Interesting Bar

[Paul R]

I obtained this bar today with a trade I made for a couple of KM badges.

[Paul R]

The weird part... under the pendants. It seems as if the Sudatenland Medal was the standard court mounted version integrated into this bar... which is a trapazoid!

Has anyone seen anything like it? The wear on all of the ribbons is uniform.

[Paul R]

back...

I dont think that this bar is fake because of the uniform wear on the ribbons. Also the method of construction does not seem as if it were put together to deceive someone into buying a parts bar...

[Gary B]

Paul,

Unusual. You might want to blacklight it and also examine uynder the backing material just to see what it looks like. Coulc be for a guy just trying to save some money or resources!

Nice imperial bar also.

Gary B

[Chris Boonzaier]

I always thought the KVM was civilian only?

[Paul R]

Gary,

I will check it with the black light later when I get home.

Chris,

Me too. I still think that it is a possible combo. He could have earned it before being drafted/inducted into the service.

[Stogieman]

It's possible for the guy to have wounded out early in Russia and still earned a KVM in some civilian capacity. The bar looks like a home-made job for sure. In the absence of anything glowing, the best you can do with this one is say "maybe".... but there's certainly no shortage of those floating around that don't conform to "normal specs. & standards". If it wasn't expensive and you like it...

[Paul R]

Thanks Rick.

I will do a scan with the black light when I get home tonight. I will post the results.

The things I like about the bar are:

1. The wear and dirt patterns are uniform over the bar. While it looks new in the scans, a lot of the dirt and wear does not show up.

2. Obvious homemade job... definately not made to look text book.

The first medal that would have been earned was the Sudatenland medal(as confirmed by it having it's own parade mount). So if he was wounded, it would have been on the Eastern Front.

That is what I enjoy most about collecting, in general. I think about what possible events the original owner went through through the items I aquire.

Paul

[don]

I just can't see the kvm being on the bar?

don

[Paul R]

Hi!

The bar does not glow at all under the black light. It seems that at best, we have a bar combination that is possible but unlikely. It is also home assembled.

The bar cost about 150 in trade.

Is there anything else I can do to rule out a post war assembly?

Paul

[don]

Is the back plate zinc?

don

[Paul R]

I will have to look at it when I get home. I think that it is brass or some other yellow metal.

[Stogieman]

I'm still not sure how you guys can make that statement. There's no shortage of guys who received both combat and civilian awards in WW2 Germany. We've seen MKVK's with both combat and noncombat KVKs in mounted groups. We've seen bars with WW1 & WW2 combat awards and this medal. All legit bars too.

[Paul R]

Rick,

I do not think that it is a bad bar at all.

[Paul R]

Since military officials were not considered to be military, could they not be eligible for this medal? Just a thought.

[Chris Boonzaier]

I would think he was awarded the sudeten medal and had it mounted... then served in the war and got the Ostfront medal... was wounded or released from service, then got the KVM in a non military capacity, took his unmounted Ostfront and KVM.. removed the sudeten from its single mount, and put them all onto a bar.

very possible indeed...

[dond]

Why not a railway worker on the troop trains or some such person. Were not civilian support personnel authorized the Ost medal?

[Ulsterman]

I think its real and I think it went to one of these guys-trains!:

[spanferkel]

Paul,

Interesting bar! i don't see anything about the bar that would make me feel it's bad either but unique combination.

Jeremy