2 new ribbon bars w/ Brunswick and Waldeck ribbons

[Paul C]

Just got these today. The first one has the EK2, Wurttemberg Bravery, Waldeck and Austrian(?). The second has the EK, Brunswick and Hindenburg w/swords. Both are, I believe, EM ribbon bars. Of note the Waldeck bar has a rather wide pin. Due to there being no Hindenburg I ass ume it is from the '20.

[Guest Rick Research]

EXTREMELY nice!

The wide flat pins were wartime, might have carried over into the 1920s. Because there are no Xs on the Waldeck ribbon-- and that is the WAR ribbon,

I wouldn't say that it was necessarily an other ranks bar. Could be that those ARE Orders, but worn without the devices. Given the crude state of ribbon bars circa 1916, with devices pinned between the ribbons and the metal backing plate, they were easily pulled off and lost.

Once owned a HUGE South German style bar to a Baden officer without a single X device on all his wartime awards-- and he died in 1923 ( a helpful clue to dating his bar, but not so nice for him!):

[attachmentid=32058]

So that COULD be a "fashion statement" for a pragmatic officer who skipped devices rather than have them yanked out by his overcoat lining. Better odds of a W?rttemberg/Waldeck/Austria-Hungary combination for an officer than an enlisted man, for sure.

[Paul C]

The Waldeck ribbon bar has been tentatively traced to Oskar Hartwig, LtdR in FAA 242. If he is the same LtdR Hartwig who was before in RFAR 22. He is the only match for WgM (20.02.1918) who might have gotten a WVK4X (30.10.1915). Also no Artillery/Flieger observer named Hartwig died during the war.

Can anyone provide any information on what type of unit is a FAA or RFAR? Did these units have post war regimental history books? Any help is appreciated?

[David Gregory]

Can anyone provide any information on what type of unit is a FAA or RFAR?

Paul,

FAA is the abbreviation for Flieger-Abteilung (flying unit) and RFAR is the standard abbreviation for Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment.

David

[Daniel Murphy]

Actually, FAA is the abbreviation for Flieger Abteilung Artillerie. These units directed artillery shoots on selected targets using wireless to report the fall of the shot. FFA would be for Feld Flieger Abteilung and FA would be for Flieger Abteilung. These last two are standard observation squadrons.

Dan Murphy

[Paul C]

I found a pic of FAA 242. I don't know who is who or the date, but it is interesting.

[Stogieman]

Ahhhh yes, the obligatory "stairs" photo..... these are always nice. A quick zip over to The Aerodrome might yield more details on this photo as well as on your tentative man......

[Paul C]

What is the address for the website?