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Admiral Souchon’s Medal Bar

Chris’ Curious Museum Finds

Admiral Souchon’s Medal Bar- Imperial War Museum, London (no longer on display)

The medals on this bar in order of seniority from left to right are-
Prussian 1914 Iron Cross, second class
Prussian Order of the Red Eagle, fourth class with crown
Colonial Service Medal, awarded for taking part in the Venezuela Blockade 1902-03
Prussian Officers Long Service Award, for 25 years service
Prussian Wilhelm I Centenary Medal
Bremen Hanseatic Cross
Hamburg Hanseatic Cross
Schaumburg-Lippe Cross for Loyal Service
Saxe-Meinigen Honour Cross for Merit in War
Ottoman Imtiyaz Distinction Medal Medal, second class in gold with swords
Ottoman Imtiyaz Distinction Medal Medal, first class in silver with swords and battle clasp
Ottoman War Medal (Iron Crescent), ribbon only
Ottoman Imtiyaz Distinction Medal Medal, first class in silver without swords
The original owner of this medal bar was Vizeadmiral Wilhelm Souchon, who commanded the SMS Goeben and SMS Breslau in Ottoman service during the First World War. His medals are worn in correct naval order of seniority with all the Prussian awards before those of other German states, with four Ottoman medals in last place.
Admiral Souchon was also awarded many other medals which do not appear on his medal bar. These awards and the reason for their non-appearance on this medal bar are just as interesting as those that do appear. They include the Prussian Pour-Le Mérite (which was worn at the throat rather than on a bar), the Prussian Iron Cross First Class (which was worn on the breast); several pre-war awards from Entente countries- Russian Order of St Anne, third Class, two Italian Orders of the Crown and a Greek Grand Commander of the Order of the Redeemer (which would probably have been removed as each country sided against Germany and her allies in the war, although the Greek order would not have been on a bar as it was worn on the breast and neck); several repeated awards of the Prussian Red Eagle in different classes (which were superseded on his bar by the one that appears there); and the Turkish Gold Liakat Medal, Turkish Medjidie Order first class, two Saxon Albrecht Orders (first and second class) and two Prussian Crown Order (both second class, one with star), which he is presumably not wearing for the simple reason of lack of space across his chest.