German Officer Finnish medal doc group

[Paul C]

ANother recent pick up to a Offz. Stellv. Franz Behrend of 1 Guard Ulanen. The group is far from complete but the really nice struff is there. A EK1 doc dated in 1919 and 2 docs in regards to him being made a officer. If anyone can shead additional light on the offcer docs please do so. The final doc, and I am guessing the rare one, is the Finnish Freedom Medal 1st class. dated November 26 1918. The stamp is from ther OSTSEEDIVISION. I am not sure how rare the Finnish doc is or the value. Any help is really appreciated.

[Paul C]

officer docs

[Stogieman]

Nice little group Paul, SOS I presume?

[medalnet]

...he was the lucky one. I am telling you, big show, but nothing good imperial to buy. At least no enamel.

[Paul C]

Yes SOS. No enamel but some other good stuff. Any idea on value of group?

[Ulsterman]

The second doc. seems to be the official "War Ministry in Finland: medals department" certificate for the finnish medal (Scheinen are still obtained-often with great effort-in German universities to demonstrate that one has actually taken a class towards a diploma).

The last doc is a demob certificate allowing your man to wear the uniform of the Uhlans as well as retain the official title of "Lieutenant". Similar things occur/ed in the British army. Stan Beeby (see my moniker below) was allowed the (Character) " title of Captain" after he was demobbed in 1948. His wife used to refer to him jokingly as "Captain Stanley", although he was really only a Lt. in the Ghurkas from 1944-48.

Edited February 28, 2006 by Ulsterman

[Pete A]

Very nice group, Paul!

Finnish-German stuff always seems to avoid me, no matter how much I'd like own something like this. But then again, also money seems to avoid me, so maybe that's just fitting.

Of value I can't say nothing, but I guess that everything related to Germans in Finland in 1918 can be considered rare. Those Medal of Liberty docs were made especially for Germans (well, naturally, since they are in german.. ) The finns who got medals, didn't receive any documents with them, only with crosses. Yours is Signed by R?diger von der Goltz and it's one of those medals which were issued right before Germans left the country.

The other "Finnish" document is for the 1918 commemorative medal. And even though, like Ulsterman told, it says War Ministry, it's actually signed by head of department in the "president's war council", major Yrj? Aarne. I'll try to dig up a short bio of him if you want? The secretary-lieutenants signature is too difficult for me to read, but if someone makes up something out of it, I'll see if there's anything of him too.

Pete

Edited February 28, 2006 by Pete A

[Glenn J]

I would say the latter document is simply a promotion document. Franz Behrend is already listed as a Vizewachtmeister a.D. It was not unusual for former senior NCOs to be given charakter promotions to Leutnant der Landwehr a.D at this time.

Regards

Glenn

[Guest Rick Research]

Paul: I would have SNAPPED that up at four times what you paid for it, you lucky dog, you.

It's a great (Guards cavalry) unit to get for some hard fighting in Finland, so ahead of OTHER "identical" groups to some other unit.

From the age given (born 1887) on various documents, he probably had the XV Years Service cross with the double-counted war years, and normally for this sort of retirement bump, had to have had "18 pension years" in, which counting 1914-18 as 10, and the two afterwards to demobilization, puts him back 6 years for joining up, 1908 at latest-- and could have enlisted in 1905.

That late EK1 has got to BE for the fighting in southernb Finland, making this a PAIR of bravery awards for there.

[Chris Boonzaier]

That late EK1 has got to BE for the fighting in southernb Finland, making this a PAIR of bravery awards for there.

I would not be sooooooo sure.

There are many, many examples of what the British would call "Immediate awards" ie. then and there for an action, or soon after.... and there are many examples of awards for accumulative actions. Most post war ones seem to have been for accumulative actions over a longer period.

I have a number of post war awards where the division fought extremely heavily 1916-17 and first couple of months in 1918... then twiddeled its thumbs for the next half a year (plenty of time to make an award then)

and the guy finally getting his award long after the war for no specific action, but because of an accumulation of good service from throughout the war.

Damned nice group it is :-)

[Paul C]

Thanks for all the help.

[Stogieman]

Gee, I heard the "story" behind the set..... Lucky Guy! Made that drive worth every hour, didn't it!!

[Dave Danner]

ANother recent pick up to a Offz. Stellv. Franz Behrend of 1 Guard Ulanen. The group is far from complete but the really nice struff is there. A EK1 doc dated in 1919 and 2 docs in regards to him being made a officer. If anyone can shead additional light on the offcer docs please do so. The final doc, and I am guessing the rare one, is the Finnish Freedom Medal 1st class. dated November 26 1918. The stamp is from ther OSTSEEDIVISION. I am not sure how rare the Finnish doc is or the value. Any help is really appreciated.

One nit: while the literal translation from German would be Freedom Medal 1st Class, the 1. luokan Vapaudenmitali is more commonly referred to as the Medal of Liberty 1st Class, as the Vapaudenristi is usually called the Cross of Liberty. English is enriched by being able to draw on Latin and Germanic vocabularies and having two or more words for the same concept (e.g., preface/foreword), but sometimes it can give you too much versatility.

Of course, the other medal for which you have the document, the Vapaussodan muistomitali, is usually translated into English as War of Independence Commemorative Medal, but the German translation as Erinnerungsmedaille des Freiheitskrieges is actually more accurate. "Independence" is riippumattomuus.

It is a nice group of documents. It may be incomplete, as you note, but it certainly captures what are likely the high points of this guy's career.

[Paul C]

This has gone to the for sale forum if you are interested.

[Pete A]

And looks like it went fast. Being late sucks. You spend whole the evening writing e-mail to a girl, and notice that you had your opportunity, but you missed it because of that. Oh well, better luck next time.

Pete