Impossible?

[Wild Card]

Gentlemen,

Several years ago, I acquired an unusual medal bar which, on the surface, appears impossible and yet could be legitimate. I would like to present it here for your evaluation and amusement. Before we take a look at it in it?s entirety, I will first show it, below, as it would appear as a ribbon bar in the hope of giving our resident identification experts a sleepless night (don?t tell them that the last two ribbons are incorrect - they?d never guess what the medals on them are any way); just the sight of this should give them nightmares.

As time permits, within the next couple of days, I will post the whole piece.

Stay tuned and best wishes,

Wild Card

[notned]

Blimey! i for one will certainly look forward to the explanation of this...owww my head hurts just thinking about it...

The first three are explainable....but the last two...Huh???

yes no one would ever guess...we can see what the ribbons look like and what they are supposed to represent...but as you say they are wrong and we would NEVER guess whats on them...( unless you were Psychic....)

Awaiting the relevations with baited breath.....

Cheers

Paul

[Christophe]

Interesting to note the difference of size of the two last ribbons compared to the two first ones...

Ch.

[Kev in Deva]

Gentlemen,

Several years ago, I acquired an unusual medal bar which, on the surface, appears impossible and yet could be legitimate. I would like to present it here for your evaluation and amusement. Before we take a look at it in it?s entirety, I will first show it, below, as it would appear as a ribbon bar in the hope of giving our resident identification experts a sleepless night (don?t tell them that the last two ribbons are incorrect - they?d never guess what the medals on them are any way); just the sight of this should give them nightmares.

As time permits, within the next couple of days, I will post the whole piece.

Stay tuned and best wishes,

Wild Card

Hallo Wild-Card,

any chance the last two are for a Prussian Military Service Cross from 1864-1918

or the Military Service Cross of 1916 -1918 in silver,

mind you its just a guess and I am probably way off.

Kevin in Deva.

[Christophe]

Maybe I am wrong, but regarding the different size of the two last ones, I don't think they are Prussian...

A nice and interesting challenge, Wild Card!!

Ch.

[Paul C]

Althought this looks like an officer's bar could it be that it is for an enlisted me who got bumped to officer during the war and maybe received the enlisted man's PLM. I think the EM PLM is on a EK ribbon. There are at least 4 decorations that use the EK ribbon when awarded for combat, RAO, HOH, EK and EM PLM. The middle ribbon looks that the Wurttemberg Frederick Order but it could be a faded service ribbon. Of course the medals would be all out of order.

Edited June 11, 2006 by Paul C

[Christophe]

Hi Paul,

I also thought to this. But if this hypothesis is OK, would the preseance order be the one you mention ? And it doesn't explain the 5th ribbon... or

Cheers.

Ch;

[Wild Card]

Gentlemen,

Thank you all for your response to this thread. As you can see below, your observations, questions and guesses are all well thought out, relative and on (a very difficult) target. Beyond what you see in the pictures below, I can only add that the British Egypt Medal is engraved ?5th Bn INFry No233? on the rim.

I bought this bar some years ago from George Seymour. It was his guess, and I concur, that what we have here is a group to a ?Native? soldier who first fought with the British in The Egyptian War of 1882 and then served with the Germans. Having received the subsequent German awards, he went to the local source, who was a German, to have his group put together. This source did not have any British ribbon; hence, the Iron Cross ribbon was substituted for mounting the British medals. Any other thoughts, observations or theories are most welcome.

Thank you again for your interest and participation. It is reassuring and a pleasure to see such creative and analytical thinking at work.

Best wishes,

Wild Card

[Wild Card]

Reverse.

[Guest Rick Research]

Ah yes! I remember that pre-Askari group coming up, close on 30 years ago. Originally from Jack Sweetman (if I could go back in time with THOSE catalogs!!!!) or was it an OMSA Convention find?

Glad you rescued it...

might be worthwile, in this amazing Online Age we are in, to post that in the BRITISH Medals section and see if anyone can come up with a name from rolls. Stranger things have happened.

[Christophe]

Wild Card,

That's a very good one. You are right; we were far from the reality... But, how many realities? Congrats, a very nice - and full of promices - bar .

Cheers.

Ch.

[W McSwiggan]

Althought this looks like an officer's bar could it be that it is for an enlisted me who got bumped to officer during the war and maybe received the enlisted man's PLM. I think the EM PLM is on a EK ribbon. There are at least 4 decorations that use the EK ribbon when awarded for combat, RAO, HOH, EK and EM PLM. The middle ribbon looks that the Wurttemberg Frederick Order but it could be a faded service ribbon. Of course the medals would be all out of order.

For the record (according to my references), the following Prussian Awards & Orders (if awarded "with swords") may be worn on the "War Ribbon" (Black-White-Black-White-Black):

Iron Cross

Royal Hohenzollern House Order

Red Eagle Order

Crown Order

Military Merit Cross

Military Decoration 1st Class

Military Decoration 2nd Class

Warrior Merit Medal (This carries a different number in the B?nderkatalog but looks like the war ribbon to me)

Hope this is of some help. If in error, I invite our more learned friends to make corrections as appropriate!

Edited June 11, 2006 by W McSwiggan

[Wild Card]

Thank you Rick. Isn?t it amazing how these things turn up after so many years? And the journeys often taken to get there? Per your suggestion (for which I thank you - great idea), our friends over in the British Medals area are getting a look at it as I write this.

Thank you also, Christophe. Actually, I think that you guys were doing a pretty good job, considering what you had to work with. I mean, really, look at it, who could ever have guessed? As you put it so well - ?so many realities?; and that is exactly why I presented this group in the manner I chose - to remind us to keep an open mind with regard to the options and possibilities.

Best wishes to you both,

Wild Card

[Ulsterman]

A fascinating medal bar- a senior NCO out before the French war, enlisted in the Egyptian army as an advisor/mercenary?

I find no battalion #5 on the British rolls. Perhaps a navy Tar ashore?

Edited June 12, 2006 by Ulsterman

[bravo2zero]

This would be the 5th battalion of Infantry in the Egyptian Army...not the British Army.Ring when it is for sale!!!

Kind Regards

Mike

A fascinating medal bar- a senior NCO out before the French war, enlisted in the Egyptian army as an advisor/mercenary?

I find no battalion #5 on the British rolls. Perhaps a navy Tar ashore?

[Stogieman]

Very interesting bar WC... I hope you can track this fellow down!