A sweet ribbon bar

[Peter J]

Getting older isn't always that bad . This little beauty arrived the other day from my favorite Stuttgart resident, Christian, thanks mate . I can't recall I've ever seen this type with angled edges, similar to the normal size bars.

KR

Peter

[Guest Rick Research]

Yup, that is a !! From construction, and the old model IX Years Service ribbon there, I'd say it's an 1870 in first place, not a Hindenburg Cross, so what you have is a mysterious ahead of its time ribbon bar that must have been worn on a civilian lapel in lieu of the usual buttonhole "bow tie."

Very very nice indeed.

[Peter J]

Thanks Rick . With the presence of the Centenarmedaille, I suppose I should have considered that possibility .

I guess this bar was made before 1913 due to the early LS ribbon. Could you please elaborate on the "ahead of its time"-part a bit further, as I'm trying to catch up on ribbon bars.

KR

Peter

[Guest Rick Research]

I think it is early because of the brass construction (correct for the period before WW1 but not at all common thereafter) and the old model long service ribbon.

Before 1915/16 there WERE no "little" ribbon bars. The only ones like yours that I have seen were worn on navy "monkey jacket" officer's dress (for which I can find no authorization date) and this is NOT a naval officer's combination.

Here is the only such one I can document-- worn only sometime from the spring until the summer of 1914 by Conrad Albrecht (1880-1969), later Generaladmiral zS (served 1899-1939) while Kapit?nleutnant zS commanding the fleet tender "Sleipner":

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Red Eagle Order 4, Order of the Crown of Italy-Officer (gazetted 16 May 1914), Greek Order of the Redeemer-Officer (gazetted 4 may 1914 and here improperly with Xs), and Norwegian Order of St. Olaf-Officer.

The ONLY style of ribbon bar authorized before 1915 was the type which enlisted ranks wore with hooks on back to also use as full dress medal bars, and which officers wore without hooks AS ribbon bars.

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These naturally made them quite spectacularly conspicuous targets in 1914, which is why the smaller versions (using the 15mm size ribbons long worn as lapel "bow ties") were introduced.

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The ribbon bar above is in my friend Ted's collection. It belonged to Adjutant of the 25th Infantry Brigade Hauptmann Fritz von Br?mbsen, who was killed at Fort Brimont on 16 September 1914 very likely WEARING this ribbon bar-- it certainly dates after the declaration of war, since he has REMOVED his Russian St Anna 3rd Class from the awards he had received before the war but has left on his neutral Dutch, Bulgarian, and Siamese ribbons. It stretchs from tunic front buttons to armpit and would have presented an appealing target to any enemy marksman.

South German ribbon bars before the war were usually padded, with curved sides-- and thrifty officers there often used clips in front or the same hook backs as enlisted ranks to wear as either full medal bars or ribbon bars.

But the ones we think of as classic German ribbon bars-- 15mm wide and 18mm high-- were only introduced in Prusia in late 1915, with the other states authorizing that type in early 1916.

[Peter J]

Rick, this has probably been brought to your attention before but I'll say it again, you are a living encyclopedia . I greatly appreciate your response.

KR

Peter