Interesting photographs of decorated people

[Graf]

Hi Ilieff ,

Thank you for the photo.

 

Here is interesting photo What I can see , if not mistaken, some of the Soldier crosses were already on triangular ribbon,??!!

Look the two young officers on the very bottom raw The ones on the right side

[ilieff]

Hmm....

All the people in the photograph (perhaps, excluding the priest and the man in civilian clothing) are officers, hence their ribbons would usually be triangular, right?

Do we have a specific date for this photo?    

[new world]

I agree with ilieff, these are officers, and as such they wear awards on triangular ribbons. I think they were awarded Soldier Bravery when they were in NCO/soldier ranks and awards were on usual flat ribbons. Once they advanced to the officer ranks they started using triangular ribbons.

[Graf]

That mean that the soldiers crosses were never awarded on  triangular ribbons.

I wonder whether the 1941 Model soldier crosses were on triangular ribbons, since they were given only to German soldiers,NCO and officers

 

Sorry,  no  date on the photo

[ilieff]

Thanks. I asked if the photo had a date on it because it appears to have been taken around the years of the Balkan wars. ?

 

I am under the impression that bravery crosses were issued on standard straight, looped-through ribbons but since there wasn't a unified manner of displaying enlisted awards at that time (or drafted solders were not aware of one), soldiers were using different ways, depending on their own personal preference and/or method of attaching the award to the uniform. 

 

Here is a photo of a detachment of the same infantry regiment, though taken in 1914. We can see 4 bravery crosses, one of which is 1st or 3rd class and one whose ribbon is triangular. Yet, the method of attachment appears to be the same in all 3 cases, hence it seems to be indeed a matter of aesthetics in the eyes of the individual soldier. 

 

 

 

And one more photo - of a Wehrmacht(?) obergefreiter with the bravery cross on (though we cannot really tell which type it is exactly).

 

[Graf]

Hi Illieff,

 

I agree with you Those crosses were awarded with a standard ribbons. later on, depends on the owner preference the ribbons were left as they were or replaced with different type

 

Yes, difficult to judge the German Soldier cross as many of them were given the 1915 Model during WW2

Nobody know when the 1941 Model was introduced believed to be in the late stages of the War

 

Here is another photo of German officer with 2nd Class of the Order for Civil Merit

I suppose that his rank is Colonel

[Graf]

Interesting photo of King Ferdinand with German Generalfeldmarschall  uniform.

[Graf]

Nice family photo

[JustinH]

Interesting picture of a couple during the People's Republic era.  What's odd is the gentleman appears to be wearing Order of People's Liberty 2nd class along with the Order of 9 September 1944 third class and possibly first class (both without swords) but no second class.  He also appears to be wearing the Medal for Participation in the People's Uprising or Participation in the Anti-Facist Struggle along with several others.  The woman's medals are too over exposed to make out.

 

I've been told the back is hardly understandable, even from others who can read Bulgarian.

[Bayern]

On 16/08/2021 at 07:13, Graf said:

Interesting photo of King Ferdinand with German Generalfeldmarschall  uniform.

Ferdinand of Bulgaria after his abdication returned to Germany and lived in Coburg until his death in 1948 . Hitler apreciated much the Inteligent and witty Ferdinand 

[Graf]

Hi Justin H,

 

yes it is interesting photo

 

The man on the photo  participated in the September Uprising in  1923

From the text it is obvious that he was participant, however the wife , very likely, was not. The family on the picture is greeting another family, from the bottom of their harts, for the coming New 1974 Year and also best wishes for health and happiness.  Also greeting for the Celebration of 50 years of the Uprising. in 1923

 

I hope I managed to translate the text correctly..It took me a while. If it is not correct some of the Bulgarian members can feel free to edit my text

 

 

Hi Bayern,

 

Thank you for the information  i have read couple of books about the life of Prince?King Ferdinand and his son King Boris III

 

 

Best

 

Graf

 

[Bayern]

Graf ,Servitore !

[Graf]

Hi Bayern,

 

Gracias!

 

 

[ilieff]

Bulgarian Nurses decorated with the Queen's honorary cross. It's hard to tell due to the quality of the image, but it seems that these were not suspended from a ribbon but instead simply pinned or threaded through a chain or cord. Opinions?

[Graf]

Hi Ilieff,

 

That is an amazing Photo. I have seen only single photo of people decorated with this cross

Here is an interesting picture of the Queen

[922F]

Hello,  see thread here:    

Bulgarian Queen Eleanora's Cross.

 

Also seen to foreigners [incorrectly?] on Bulgarian tricolor & Austrian WW I Red Cross ribbons & anything to hand.   Some, usually to foreigners for Balkan Wars, have recipients' names engraved on reverse

[Graf]

"Decorated" Bulgarian Plane

[JustinH]

Latest People's Republic of Bulgaria photograph for my collection showing three officers posing together.  No information on back but was most likely taken on or after 1972 due to the men wearing the 90th Anniversary of the Birth of Georgi Dimitrov medal.

[ilieff]

This is what I meant, when I said 'simply pinned or threaded through a chain or cord'.

[Igor Ostapenko]

Russian solder with st. George crosses and bulgarian military merit silver cross with crown, between 1905 and 1915 

[Graf]

This is very interesting

 

I have seen on few photos 1st Class  crosses worn on neck ribbon,

Also see the Star on this photo -luxury model

[922F]

Graf, Thank you for this image!  Have seen only about 5 pictures with this type Civil Merit star, one marked with Meyer roundel on reverse, others no maker information available.  Looks like an Austrian or French made Medjidie badge too.

[Graf]

Hi 922F,

 

This type of Stars are introduced by King Boris when the Grand Cross was created.

I have seen, as you stated only handful luxury stars of that type from previous models and all they were awarded to other Royals or VIPs What i found interesting is that the 1st Class cross was worn as a neck badge. They had to be very impressed by the look of the those big crosses, especially the reverse side.

I suspect those Stars, as you stated to be made by the top Austrian and /or French makers at that time

[922F]

Hi Graf,

Thank you for your helpful comment.  It appears that your image depicts an Austrian earlier than 1936, probably pre-1920 judging by uniform.   Might go so far as to say pre-1914 since Maurice & Lazarus cross worn.  Note also the first type Civil Merit first class & officer [?, maybe knight] suspension crowns.   Maybe, as you posit, this signifies a Civil Merit first class with badge worn at neck?   Of course, perhaps he could have dressed in his old uniform to sit for a impressive portrait... 

 

Enlarging the image reveals that the 'lines' between the star faceting do not appear as with insignia following Boris era statute amendments.    Star body appears to be the same as the common Austro-Hungarian type.  The star facets appear somewhat smaller than seen on Civil Merit Order Grand Cross stars and of different pattern.   [Two facets under outmost facets rather than one as seen in grand cross set.]  

 

I'm not sure that Meyer made awards post 1920 or so.

 

I cannot recall whether examples of this type of seemingly made Austrian star seen before formed part of a set or were loose pieces.  One appeared in a late 1970's Klenau Auction, I'll try and find the catalog.  

 

Could these have been especially commissioned insignia?

 

 

[Dave Danner]

Viktor Reitzner von Heidelberg (1844-1916). As noted in the upper right, the photo was taken in Meran in 1906.