Can you identify these foreign ribbons on a BW ribbon bar?

[Gordon Craig]

Gentlemen,

This ribbon bar is on one of my BM uniforms. I can identify the top row but not the bottom. Can someone identify each ribbon on the bottom row for me please. Country of origin, name of award and class etc. I'll try and find pictures of the actual award myself. I have always though the top part of this ribbon bar was missing.

Regards,

Gordon

[Proud Kraut]

Let's start far right: Could it be this one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationa...t_%28France%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Or...ier_ribbon.svg

Regards

[Gordon Craig]

Proud Kraut,

Thanks. That is an excellent start.

Regards,

Gordon

[Proud Kraut]

What about this one for the second from left:

http://www.google.de/imgres?hl=de&bi...84&tx=77&ty=82

Regards

[Marc Sherriff]

No. 3 Order of Merit of the Italian Republic - Commander
(Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana - Commendatore) (1951-2001)

Marc

[Gordon Craig]

Proud Kraut and Marc,

Thanks for these. I guess this is what they call "crown sourcing" these days! You have been really helpful. I've always thought that the first one in the bottom row was from Austria but no luck finding it.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Gentlemen,

The ribbon on the very left of the lower row is indeed Austrian.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decorat...lic_of_Austria

The ribbon is for the 7th class which is actually a neck order but worn on the ribbon bar unless full medals are worn.

I have searched for this medal on several occasions over the last few years but I was never able to find a ribbon that matched until today. The success you guys had must have rubbed off on me. Thanks again.

Regards,

Gordon

[Proud Kraut]

So this former WW II participant obviously received medals from Austria, Italia, Luxembourg and France. He must have had an interesting biography for sure. I wonder what appointment (Dienstposten) he held. Any further informations about this soldier available?

Regards

[Proud Kraut]

Gentlemen,

..... I have always though the top part of this ribbon bar was missing.

Regards,

Gordon

Gordon,
what makes you think that it is incomplete? Is the Bandschnalle "damaged"?

Regards

[Gordon Craig]

Proud Kraut,

The foreign awards that we have identified on the bottom row would only have been awarded to a senior officer in the BW. As a senior officer he would have received some post war German awards as well. And surely some other WWII awards besides the War Merit Medal of 1939. I have seen a number of awards with more than two or three rows made in two separate ribbon bars. I suspect that this is the case here and that the two bars have become separated at some time. I also have BW uniforms that have ribbon loops that are placed so that two separate ribbon bars could be worn.

Regards,

Gordon

[Proud Kraut]

Gordon,

a good point! The top row on its own is a typical "Flakhelfer-Generation" ribbon. You know for sure that the KVK was the medal commonly awarded to the Luftwafffen- or Flakhelfer child soldiers. So if this guy was born in 1928 e.g. and was forced to serve as a Flakhelfer like several 100.000 others, this 2nd Class KVK might has been his only WWII award. I have seen several similar ribbons from the late 1920's generation.
The second row's combination remains indeed a very interesting mistery (at least for me).

Regards

[Gordon Craig]

Proud Kraut,

Thanks for your comments on the flakhelfer-generation ribbon bars. Very useful information. What a ribbon bar would look like that went above this two row one will take some consideration. Here is an example of a ribbon bar that I would expect to see on an BW Admiral or General without war time service.

Regards,

Gordon

[speedytop]

Hi Gordon,

"Here is an example of a ribbon bar that I would expect to see on an BW Admiral or General without war time service."

I don't believe that, because there are some decorations on the bar, which were not allowed to wear on Bw uniforms.

For example the three march decorations behind the Netherland (Nijmegen) march medal and the badge for blood donation.

Uwe

[Gordon Craig]

Uwe,

Thanks for your comments. As usual, they are interesting. More research is needed on this bar by me but one of the March medals you mention as not being allowed to be worn on a BW uniform is shown in wear in the foto below. The picture was taken at an award ceremony on 06/07/2009 where Angela Merkel made the presentations.

Regards,

Gordon

[speedytop]

Gordon,

I know it. There were several wrong decorations on the uniforms during this ceremony.

Wearing a wrong decorations do not change the official regulations.

You can sometimes find such failures, especially on uniforms of reservists.

Uwe