Detachment von Randow cross

[tinmantis]

Hi gents,
can anyone give me a brief rundown of the history of the Detachment von Randow, reasons for awarding the cross, and your views on this example.
any info will be gratefully received!

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ghlight=randow

best regards
jon

[VerKuilen Ager]

Hauptmann von Randow formed his freikorps in Schaulen in May 1919 and it grew to about three thousand men. They fought extensively in the Baltic.

Von Randow originally established a silver breast star and later a grand cross and the plain cross. The various versions served a variety of shifting purposes, with the 46 mm silvered cross first providing an award for a period of service. It later became an award for valor or service and later returned to a badge for recognition of four months service. Supposedly, there was a class with a ribbon, but I've never seen one.

As noted in an earlier thread, the plain cross matched the design of a similar piece for a German fraternal organization, which explains the frequency with which this class shows up. This is unfortunate for collectors because it is very difficult to be confident of the origin of any particular badge.

My gut feeling is that the example shown in this thread is not a von Randow cross. The lack of severe aging, construction of the base badge (attributed originals have typically been very fragile in the center; to the point of some having reinforcing bars attached on the reverse to prevent breakage), and pin style all suggest a piece from much later than the freikorps era.

[tinmantis]

Thankyou very much,
The cross does look rather 'new'. And the enamelling is nearly 'scratch-free', and overall resembles the other cross within this thread which also was thought as a fraternal one.
I too would expect to see an older form of construction from a badge from then.
Is there any way to find out if General Friedrich Wiese (from who this badge was from) was in fact a Freikorps at all?
regards
jon