

Some more men wearing Austrian medals