Honor Legion Medal of the World War

[Indyarch]

Was this medal available without the wreath and sword "Front Badge" clasp? For non-combatants who served at the front? I've seen it on medal bars with and without the clasp. When without the clasp it was usually mounted with other non-combatant medals.


I appreciate your comments.

[Brian L.]

Yes. You answered your own question.

[Jean-Claude]

Yes. A lot of period awards distinguished between combattants & non-combattants awards in the form of additional devices (swords) for the combattant versions like the Hindenburg Cross did.

JC

[Sevrin]

Yes. A lot of period awards distinguished between combattants & non-combattants awards in the form of additional devices (swords) for the combattant versions like the Hindenburg Cross did.

JC

Nice medals JC

Particularly like that you found the single mount ribbon bar for it; I don't seem to have the same luck finding some of the harder to get single ribbons you guys have.

Of all the 'Weimar' medals, I like the honor cross design. Here's one that may have lost the wreath to time.

James

[Jean-Claude]

Nice medals JC

Particularly like that you found the single mount ribbon bar for it; I don't seem to have the same luck finding some of the harder to get single ribbons you guys have.

Of all the 'Weimar' medals, I like the honor cross design. Here's one that may have lost the wreath to time.

James

Thanks James

The single ribbon bar & mini came together from Woschler recently he often has nice stuff like that. I agree your frack bar Honor legion does look as if it had a ribbon device at one time but the clips are fragile on these clasps and you often see them with the device sewn on because the clips broke.

Cheers

JC

[Indyarch]

Thanks for the replies. I thought it may have been available both ways but I couldn't tell from the regulations regarding the medal that I've been able to find.


This medal bar prompted me to ask since the Hindy and red cross medal are both non-combatant medals. I'm not sure that both honor crosses should be there though. Didn't the Hindy replace this medal and many others?

[mchap]

Its not uncommon to find multiple commemorative medals on a bar, both medals and ribbons. In your case, the guy wanted a bit more flash for his pomp.

[Sevrin]

Didn't the Hindy replace this medal and many others?

It did; but you occasionally will see some of the "vanity" medals alongside the hindy on ribbon & medal bars contrary to regulations on earlier bars. If this were something later with ww2 decorations I'd be suspicious; but that's a nice little bar IMO.

James

[Indyarch]

Thanks. Yes, I really like this bar. A "not your usual soldier" bar but a home front supporter of the conflict.

[HPL2008]

As said above, the medal without the wreath-and-sword device [the Kampfabzeichen, roughly "combat emblem"] was for non-combatants.

Award criteria fpr the medal were extremely broad and vague and meant that just about any patriotic German – man or woman, soldier or civilian – who had supported their country in any way at all during the war years qualified for the basic medal. Active frontline soldiers were distinguished by the Kampfabzeichen, but of course, none of the recipients had to actually prove their eligibility for the medal or the combat device beyond saying so.

However, it was fully intended to bestow the medal on as many recipients as possible: Holders of the medal who so wished became members of the so-called Deutsche Ehrenlegion [German Legion of Honor] whose board was identical to that of the Ordensrat i.V. (the medal's awarding body), but which was otherwise independent of the latter. With the Ehrenlegion, it was very much desired to create a large, nationwide, patriotic association with the medal as its common decoration and identifying insigne.

Here are the medal's statutes as found on the application form (translation by me):

Order statutes*)
of the
Deutsche Ehrendenkmünze des Weltkrieges (D.E.d.W.)
on the hallowed-black-white-red medal ribbon.



1.
The D.E.d.W. is a decoration that was created as a memory to the dead, an honor to the living and an example to follow for those who come after us. It is the historical decoration that would have been awarded had the victory of the glorious German arms not been thwarted insidiously. It is awarded by the Ordensrat i.V. for the D.E.d.W. upon application or recommendation. **)

2.
As a war decoration, the D.E.d.W. is to be worn on a black-white-red medal ribbon right after the German war orders. ***)

3.
Men who attest by their honor and conscience to have faced the enemy as combatants on the front are awarded the Kampfabzeichen – consisting of a sword with a wreath of oak leaves – along with the D.E.d.W.

4.
The honor certificate of the D.E.d.W. is also the award certificate for this decoration.

5.
The D.E.d.W. may be awarded to all German men and women whose worthiness ****) of the decoration is proven by their written affidavit that they had striven to the best of their knowledge and conscience to do their duty for the German Fatherland during the World War and the subsequent period.

6.
As there are no public funds available for the national effort that is the D.E.d.W., all applicants have to cover the cost themselves by means of a fee. This has been kept as low as possible and has to be adjusted to the German currency’s high or low rate by the Ordensrat i.V. ****)

7.
In order to make awards of the D.E.d.W. to such men and women who are financially unable to cover the fee themselves, the Ordensrat i.V. keeps a special order allocation. Into it goes a fraction (250 Marks) of the overall fees paid by the other applicants. The Ordensrat i.V. awards the D.E.d.W. without payment of the fee only if the reasons are stated.

8.
Following the award, the holders of the D.E.d.W. enter no obligations of a financial or any other kind.
They are registered as “Knights of the Deutsche Ehrenlegion” in the rolls of the Ordensrat i.V.

9.
If a holder of the D.E.d.W. is guilty of a dishonorable act as understood by the principles of the glorious old German armed forces, his D.E.d.W. is revoked by the Ordensrat i.V. with simultaneous expulsion from the Deutsche Ehrenlegion.
An appeal is not possible.

10.
The Ordensrat i.V. consists of its regular members as mandatees. Acting by their internal service regulations, they administrate all matters relating to the D.E.d.W. as unpaid volunteers and report to the appropriate offices.

The Ordensrat i.V.

Heinrich Graf Waldbott von Bassenheim, Oberleutnant
Blöß, Oberleutnant
Blume, Feldwebel
Dr. Buchholz, Divisionspfarrer
Breitenbach, Gefreiter
Dall, Rittmeister
Dr. Dingeldey, Feldhilfsarzt
Dix, Generalmajor
Drechsel, Zahlmeister
Engels, Vizewachtmeister
Flatow, Kanonier
Geisler, Kriegsfreiwilliger Gefreiter
Grubert, Feuerwerker
Henning, Major
Hering-Deutschwehr, Hauptmann
Kersten, Leutnant
Kluge, Offiziersstellvertreter
Kühme, Major
Friedrich Wilhelm Prinz zur Lippe, Hauptmann
Graf von Luckner, Korvettenkapitän
von Mücke, Kapitänleutnant
Müller, Unteroffizier
Papendick, Vize-Feldwebel
Dr. Peschke, Stabsarzt
Pommerenke, Gefreiter
Freiherr von Richthofen (dec.), Oberleutnant
Kögler, Leutnant
Ruhenstrotz, Leutnant
Sanders, Vizefeldwebel
Graf Schack von Wittenau, Oberst
Schlageter (dec.), Oberleutnant
Schlichtegroll, Oberstleutnant
Schmersau, Unteroffizier
Schmidbauer, Gefreiter
Schmidt, Oberleutnant
Schwartz, Grenadier
Severin, Feldeisenbahner
Sieber, Dragoner
Snetlage, Major
Stadthagen, Generalmajor
Weiß, Stabsveterinär
Widtmann, Major
Wilbrandt, Vizeadmiral


In the old glorious armed forces.


*) The D.E.d.W. is not available in free trade. The trustee of the Ordensrat i.V., the Royal Court Jewellers J. Godet & son, Berlin W 8, Charlottenstr. 55, are obligated by contract with the Ordensrat i.V. to sell any desired replacement medals, miniature versions, ribbons etc. only to official holders of the D.E.d.W. who state their number in the award roll; these items are exclusively shipped from there, not by the work office.

**) Entitled to submit “recommendations” – which are only to be made in exceptional cases – are the regular members, the officers and representatives of the Ordensrat i.V. as well any person that enjoys general respect. In the case of “recommendations” the person making the recommendation has to submit an affidavit in which they declare that the person for whom the recommendation has been made is worthy of the decoration within the meaning of the order statutes and willing to accept it. In these cases, the personal signature of the applicant is to be replaced by the personal signature of the person making the recommendation.

***) If only Prussian decorations are worn, directly after the Prussian Verdienstkreuz für Kriegshilfe, otherwise, according to the former regulations issued by the German states. In case of doubt, information is available from the trustee of the Ordensrat i.V. named under *).

****) Worthy are: All men and women, German or friends of Germany, domestic and abroad, who, professionally, as unpaid volunteers or in their private lives, in the field, in the rear areas or in the homeland, under arms, at their workplaces or within their families strove and still strive to the best of their abilities to prevent Germandom from being strangled by its world of enemies.
Unworthy are all dodgers, black marketers, profiteers and those guilty of high treason or treason of any kind.

*****) Every holder of the D.E.d.W. is entitled to review the work office’s business records.

+) All announcements of the Ordensrat e.V. are published in its “Nachrichten”, in the “Deutsche Zeitung”, Berlin SW 11, Hedemannstr. 12; in “Der Oberbayer”, Ebersberg, Upper Bavaria, in the “Deutsch-Österreichische Tageszeitung”, Vienna 7, Bandgasse 32 and the weekly periodical “Der Anker”, Berlin-Lichterfelde-West, Zehlendorferstraße 18.

++) Application forms are available from the „Work Office of the D.E.d.W.”, Buxheim an der Iller. Swabia (Bavaria) against submission of 450 Paper Marks apiece. In case of larger orders, an proportional reduction to 300 Paper Marks is applicable.”

Note that the members of the Ordensrat are a cross-section of the military: Their ranks range from privates to general officers, there are soldiers and seamen, members of combat- and support troops, veterinary and medical officers, a paymaster and a chaplain, noblemen and commoners.
Some well-known names - like Albert Leo Schlageter and Felix Graf von Luckner - are among them.

[Jean-Claude]

Thanks for the interesting document & kind translation HPL2008, much appreciated!

Dont know much on the topic but cant help but wonder why they would have kept 2 deceased members (von Richtofen & Schlageter) on the Ordensrat...

Best regards

JC

[Indyarch]

Thank you HPL2008 for this information and the translation. I always enjoy finding the details and learning about items in my collection. 450 Marks sounds like a lot of money for people to spend on a medal in that era.