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    War Honor Cross for Heroic Deeds with the original case


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    This year starts with lots of surprises :beer:

    I got this one very cheap from ebay, no idea why i got it so easy...

    War Honor Cross for Heroic Deeds with the original case

    This cross was spent on 8th December 1914 by prince Leopold IV for heroic deeds in war.

    The documents were signed by Leopold IV himself .

    740 of these crosses were awarded. They havn?t to be returned after death.

    The cross is made of bronce (painted golden).

    It is a convex cross (size: 46x46mm / weight: 19,4 Gramm).

    There was only one official manufactur: C.F. Zimmermann in Pforzheim.

    The needle-system of my cross is typical for Zimmermann.

    The case is an original one and looks like the cases for the IC 1st class.

    It is wine-red and the Inlay is dark-blue with a cut for the needle.

    The open case:

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    Last but not least a nice and very rare picture from a soldier who awarded this cross

    I would start a quiz...when was this picture taken...but it might be too easy :rolleyes:

    This soldier belongs to the REICHSWEHR...it was taken after 1918 (the uniform and the wound badge are the hints)

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    a closer look at his awards...

    He comes from Lippe (the photo was also taken in Lippe/Lemgo) and he is wearing:

    at the medal bar:

    -IC 2nd class 1914

    -war honor cross Lippe-Detmold

    -merit medal (quite sure from Lippe-Detmold, perhaps the silver merit medal)

    -FA-cross 2nd class Oldenburg

    at his uniform:

    -IC 1st class 1914

    -FA-cross 1st class Oldenburg

    -wound badge, maybe black, form after 1918

    and of course the war honor cross for heroic deeds Lippe-Detmold :P

    Maybe Rick can help me to identify this person (by the rank list)

    By the the way...this photo belongs NOT the the shown cross...i already own this photo much longer.

    Greetings

    Solomon

    Edited by Solomon
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    Guest Rick Research

    Unfortunately there is absolutely no way to trace noncommissioned officers. :(

    Even if you had the Lippe award rolls and were able to cross-check them against the Oldenburg rolls (wherever those are) that still wouldn't tell you who went on into the Reichsheer as a sergeant--

    even with THREE :speechless1::speechless1::speechless1::speechless1::speechless1::speechless1::speechless1: pinback bravery awards.

    I have a similar problem with an unnamed 1920s wedding photos of an ex-Waldeck NCO who went into the police--

    154 Merit Crosses X awarded, and NO way to tell who HE was!

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    Hi Solomon :beer:

    very nice looking Cross :jumping::jumping: but I can't help noticing that it suffered some damage at some time??

    Kevin in Deva

    Yes, you are right...at the upper cross-arm there is a small crack...but i?m not sure, if this might be a producing fault, because it almost looks unworn to me...

    Greetings

    Solomon

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    • 2 months later...

    Hi Solomon,

    Fantastic score! Love the case! and to get it with the document is a bonus!

    The photo! WOW! i never seen so many pin back to a Non com before!

    WoW! he must have been a Super soldier!

    Thanks for showing!

    Cheers

    Paul

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    Thanks :blush:

    @Dond:

    Nice cross, looks like Zimmermann?s work (needle-system and finish). But it isn?t convex, is it?

    I?ve never seen a non-convex cross before?!

    Here is some more new stuff :rolleyes:

    It?s a entry in the military pass from "August Kramer" who got this cross for heroic deeds on 15th May 1918

    for risking his life in a fight near Flandern.

    He also got the iron cross 2nd class 1914 on 22th August 1917 and the war merit cross Lippe-Detmold on 22th December 1917.

    He was also wounded but there is no entry for the (black) wound badge...

    The entries:

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    I?ll agree. The cross, the photo shows, seems to be flat. Quite difficicult, because it?s the first time I see a flat one.

    IMO, your cross is an original one, made by Zimmermann.

    Greetings

    Solomon

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    @Daniel: Very nice screwback-cross... There is still a place free in my collection :P

    Here are some more information, you can?t find anywhere, but in the archive...

    Yesterday I went again to Detmold and I had the original receipts the persons who awarded this cross had to fill out in my hands:

    There were some well known persons, who got it:

    First, I?ve found the original one for "Freiherr Manfred Albert von Richthofen" and of course, I have made a copy for my collection :P

    But there are some more highlights:

    The first cross was awarded by Prince Leopold IV. of Lippe-Detmold (who also spent this cross).

    On 13. October 1916 von Hindenburg and von Ludendorff signed (personally) the receipts!

    Pince Luitpold of Bavaria, Kaiser Wilhelm II., General von Falkenhayn and some other

    well known generals with a very long list of other orders and awards, they got,

    can also be found in these files...Pretty nice to read :love:

    Of course, I also found and copied the receipt, which fits to my military pass of "August Kramer".

    Greetings

    Solomon

    Edited by Solomon
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