I know, it is not the best title for an article about small Bavarian Medal Bars, but it is how I consider the following “Ordensspange”.
In the last few years, I got a couple of Bavarian Medal Bars, which contains normal or common decorations, but the combination is quite uncommon, because it lacks the Prussian part of it as there is no “Eisernes Kreuz” in the mix.
We start with a 2 Medal Frack “Ordensschnalle” with the following decorations (from right to left):
– Militär-Verdienstkreuz 2.Klasse mit Schwertern. The maker was Jacob Leser in Straubing. He was the Royal Bavarian Jeweller. This is an early model of the cross.
– Ehrenkreuz 1914 – 1918.
When I had this Medal Bar in my hands in a meeting with friends, it was love at the first sight. So when I had the chance to buy it, I didn’t have any doubt (Thank you once again, Andreas)
Still a strange combination because for being a 2nd Class, there is no Iron Cross attached to it. We tend to forget that there were many troops in the rear-guard, who were also entitled to the decorations, for example, the train troops, supply troops, etc. This type of troop may have been more attached to the German State part than to the German Army in General, that is why he did not get the Iron Cross. In our case, this medal bar belonged to a NCO (Vizefeldwebel, Feldwebel or Fähnriche).
The Next Medal bar belonged to a person, who was loyal to the Royal Family well after the end of the war. It contains the following decorations:
– Militär-Verdienstkreuz 3. Klasse mit Schwertern und der Krone. The maker was Weiss & Co. from Munich (This Cross was given to Unteroffiziere and Sergeanten).
– Ehrenkreuz 1914 – 1918.
– Kronprinz Rupprecht-Medaille in Bronze.
Here we see a person, who took part in the WW1 and was decorated only with the Bavarian Cross. But somehow, this person was more or less close to the royal family, well after 1925, when the medal was given for the Birthday of Kronzprinz Rupprecht von Bayern. The person, who received these medals, was a Soldier, who still believed after the war in the monarchy and its reinstatement. Another simple but lovely “Ordensschnalle”,
And finally, another simple Bavarian Medal Bar. This time, it contains the following decorations:
– Militär-Verdienstkreuz 3. Klasse mit Schwertern. The maker was also Weiss & Co. from Munich (This Cross was given to soldiers).
– 25 Years Medal for belonging in a Veteran Association. It comes also with a 50 Years Cross.
I guess, he may have been already part of a Veteran association (maybe as helper) before the war. After it, he continued there.
And that it is. There are small medal bars, which can be very beautiful and tell so many stories.
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