What constitutes a researchable ribbon or medal bar?

[Bob Hunter*]

That question was recently put to me and since I am new to collecting ribbon and medal bars I was unable to provide an adequate reponse. "He who shall not be named" was kind enough to cover me on that one. So now I would like to pose the question to our more experienced members to see if some guidelines can be established for discovering a ribbon or medal bar that has a reasonable chance of being ressearchable. What say my learned colleagues?

[Rick Research]

Combination combination combination.

Ideally: pre-WW1 peacetime awards, an array of WW1 awards, AND service as a career officer in the Reichsheer or Reichsmarine, since those are the only places where complate listings of awards can be found. RANK LISTS are the key. Being a General or Admiral in WW2 sure helps!

Sometimes even an "ordinary" combination of common awards-- which individually are nothing special but COMBINED are more unusual than the parts of their sum-- make an absolute ID possible like Tom Yanacek's mind-bogglingly lucky find of Luftwaffe Generaloberst Otto Dessloch's medal bar at the S.O.S. last month:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ad.php?t=89758

But generally there must be a mix of things odd enough to make a SINGLE identification possible. Sometimes despite endless hours, it still boils down to SEVERAL possible original owners. I posted a seven ribbon bar some time back that I could get down to TWO Bavarian officers. In the case below, it was the "least of awards" (the 1897) that was the most important-- just as it was on Dessloch's in the link above. "Exotic" it need not be-- DISTINCTIVELY UNIQUE is the key.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ht=Fahrmbacher

Other times (as we have seen recently) what must be a unique group is simply not possible to identify because period sources simply do NOT show the awards, or WW1 rolls do not exist or have not been published. Period sources themselves often fail to "cooperate," only showing a highest grade, while ignoring lower ones, as in Bavarian MVO3X being listed, not showing a BMVO4xmKr which was indeed also simultaneously wearable, or failure to show jubilee and pre-1914 campaign medals ... quirks of the sources.

It is as much art as science, and luck plays as great a role as skill. Mostly, it takes having no life, and spending far too much time immersed in dingy old microscopic Gothic typeface, leading to familiarity with what is and is not "normal," and what is likely-- or not-- to be a unique combination. The snap judgement on whether something is or isn't likely to be traceable is just that, acquired over long decades and not "instantly" at all,but the process of CONFIRMING that can take anywhere from minutes to days to... never.

Some nice back pages (there is much that is in the Forgotten Back Pages of "search function" ) threads showing what is and isn't possible as learning tools:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ad.php?t=13645

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ead.php?t=8851


http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ad.php?t=15970

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ad.php?t=15387

[PaulChep]

Rick, You are very much missed by all on the Imperial Forums. As one who is learning to ID medal and ribbon bars, I would add that an in depth knowledge of imperial awards is also very important. During an officier's career they were awarded specific medals for time in service. This knowledge is also important. While collectively we have a large library of imperial research source it is also important to have the basic research source i.e. ranklists and award rolls. The cost of a basic research library can get very expensive. A 1914 Prussian Ranklist is about $75-90 and only covers the Prussian and Wurttemberg Army. For the pre WWI period a Saxon Ranklist (if available $90-$110) is required and a Bayern Militar Handbuch ($90-100), which is the Bayern Ranklist. Even with these three books you are only touching the Army. Also required is the Prussian Army Honor Ranklist ($150-175) which lists ALL officers in the Germany Army. The Navy 1914 Ranklist and Honor Ranklist are very difficult to find and expensive. These books are available in Germany, but with the bad dollar/euro exchange rate and shipping they are expensive. It has taken me many years to acquire an adequate WWI officer research library. If you want to research pre-1900 officers or medalbar with the 1870 EK2 then you need earlier ranklists that are even harder to find. I would suggest starting out with the 1914 Ranklists and Honor Ranklists. Good Luck!!!

[Rick Research]

Well, WAITING for my status to be corrected brings the old saying about the time when the devil can skate to mind ... so am just posting with "signature" showing correct status, even if what is under my name stays WRONG.

Indications of the process... and the time involved:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ad.php?t=26414


Possibly our single most devastatingly FRUSTRATING collective failure-to-ID-- with over a dozen WW1 awards

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ad.php?t=33993