***Antonio Wednesday’s Wonders ***
Preußen, Sachsen Meiningen und China.
Today, I will be showing another Medal Bar, which was in my collection. The combination is quite interesting.
It contains the following decorations:
– Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse
– Medaille für Verdienst im Kriege 1915 in Bronze – Herzogturm Sachsen Meiningen.
– China-Denkmunze.
– Ehrenkreuz 1914 – 1918
– Landwehr Dienstauszeichnung 2. Klasse.
We can deduct, that this person was in the army already between 1898 and 1900, but not before that, because the Wilhelm I Centenary medal from 1897 is missing. This medal was given to every active person in the Prussian Army that year.
The Medal in the middle, tells us, that this soldier or NCO took part in the campaign in China, during the Boxer Rebellion in July 1900 and the occupation afterwards. I already spoke about these events here:
14 years later, this Soldier or NCO fought again for the Kaiser, this time in Europe.
He received the Landwehr Medal, but he may have received it before the war, if he served over 3 Months of active service after his Mandatory Military Service. Also he may have received, if he fought during a campaign. Well this is for sure as we can see in the other 2 medals.
The beautiful Sachsen-Meiningen EMadl was given to NCO`s and Soldiers. The one for officers is different, with an open background, which makes it looks like a cross. The Medal was awarded to all those Regiments, were the Duke was “inhaber” or belonged to that “Herzogtum”. The Infantry Regiments 32 and 95 were entitled to receive them. The first Regiment (2nd Thüringian) was entirely from Sachsen-Meiningen and placed in this city. The 95th Infantry Regiment (6th Thüringian) was made up with troops from the Herzogtum Sachsen-Gotha-Coburg and also Sachsen-Meiningen, but it used to have also troops from other small Thüringian States.
Not only members of those regiments received this decoration, also soldiers or NCO’s from other regiments and German States may have received it, if they were born in the Herzogturm Sachsen Meiningen. In some occasions too, the “neighbour fighting soldiers”, may have received it. It means, that this person fought in a Regiment, which was placed just besides any of those 2 Regiments in a particular battle or campaign.
In other words, it is quite complicated to have a clear background of the person, who wore this Medal Bar, still it is a lovely combination for a person who fought for the Kaiser already in 1900.
Sources:
Book: “Traditions of the Imperial German Infantry Regiments” (Chris Dale).