***Antonio Wednesday’s Wonders ***
A Bavarian-Austrian Medal Bar.
I have already shown this Medal Bar, when I spoke about the Bayerischer Militär-Verdienstorden and the regulations to wear it in an “Ordensspange” along with other classes of the same orden. Now, even not being any more in my collection, we are going to talk about the decorations in it.
It contains the following ones:
– Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse.
– Militär-Verdienstorden (MVO) 4. Klasse mit Schwertern (Königreich Bayern)
– Militär-Verdienstkreuz (MVK) 3. Klasse mit Schwertern und der Krone (Königreich Bayern).
– Ehrenkreuz 1914 -1918.
– Silberne Tapferkeitsmedaille (KuK).
Even if the Ehrenkreuz wasnt there, it would be easy to deduct, that the Medal Bar was made after the First World War, just because it wasnt allowed to wear the MVO and the MVK at the same time, unless it was given in a in a different conflict. As the Person got them both during WW1, he would be allowed only to wear the highest one.
The MVO in the “Ordensschnalle” was made by Weiss & Co after 1916, because the L and the Lions in the central medallions were made in Silver. Before 1917, they were made out of Gold. They were given to: “Schwerter, Leutnante, Oberleutnante, Hauptleute (Zugführer, Kompaniechefs etc.)”
The MVK in there was made, I believe by Lauer in Nürnberg…. Right, Andreas? This was awarded to “Unteroffizieren” and “Sergeant”.
What this Ordensspange tells us is, that as many others, this person started the war as soldier or as NCO. As proof of this last one, he received 2 decorations holding that position: the MVK and also the Austro-Hungarian Silberne Tapferkeitsmedaille. Definitely, he was in contact with KuK troops, maybe in the East Front, in the Macedonian one, where many Bavarian Troops helped Austria to invade Serbia in 1915, or who knows, he may have fought in the Alps during the 12th Battle of Isonzo, also known as the Battle of Caporetto… who knows.
Something is for sure, he got to be officer in 1917 or 1918. Something similar to another officer, that I presented already here…. You find his story typing in the search option: “Der Jäger und seine Maschinengewehr”.