Paul R Posted March 6, 2006 Posted March 6, 2006 As part of a trade for a couple of my KM badges, I received this medal bar! Despite the fact of there not being any EK2s or valour medals, I am very happy with this veteran of TWO wars!
Stogieman Posted March 6, 2006 Posted March 6, 2006 Hi Paul. A nice early bar in very nice condition for the era!
Paul R Posted March 6, 2006 Author Posted March 6, 2006 Thank you for your comment Rick! I am suprised to find how heavy it is!
notned Posted March 6, 2006 Posted March 6, 2006 Hi Paul,Nice Bar! A good trade!Pity the 1866 war medals ribbon is mostly hidden...but still a very nice bar!CheersPaul in NZ
Paul R Posted March 7, 2006 Author Posted March 7, 2006 Thanks Paul! As far as Imperial Medal bars go, I seem to have an attraction for the 1870 and earlier medals. For some reason... I have a fixation with that time period!
Wild Card Posted March 7, 2006 Posted March 7, 2006 Thanks Paul! As far as Imperial Medal bars go, I seem to have an attraction for the 1870 and earlier medals. For some reason... I have a fixation with that time period!I have to agree with you Paul. I am not much on medal bars; but just the campaign decorations, alone, of this era are very interesting in their own right. I think that the 1849 - 1871 period offers tremendous collecting opportunities. While there is still a good variety of items available for under $100, even the rarer medals are not outrageous (yet); and the quality of order decorations is probably the best of the Imperial German era.Happy Collecting,Wild Card
Daniel Murphy Posted March 7, 2006 Posted March 7, 2006 Paul, I could not help but notice that it bears a post 1913 long service medal. I believe this is wrong for this bar since the medals range from 1866 to 1897. The vet would have had 12 years service in before the turn of the century. I think this should have the ealier bar shaped long service award. Dan Murphy
Wild Card Posted March 7, 2006 Posted March 7, 2006 Hi Dan,Would a Landwehr decoration 1st class work? I?m referring to OEK #1977, a silver cross with gold center medallions which was awarded from 1868 to 1920.Best wishes, Wild Card
Paul R Posted March 7, 2006 Author Posted March 7, 2006 Dan,Could this be a result of the soldier being involved in the Austrian War, then getting out just to be recalled again for the Franco Prussian War then going to reserve status?What bar are you referring to? I am still new to collecting this field, so please be patient!Paul
Jason Posted March 7, 2006 Posted March 7, 2006 That's a cracker of a bar Paul! Great pick up.cheers Jason
webr55 Posted March 7, 2006 Posted March 7, 2006 Paul, I could not help but notice that it bears a post 1913 long service medal. I believe this is wrong for this bar since the medals range from 1866 to 1897. The vet would have had 12 years service in before the turn of the century. I think this should have the ealier bar shaped long service award. Dan MurphyVets could (and did) exchange their old version of the Landwehr decoration for the new one in 1913. What worries me however, is the General Honor Decoration, which was given to senior NCOs. That's why I would agree that the bar might have had a regular LS decoration originally.
Stogieman Posted March 7, 2006 Posted March 7, 2006 Paul, I have a bar that would be appropriate should you wish to change it. However, given that you have a reserve landwehr medal on their, the potential exists that he simply updated his bar to the medal post '13 if he was still serving in the reserves in some capacity.
Paul R Posted March 7, 2006 Author Posted March 7, 2006 Paul, I have a bar that would be appropriate should you wish to change it. However, given that you have a reserve landwehr medal on their, the potential exists that he simply updated his bar to the medal post '13 if he was still serving in the reserves in some capacity.Thank you for your offer Rick. Do you think it feasable for someone to still be in the service... even as a reservist for that amount of time? 1866-1913(47 years of service)? If it is possible, I will leave it as is. If not possible, I will take you up on your offer. Did they have rules that regulated service time and age? That does bring up a few more questions... what was the minimum age to join the military in that time period? Was there a stated maximum age for retention?
Ulsterman Posted March 10, 2006 Posted March 10, 2006 Vets could (and did) exchange their old version of the Landwehr decoration for the new one in 1913. What worries me however, is the General Honor Decoration, which was given to senior NCOs. That's why I would agree that the bar might have had a regular LS decoration originally.Or (more likely to my mind)-after military service our man here went to work as a civil servant: postman, tax collector/ clerk etc. and he got the AE for long service as a civvy. Guesstimate: Born @ 1845-50, served between @1865-73, got a job and worked for Germany until 1910-15 (state retirement pension kicked in at age 65 under Bismarck's pension scheme). Landwehr medals were awarded differently than LS medals as per Ricks' article and took longer to acquire, so maybe the medal is original to the bar (I suspect it is).Maybe he got recalled as a geezer in 1914 and guarded a POW camp in the Landsturm for a few years. There were 65 year old Landsturm men in uniform in 1915, especially in Poland and in the homeland (Ever see "Les Grand Illusion"?)Nice bar.
Guest Rick Research Posted March 11, 2006 Posted March 11, 2006 The medal bar is CORRECT for a veteran who was ALIVE after 1913.No switching around of ANYTHING--that "LD2" is correct AS WORN BY HIM after 1913. He would have long been discharged from any military obligation, but that didn't mean he didn't wear his medals-- in CURRENT CORRECT form, for the rest of his life.Every medal bar tells a story about its wearerand this one says"I was still alive in 1914."He was probably born around 1845, so he would have been retired from the civil service, too, most likely. The General Decoration medal was awarded to everybody in military and civil service status below officer equivalent for approximately 25 years of normal service time in, give or take. Sometimes much less (in the military) and apparently much later (in the lowest levels of obscure civil service). This guy apparently did not have forty years in the civil service--counting his former military time-- or he'd have ha the Cross of the General Decoration too.
Paul R Posted March 11, 2006 Author Posted March 11, 2006 Thanks Rick!Can someone please post an example of the Cross of the General Decoration? What does it look like?
Paul R Posted March 11, 2006 Author Posted March 11, 2006 It is beautiful!!! Are they easy enough to find? I would love to have a bar with this medal on it!
Ulsterman Posted March 11, 2006 Posted March 11, 2006 (edited) They are around-I got this one for US $30. Edited March 11, 2006 by Ulsterman
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