Order of the Griffon, in group for Belgian-Congo

[Kvart]

Hello,

 

A Belgian group with medals and orders for service the the Belgian Congo in the 1920-30-ies, allegedly surfaced at a flee market in Norway some time ago. There might be a Scandinavian connection, since several hundred Scandinavians served in Congo. 

 

Anyway, in the lot was also this Order of the Griffon, knight 1st class with crown. It was loose in the lot, but a miniature was mounted together with miniatures of all the other decorations in the lot. Is it possible to say anything about this knight's cross? Era or time period? Numbers awarded? Recipients? Original? Rare? Any information is much appreciated.

[Kvart]

The miniature group.

[VtwinVince]

Interesting group. Is the crown hinged? The Griffon Order with crown is of course scarcer than the Knight's Cross, as it constitutes a higher grade of the order. We need one of our Mecklenburg experts to chime in, but it looks like a good WW1 period piece to me.

[Graf]

8 hours ago, Kvart said:

The miniature group.

Very nice mini Group Thanks for showing it

[Herman]

Do a search with the word "griffon" on this website and you will learn a lot more about this order.

 

Regards

Herman 

[seeheld]

This is an original Knight Cross with the Crown. 

The griffin Order don't know a Knight Cross 1st Class or 2nd Class.

The maker is Rose. Most probably given to the Man in between 1904-1910.

No of awards: 600+

 

after quick search in my database I found 2 Persons in Service for the Congo State

 

1. Derche, Emile Jules Vincent - dob 11.07.1867 - Mreira, Oberadjunkt im Dienste des Kongostaates - RKmK 21.03.1908

2. Engh, Dr. jur., Martin - dob 24.03.1874 - Kristiania, Chef de zone de 1ere class an Congo Belge - RKmK 19.10.1908

 

I guess No. 2 is the seached previous Owner.

 

I'm really in Love with this lovely group!!!

[JohanH]

On 20/08/2023 at 23:39, seeheld said:

This is an original Knight Cross with the Crown. 

The griffin Order don't know a Knight Cross 1st Class or 2nd Class.

The maker is Rose. Most probably given to the Man in between 1904-1910.

No of awards: 600+

 

after quick search in my database I found 2 Persons in Service for the Congo State

 

1. Derche, Emile Jules Vincent - dob 11.07.1867 - Mreira, Oberadjunkt im Dienste des Kongostaates - RKmK 21.03.1908

2. Engh, Dr. jur., Martin - dob 24.03.1874 - Kristiania, Chef de zone de 1ere class an Congo Belge - RKmK 19.10.1908

 

I guess No. 2 is the seached previous Owner.

 

I'm really in Love with this lovely group!!!

 

I think you are right about it being Engh. 

Martin Engh received the Belgian order of Leopold and Crown, Order of the Lion and a servicemedal. 

 

Here is a photo of Engh. Unfortunately I don't know which of the men is Engh. 

 

Photo from:
Engh, Martin (1874 - 1942) - DigitaltMuseum

 

 

03347x7iYyQu.jfif

Edited August 22, 2023 by JohanH
Mistake in the Lion order

[Kvart]

Yes, the crown is hinged.

 

Seeheld, your database is simply amazing!!

 

Yes, it must be Engh. I found this in the students' yearbook 1892 from 1917, 25 years after they graduated with "examen artium" (high school). They all write about them selves there, what they have been up to since 1892.

 

Related to Congo, It basically says that graduated in Norway as a 2nd lieutenant 1893, he started service in Congo i 1898 as 1st lieutenant. Promoted to captain commandant 1902, and next year began in civilian position, first chef de zone and later commissaire de district. Went back to Norway 1916 and he writes: "I'm not going back to Congo anymore"...

 

Then he lists his decorations: the Belgian order of Leopold and order of the Crown, then the Congolese order of the Lion (sorry, Johan, but not Dutch order of the Lion) and Service star. Then the Order of the Griffon.

 

In Johan's picture, I think Engh is the 2nd guy from the left, white uniform.

 

 

But the really interesting bit is to show the whole group. Albeit Engh does not lists the grades of his orders, all the five orders and medals he mentions, is in the lot. The commemorative medal (blue ribbon with yellow star) is not mentioned, but the yearbook is from 1917 and he was awarded that one in 1928 or the years after. .

 

The last medal is a masonic medal, I have it here:

The very last medal, white ribbon and red edge, is just a coin in a ribbon.

 

This also answers another question I had. Three Belgian orders for Congo, with two showing signs of promotion, gilt Service star indicating 10+ years in Congo, but still not a single medal for service in WW1 or WW2. How would that be possible? With the name and the German order in 1908 we know. First of all, civilians in Congo did not get their own medals in WW1, but they got in WW2. Engh left military service in 1903, and was a civilian during WW1. Therefor no Belgian WW1 medals. But all time there, including as civilian, counted on the Congo Service Star, and probably also his Belgian orders. It all makes sense then...

 

Only one question remaining: how on earth did he end up with an order from Mecklenburg? I guess the citations are lost forever? Why would typically a civil servant in Belgian Congo be decorated by Mecklenburg in 1908?

 

 

[bolewts58]

All very interesting. It seems the miniature Griffin Order has a Belgian crown rather than a Mecklenburg crown.

Edited August 21, 2023 by bolewts58

[saxcob]

3 hours ago, Kvart said:

Why would typically a civil servant in Belgian Congo be decorated by Mecklenburg in 1908?

 

From 1907 to 1908, Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1873-1969) led a scientific research expedition in the region of the Central African Graben and traversed Africa from east to west. There was even a "Commemorative Medal for Participants of the African Expedition, 1907-1908" .

It is most likely that Engh did something to support him.
 

Later on the Duke became Governor of Togoland (1912-1914), elected duke of the United Baltic Duchy (5 November to 28 November 1918), and the first president of the National Olympic Committee of West Germany (1949–1951).

 

 

Edited August 21, 2023 by saxcob

[Kvart]

Yes, thank you saxcob. That must be it. Almost like a diplomatic award, given to higher ranking officials the duke met, like state visits of even today. But also very easy to imagine that Engh provided some sort of support: provisions, escorting soldiers, guides, locals to carry stuff and accommodations where they could be found.

 

Thank you!