Unusual Mounted Saxon Medal Bar

[Mark M]

Last week Detlev offered a Saxon Medal bar that was mounted in an unothodox style. His description of the grouping was "EK2, Saxon Merit Order 2kl with swords, Albert Order 1 kl with swords and crown, Schaumberg-Lippe 2, HH and HK". Detlev has examined the bar thoroughly and has given his blessings as being 100% legit. All medals are original and the ribbons show proper wear and age on the fold lines. I am curious to see what others think of this bar. First up are the pictures posted by Detlev.

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[Mark M]

Close ups of the obverse Saxon orders.

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[Mark M]

Close up of the other awards.

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[Mark M]

Close up of the reverse lower edge mounting.

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[Mark M]

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[Mark M]

Both Saxon orders are stamped S on the bottom of the crosses. The Albert Order is also marked Scharffenberg on the 9 o,clok arm and Dresden on the 3 o'clock arm.

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[Mark M]

Another unusal aspect of the cross is that on the reverse, diectly above the needle catch is sewn a reinforced loop similar to what was sewn on tunics for attaching pinback awards. No idea of what itis for. I look forward to hearing comments/speculation about this bar.

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[medalnet]

It does look like the ugly Hindenburg Cross was attached to an extention made to the bar in 1934. Not uncommon.

[Guest Rick Research]

The combination suggests someone who was already a Hauptmann when the war started, but who left circa 1920 without having reached the double time needed for an XXV Years Service Cross.

It is also possible that the recipient was a wartime Hauptmann level officer in the Reserve or Landwehr, who did not hold an LD2 as of 1914 and so never got one.

The officer can ONLY have held a rank equivalent to Captain during the war, and though very possibly retired out as a brevet Major, could not have HELD that rank during the war.

So we are looking for a CAPTAIN among the 400 holders of the SV3aX, who received as a second award, a Crown to a previous SA3aX-- all three received as a Captain.

Because of multiple demands upon my time, I have only had time to check Captains with names beginning from A through L:

out of those, the only SV3aX/Crown to SA3aX recipients I have not been able to exclude, based on insufficient data, are:

Hptm Walter Ba?et

Stabsarzt dR Dr Friedrich Grossmann

and

Stabsarzt dR Dr Paul Jacobs

that is some indication of the limited pool of "suspects" for this combination. The names beginning from "M" on haven't been checked yet.

[Bob Hunter]

Rick, in spite of what your 'other' twin says you can be quite amazing...

[Guest Rick Research]

I have been through to the end of the letter "R" and can only NOT exclude one more from the M-to-R part of the alphabet:

Stabsarzt Dr. Otto Meltzer.

Inexplicably, Roth's coverage of medical officers is completely haphazard, with many regulars (like Meltzer) NOT listed, and many reservists (unlike regular officers) shown.

[JensF.]

Because of items like this medal-bar I really love collecting Imperial.

[Stogieman]

Well, any way you slice this, it's a pretty spectacular piece with the Merit Order 1.kl. I can count on one hand the number of those I have seen at all in the last 10 years! Detlev's original description stated it to be a 2.kl.

Now....... has anybody deduced WHY Mark thinks the mounting unusual....... ?