Medal Bar of a Greek Officer

[Komtur]

For some years I have a medal bar with matching miniature chain in my collection, belonging to a greek officer from the early 20th century. I wonder, if there is a way to attribute this bar to a single person. Are there sources to be found, like greek order lists or rank lists?

Any help is appreciated!

Komtur.

[coldstream]

Komtur,

Sadly I know nothing about Greek Medals but just wanted to comment on what appears to me to be a nice looking bar and miniature group. Very Germanic looking to my eyes and very well presented.

Regards Simon.

[Paul C]

If you could get an approximate date of when the PCO was awarded to the officer then a look through the Ordens Almanac should turn up some prospects.

[paja]

I think Serbian White Eagle Order was made by G. A. Scheid. Looks like 2nd type (year 1882 on reverse) which would put in a 1904-1914 period. I'll try to find Greek recipients in the Official Gazette and newspapers from that era, maybe we'll get lucky.

[Komtur]

5 hours ago, Paul C said:

If you could get an approximate date of when the PCO was awarded to the officer then a look through the Ordens Almanac should turn up some prospects.

Thanks Paul, but I don´t think that will work. The Ordens Almanach (latest edition 1908/9) mostly listed German recipients. Additionaly it is more likely, that the Crown Order is of later date. The Greek medals are for the wars against Turkey 1912/13 and Bulgaria 1913

Edited September 3, 2017 by Komtur

[Komtur]

4 hours ago, paja said:

I think Serbian White Eagle Order was made by G. A. Scheid. Looks like 2nd type (year 1882 on reverse) which would put in a 1904-1914 period. I'll try to find Greek recipients in the Official Gazette and newspapers from that era, maybe we'll get lucky.

You are right (See picture of reverse).

There must be a relation to King Konstantin I. of Greece, who was married with Sophie of Prussia, a sister of Wilhelm II, in 1889. Konstantin became king in 1913, unfortunately there is a long period of possible occasions for exchanging decorations, like reciprocal family visits.

It would be very kind, if you could look for Greek military recipients of the Serbian White Eagle Order.

In between I will look for these persons with a Crown Order 3rd class in the Prussian Order Lists, to double check your findings.

BTW the medal bar was arranged by the German company J. Godet & Sohn, Berlin.

Thanks in advance!

[paja]

So far I wasn't able to find a single Greek recipient, unfortunately. If something pops up I'l let you know immediately.
Best of luck with the further research!

[Komtur]

7 hours ago, paja said:

So far I wasn't able to find a single Greek recipient, unfortunately. If something pops up I'l let you know immediately. ...

Many thanks for trying!

I am still working on the Greek recipients of the 3rd class of the Prussian Crown Order. As far, as I can estimate, there will be about 30 candidates. Therefore I need another source to fix it to one person.

[Igor Ostapenko]

On 3 בספטמבר 2017 at 10:20, Komtur said:

For some years I have a medal bar with matching miniature chain in my collection, belonging to a greek officer from the early 20th century. I wonder, if there is a way to attribute this bar to a single person. Are there sources to be found, like greek order lists or rank lists?

Any help is appreciated!

Komtur.

 

 Great medalsbar !!! 

Order for Bravery - early Zimmermann production ! 

[Komtur]

From 1903 on I found these Greek officers as recipients of the 3rd class Prussian Crown Order:

15.4.1904            Polyzòys, Kgl. griech. Korvettenkapitän

12.4.1905            Orphanidis, Kgl. griech. Hautpm. und Adjutant

12.4.1905            Valvis, Kgl. griech. Hauptm., Adjutant des Chefs der Gendarmerie

12.4.1905            Zymbrakakis, Kgl. griech. Hauptm. der Gendarmerie

12.4.1905            Spyracos, Kgl. griech. Hauptm. der Inf.

12.4.1905            Negrepontis, Kgl. griech. Hauptm. der Ingenieure

12.4.1905            Bouboulis, Kgl. griech. Kapitänleutnant

12.4.1905            Zochios, Kgl. griech. Kapitänleutnant

15.9.1905            Hatzanestis, Kgl. griech. Hautpmann im Generalstabe

27.4.1908            Troupaki, Nikola, Kgl. griech. Hauptm. In der Gendarmerie

27.4.1908            Bellini, Nikolas, Kgl. griech. Kapitänleutnant

27.4.1908            Paparigopoulo, Etienne, Kgl. griech. Kapitänleutnant

27.4.1908            Andreadis, Anastasios, Kgl. griech. Kapitänleutnant

3.5.1909               Levidis, Constantin, Kgl. griech. Hauptm. der Art., Flügeladjut. des Kronprinzen

3.5.1909               Skouffos, Georges, Kgl. griech. Hauptm. vom Genie, Adjut. des Kronprinzen

24.4.1911            Mantzagriotakis Jatrou, Constantin, Kgl. griech. Gend. Major Polizeidirektor in Corfu

2.5.1912               Metaxas, Johann, Kgl. griech. Hauptm., Adjut. des Kriegsministers

3.9.1913               Krièzi, A. Kgl. griech. Kapitänleutnant

10.9.1914            Saliotis, Kgl. griech. Hauptmann im Kriegsministerium

13.11.1914          Lévidis, N. Kgl. griech. Major der Kavallerie

 

The red marked persons IMHO would be suspects for a Godet-mounted bar made in Berlin. Captain Johann Metaxas was in May 1913 responsible for the military convention between Greece and Serbia. This could be a reason for receiving a Serbian decoration. Besides this he had a close relation to Crown Prince Constantine and especially to his wife Princess Sophie of Prussia.

Edited September 9, 2017 by Komtur

[Komtur]

On 7.9.2017 at 07:26, Igor Ostapenko said:

... Order for Bravery - early Zimmermann production ! 

Lieutenant Colonel Johann Metaxas got this cross in the gold version according to a biografie of him in September 1914. Metaxas was at this time Chief of Operations at GHQ and the closest ally to King Constantine I. and the center figure of the Greek royalist party. BTW the king wore his medal bar at this time also in German Style

So Metaxas seems to be a quite hot candidate for my medal bar...

[Komtur]

In between I got the hint of the Greek Wikipedia biografie of Ioannis Metaxas. In the second part of his biographie about his military career there is mentioned, that he got in 1913 that order!

Until now I can verify five of seven decoration on this bar for Metaxas (position 1, 2, 4, 5, 6).

On 5.9.2017 at 15:58, paja said:

So far I wasn't able to find a single Greek recipient, unfortunately. If something pops up I'l let you know immediately.
Best of luck with the further research!

Because of his activities for the military convention with Serbia I assume, Metaxas could have gotten a Serbian order after May 1913, when this convention was signed. Could this information be of use, to search again in your sources for a possible award of the Serbian White Eagle Order to Major or Lieutenant-Colonel Metaxas?

Many thanks in advance!

 

 

Edited September 12, 2017 by Komtur

[paja]

Digging up recipients of the Serbian decorations, especially foreign ones, is very problematic.
First of all, records kept at the Chancellery of Orders were destroyed during WW2. There's the Official Military Gazette, but unfortunately not all numbers are available online, over ten years are missing and some years are incomplete. Apart from that, generally speaking, names of the foreign recipients were not being published in the Gazette.
There are Schematisms but only for the XIX century and only for the Serbian citizens who were among the living at the time. They are not available online and very hard to find, practically only a few libraries in Serbia have them in possession.
Main source I used for digging up some foreign recipients were newspapers from that era, unfortunately, so far that was a dead end.
Once I catch some free time, I'll check every name from the list you published. Earliest records of Metaxas' name in the Serbian press are from 1915.

Edited September 13, 2017 by paja

[Komtur]

Thanks for that substantial comment to the available sources about recipients of Serbian decorations. So we are missing Serbian periodicals, like staats almanacs, court calendars or order lists. So it seems to be really hard to find especially foreign persons among the recipients.

In the past I often successfull researched medal bars or decorated persons on portrait fotographs of my own collection and for other collectors too. Therefore I know the expenditure of time one need for this kind of work. Thats the reason I really appreciate your help .

[paja]

Don't mention it, I was really hoping I would find something. So far the only Greek recipient of the White Eagle I stumbled upon in the press is foreign minister Politis (1918), that's it. Unfortunately most of the names from the list have zero search results...

[Komtur]

On 7.9.2017 at 07:26, Igor Ostapenko said:

 

 Great medalsbar !!! 

Order for Bravery - early Zimmermann production ! 

Could you please tell me, how to recognize a Zimmermann made cross and what time of farbrication exactly means early?

Thanks in advance!