Who was he?

[Laurence Strong]

I found this and was wondering if it was for real, If so I would be interested in purchasing it.

[Kev in Deva]

I found this and was wondering if it was for real, If so I would be interested in purchasing it.

Hallo Laurence, any chance to see a picture of the rear? to me it looks like the medals are:

1. not in any particular order at all,

2. and the Karl Troop Cross (number 5 from left as you look at the picture) seems to have the wrong ribbon.

3. For a bar that is predominantly Austrian, is it usual to have a III Reich Kriegsverdienst Cross first?.

4. The second last medal could be a Austrian Firebrigade service medal.

5. No Austrian Commemorative medal for WW1

6. No Bulgarian Commemorative medal for WW1.

This is what I notice, maybe some of the more experianced medal guru's could chuck their 5 cents worth in as well.

Kevin in Deva.

[Laurence Strong]

No. The dealer only shows the front, and I really dont want to bother him with a request if it's not even a real bar. Not that I care about "bothering him" I just don't like asking Dealers for photo's if I have no intent of buying.

Edited April 13, 2006 by Laurence Strong

[Dave Danner]

Hallo Laurence, any chance to see a picture of the rear? to me it looks like the medals are:

1. not in any particular order at all,

2. and the Karl Troop Cross (number 5 from left as you look at the picture) seems to have the wrong ribbon.

3. For a bar that is predominantly Austrian, is it usual to have a III Reich Kriegsverdienst Cross first?.

4. The second last medal could be a Austrian Firebrigade service medal.

5. No Austrian Commemorative medal for WW1

6. No Bulgarian Commemorative medal for WW1.

This is what I notice, maybe some of the more experianced medal guru's could chuck their 5 cents worth in as well.

Kevin in Deva.

1. The precedence is correct. The Austrian 1873 War Medal, a general service medal, doesn't belong, but is commonly seen as many Austrians assumed World War I counted as another campaign, and there was no king and Kaiser around anymore to tell them no.

2. The Karl-Truppen-Kreuz is on the correct ribbon.

3. It is a post-Anschluss bar, so German war decorations like the KVK2 take precedence over war decorations of German states.

4. You are correct: Feuerwehr und Rettungsmedaille f?r 25 Jahre, in use from 1922 to 1934.

5. Austrian Commemorative Medals are often not seen on post-Anschluss bars, especially when there is a German Honor Cross.

6. You had to apply for the Bulgarian commemorative, so unless you went to the trouble, you wouldn't have one. This guy already had one Bulgarian decoration, and may not have felt the need to go to the trouble of getting yet another commemorative for the same war (although he did get the Tirolean one).

The bar fits an Austrian fireman or similar occupation who served as an enlisted man or junior NCO on the frontlines in World War One, but not long enough to qualify for a military long service decoration. After the war, service in Carinthia (shown by the Erinnerungskreuz an den K?rntner Freiheitskampf 1918/19) and then back to Feuerwehr or Rettungsdienst. World War Two service in the same capacity, as indicated by the KVK without swords and the German Red Cross decoration.

[Dave Danner]

The only major question I have is whether the Austrian Republic fire & rescue decoration was allowed to still be worn post-Anschluss, and whether the marriage of it and the Third Reich civil service long service cross might constitute double-dipping.

[Laurence Strong]

Thanks for that info Dave Might be interesting to see the rear!

[Guest Rick Research]

The Republic's fire long service awards probably would have slid by under the ban on decorations, though I have no other examples to go by. After all, the Bundesheer's long services were still authorized in combination with Wehrmacht ones for NCOs who wore two (one of each). Certainly room for "self interpretation" with something this obscure.