Now here's an odd one ! British/German group

[MerchantSeaman]

sadly no its not in my collection, its a group with IRON CROSS to Colonel Sir Henry Hozier, Asst Military Secretary to Lord Napier of Magdala, "Times" War Correspondent, Secretary to lloyds of London and father of Lady Clementine Churchill.

In addition to his KCB his group includes

Coronation 1902
China 1857/60 clasps "Taku Forts 1860" & "Pekin 1860" (Lieut, 4 Bde, RA)
Abyssinia 1867 (Lieut, 2nd Life Gds)
Volunteer Decoration (Hallmarked 1894)
Prussian Iron Cross 1870 with 25 Yr Oakleaf
Prussia - Danish Campaign Cross 1866
Prussia - Franco/Prussian War 1870-71 clasps Metz, Loigny-Poupry, Le Mans, Orleans, Paris.
Prussia Wilhelm I Centenary Medal (1897)

He went "walk about" as a "Times" War correspondent after Abyssinia but returned as a Captain in 3rd Dragoon Gds, then he was Asst Miliatry Attache with German HQ for the Franco/Prussian war, retired in 1874 and died in Panama in 1907.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Pete, an interesting and very nice group


It reminds me of a story, told to me by an Int Corps friend of mine, of a WW2 German Vet who later became a civillian uniformed driver for the BAOR. He was a decorated vet, with at least an EKI. The Col of the Regt he was attached too insisted he wear all his decorations at a parade as he had just been awarded the MBE, so he wore the lot! I cannot recall the chap's name now.

Cheers, Ade.

[atcase]

Hi all,
there was a similar group local to me where a WW2 german vet. worked for the British army (as a civie,post war) at the West moors depot (training forces fire personell). There was quite a good write up in the local paper.
Ashley

[Adam H]

That's a fantastic group and a RARE combination indeed. I've seen a few groups over the years with Brits awarded German decorations. I even seem to remember an article somewhere about one that was awarded a "Nazi" decoration just pre-WWII...I think for saving some German sailors in the Mediterranean (?) I'll see if I can dig up the article.

I also seem to remember that Kurt "Panzer" Meyer worked with the Canadian Army post war...somehow doubt he earned any medals with them though. I'll have to read up on this again as well.

Cheers,

Adam

[Greeves]

I also seem to remember that Kurt "Panzer" Meyer worked with the Canadian Army post war...somehow doubt he earned any medals with them though. I'll have to read up on this again as well.

Cheers,

Adam

I'm not too sure about that one, Adam, but my Dad loves to tell the story of how Meyer tried to flog beer (he worked for one of the breweries after he got out of prison) to the Canadian Guards Officers' Mess in Soest - sometime in the mid-late 50's. My Dad was vice-PMC at the time and the PMC - who was a WW2 vet along with a few other of the senior officers who had been around during the war - told him in no uncertain terms that he was quite unwelcome...

[Adam H]

Hmmm....

Geoff I think you're right and I'm wrong on this one...he was in Dorchester for awhile...and then worked for a brewery...I may be confusing Meyer with another infamous WWII persona...I'll have to dig deeper.

Brain doesn't seem to have the recall these days like it used to...ouch.

Adam

[JAMES.M]

Hmmm....

Geoff I think you're right and I'm wrong on this one...he was in Dorchester for awhile...and then worked for a brewery...I may be confusing Meyer with another infamous WWII persona...I'll have to dig deeper.

Brain doesn't seem to have the recall these days like it used to...ouch.

Adam

Adam,
You're right, Meyer was in Dorchester, and, the boys from Ottawa (war colledge etc.) paid him several visits. They wanted his opinion on Canadian tactics as he experienced them first hand. It was more of a mutual respect/peer info exchange. He did flog beer to the Canadians when released also.

Cheers,
James

[Adam H]

Aha!

Perhaps the ol' melon isn't functioning as badly as I had feared...thanks for that James. I was sure I had heard he had advised the Canadian military reference Armoured Tactics at some point...

Cheers,

Adam

[MerchantSeaman]

Adam I'm sure you are correct mate,


I think it was a couple of British guys got German (Nazi) Red Cross awards & certificates, it was a rescue at sea and I think it involved the German warship "Deutschland". I cant remember what the incident was but it was Spanish Civil War connected 1936/39 and there were at least 20-30 German sailors killed and others injured. I remember seeing a British group with that swastika marked Red Cross medal and certificate on sale not that long ago (within the last 10 years).

10 years isnt really that long - well not in my eyes anyway (thought I'd say that before some kind soul aged about 19 chimes up and makes me sound like "old father time"

[MerchantSeaman]

Found it !!!!!

It was a chappess and not a chap.

The group was a RRC (GeoVI) dated 1943, 39/45 Star, Africa, Italy, Defence & War plus the Third Reich "Order of the Red Cross, Ladies Cross" with bestowal document dated Berlin 26 Jul 1937 and a War Office letter with permission to wear "in recognition of services to wounded members of the German battleship "Deutschland" at Gibraltar".

Lieut-Col Norah Kathleen Smyth. She enetered QAIMNS in 1926 as a Staff Nurse, Sister 1929, served though WW2, awarded RRC (1st Class) in London Gazette 2 Jun 43) as Sister (Actg. Matron).

The Deutschland was hit by 2 bombs 29 May 37 whilst at anchor off Ibiza, 100 casualties, mostly burns, reached Gib the next day. British medal types in Gib cared for the casualties and the Nazi government awarded 1 matron and 12 sisters of the QAIMNS various degrees of the Order, all presented aboard a German warship soon afterwards.

[WJW]

British officer wearing EK1

.

[Marc Sherriff]

Do you know where Hozier's group is?

[Adam H]

Pete,

You've got it, I'm pretty certain that was the group with the TR award I was thinking of...quite an oddity.

I'd submit that judging from how the Iron Cross is hanging in the photo of the British officer that it is in fact an Iron Cross Second Class and is hanging through the button hole on his tunic...such was the manner of wear when awarded. That's what it looks like to me in any case.

Cheers,

Adam