My new medal bar.

[CRBeery]

This is my new baby. I have been working on getting it for about a month. I think it was worth it.
Now for my questions. Who would have worn this? The previous owner called it the "diplomat" bar - it this a possibility? Also, does anyone have reference to the Thailand Order of the Crown? I checked in the international zone and there was a page linked that showed the orders of Thailand but not this one. I think this is an older version. The red and green enamel remind me of the Order of the White Elephant but the ribbon is Order of the Crown.

Thanks,
Chet

[CRBeery]

Back of the foreign award. The bar is backed by a dark blue material.

[Rick Research]

Career military, certainly not "diplomatic"-- that's an XXV Years Service Cross...

I'm not at all knowledgeable about what class or time period the Siamese 9as it was then) Crown Order is...

my initial first impression was "naval engineer." No matches found in checking the usual suspects: ordnance and explosives officers etc, in either army or navy.

The thing is, other types of Beamten could NOT earn the XXV until AFTER WW1-- in which case this guy got ZIPPO for the entire war. To have had the XXV Cross BEFORE the war places him as either a normal combatant officer or one of the few technical branches who also got this cross then.

This one will take some rooting but there is hope of an ID.

Dave will know what exact class this is, and what era the squiggles on back signify. In the meantime I'll just look for the abbreviations for the Siamese Crown Order by either lowest class.

Is that a STEEL China medal , or a gilt bronze one?

[CRBeery]

Rick,
It is a gilt bronze - one reason I did not buy the "diplomat" reference. I had hoped you could tell me what type of person wore this - BUT who would be outstanding!

Many Thanks,
Chet

[Klaus O.]

Chet,

That's a great bar. I really like this kind of Imperial medal bars with such exotic foreign medals at the end of the bar. Estetically they are very appealing to me. Congratulations!

I also think that is not a diplomatic bar. I remember to have seen such diplomatic bars on old catalogues (Graf Klenau). It was amazed to see how many foreign medals such diplomatic functionaries could have worn after more than 20 years service in the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Ciao,

Claudio

[jani_tiainen]

Thai Order is called The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand.

It looks like member's cross ("5th class").

The Order is instituted in 1869 and yours is definetly old type. Current ones (what I've seen) since 1940-50's looks totally different. So those are still avarded.

Official Thai government's medal site :
http://www.cabinet.thaigov.go.th/eng/d_Crown00.htm

Cheers,
Jani

[Rick Research]

My bad! I was wrong! But even when I am "wrong," The Amazing Ricky Instincts are absolutely correct--

He WAS a Naval Engineer:

Otto Behrendt

born 28 July 1871 (Naval Honor Rank List has 27.7.1870 BUT the 1914 Naval Birthday Book has "28.7." and the 1938 Naval Engineers Association (VIM) has 28.7.71)

Navy 1 April 1891 to 4 March 1920:

Marine-Ingenieur 9.8.04 (Ist Werft-Division 1905 with IX Years Service brooch*)
Marine-Oberingenieur 10.11.08 (Staff of Inspectorate of Torpedos-- Prussian Crown Order 4th Class, IX, Siamese Crown Order-Knight--so both Orders awarded 1905-1908 )
Marine-Stabsingenieur 6.5.12 A Electrical Systems Engineer SMS "Prinzregent Luitpold" until February 1916 (Bavarian Military Merit Order 4th Class with Swords 5.2.16-- also had EK1 and EK2 WW1. Holder of XXV Years Service Cross before 1914*)

Leading Engineer of SMS "Schleswig-Holstein" to April 1917
Leading Engineer of SMS "Moltke" until March 1918 as well as Chief Engineer for naval forces involved in marine landings and capture of the Baltic islands September to November 1917

Leading Engineer, Submarine-Cruiser Flotilla to end of the war

Marine-Oberstabsingenieur 28.4.18 B (same as a Korvettenkapitän)

He was alive in 1938 living at Beselerallee 25, Kiel. Member #59 of Naval Engineers Assocaiation (VIM)

I can NOT confirm the China medal-- he was not a commissioned officer then, nor was he listed in the vanity press "German Orders Almanac" of 1909. However, he was the ONLY naval recipient of

Prussian Crown Order 4th Class, XXV Years Service Cross (*sea service outside German home waters counted double, as did wartime service including colonial campaigns), pre 22 March 1897 service (Centenary Medal) and a Siamese Crown Order 5th (Knight) Class.

No one in the army had this combination. I've seen red backings on some navy bars, but navy blue backing on an army bar is all but uneard of... backings are a vital clue, too.

[CRBeery]

Mr. Lundstom,
You are a treasure! Many thanks. I was afraid after recent events that you had given up research. This bar has life again.

Chet

[Christian L]

such bars with history i love
christian

[JBFloyd]

The Order of the Crown of Thailand was created in 1869 by King Chula Chom Klao, whose cypher appears on the reverse. This is the first type, which was in use until 1909, when the order added a "special class" above the first class and was redesigned.

[kunsho]

Hi,

in the year 1925 the Order of the Crown had still the "old" or first type design discussed here (look Guadagnini -Storia degli Ordini Equestri), 1909 gave it devinitiv no change. Is there somebody who can date the time of the model change profound and exactly (I assume in the 40's)?

Best regards
Matthias