The Ultimate Ribbon Bar Identification Challenge?

[Rick Research]

A TWO ribbon bar?


OK, OK, I'm "cheating" a bit-- this is a set of two I got decades ago. I am hoping to identify the owner by cross checking the rolls of the Bavarian Military Merit Order 4th Class with Swords on the War Merit ribbon (only 544 awards WW1), with Stogie-Rick's Albert Orders with Swords WW1 rolls.

In case of a tie, the Bavarian piece was awarded earlier (the two bar), yet he wore his Saxon Order before it (because of the "merit" ribbon, or?...)

Can it be done?

Tune in tomorrow!

Obverses:

[Rick Research]

Note that the Bavarian swords above are REAL silver. That seems to have been the case most of the time for Military Merit Orders--often with the "bound" centers, miniatures of the full sized swords worn atop the crosses.

The upper 2 ribbon bar has a massive thick pin typical of the "first generation," while the Feldgrau tabbacks came into use during the war as a marked improvement (see The Ribbon Bar Article on this website )

Reverses:

[Rick Research]

Yoush!!! Try flipping through 15,000 Albert Orders--and then "everything else" to make sure something didn't pop up on THOSE rolls....

Found FOUR guys who had an Albert with Swords and the Bavarian MMO 4th Xs on "war merit" ribbon--

of those 4, one was a diplomat, with many other awards. Two of the remaining three were too senior in rank, and while I cannot positively exclude them, I'm sure they must have had other award(s) from their common pre-war civil service careers. Yes, bizarrely enough, CIVIL service careers (couldn't find any Civil Merits with Swords to non-Saxons)-- so the winner is:

Through rain, and snow, and dark of artillery barrage...

Combat Mailman


OK, OK, Field Post Master,

k. preuss. OberPostInspektor/Feldpostmeister Dr. Paul Hellner, formerly of OberPostDirection Stettin.

Bavarian MMO4X "war merit" 1 October 1915 (the Bavarian rolls do NOT give actual wartime units, only pre-war affiliation)

Saxon Albert Order-Knight 1st Class with Swords 5 July 1917, same rank titles, on staff of Oberkommando Heeresgruppe Linsingen (Poland, ended up in the Ukraine).

I never expected to find an Albert Order with swords to this sort of person-- but I guess 4 out of 15,000-odd are pretty steep odds...

Now, how the heck did a Postmaster end up with a "combatant" Iron Cross?... (Uh uh, there are those weird "blacK white" NONcombatants again!!!)

[Daniel Krause]

Hi Rick,

MEIN GOTT! What a nice and rare ribbons You have! It is only thwe 3rd or 4th time I see a Bavarian war merit ribbon on a ribbon bar! Sell it to MEEEEEEEEE
It is everytime amazing to read Your posts!

Best regards

Daniel