Imperial/Third Reich Ribbon Bar

[JensF.]

Just got this one from militariaauktion.de:

EKII 1914 with clasp 1939
Austria: Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with Wardecoration
Hindenburg
Wehrmacht Long Service 25 years
Wehrmacht Long Service 12 years
Turkish Iron Halfmoon

[stogieman]

Very nice

Hallo Jens, alles TOP!

[Christian L]

nice bar you have, but my question is, are the eagles differ in sice in every diffrent grad of the decorration?
best regards christian

[JensF.]

Hallo Christian,

no, the eagles have the same size for all Long Service Decorations, the only difference is silver or gold. There are two different egales on that bar, maybe one was replaced or they had only these two in stock.

[JensF.]

I wonder why they wore only WH-Long Service Decorations of the same color. For example 12 and 25 years or 4 and 18 years.

[Eric Gaumann]

I thought the gold coloured eagles were for Kriegsmariners/Kaiserlichemariners? Am I wrong on that one?

[Dez H]

Hello majorpayne

When you say Turkish Iron Halfmoon do you mean the breast star? I didn't realise you could also wear this on a ribbon bar.


Regards
Dez

[Rick Research]

===> in The Ribbon Bar Article


1 silver eagle = 4 years (army/navy straight wings, air force flying)

1 gold eagle first & 1 silver eagle second = 12 years (as above)

2 silver eagles = 18 years (as above)

2 gold eagles = 25 years (as above)

gold eagle with wreath beneath & 2nd gold eagle = 40 years (ditto)

The Turkish War Medal (that's Gallipoli Star to you and Iron Half Moon to the Germans) had a ribbon that was supposed to be worn only when the star was not. In fact, it is most often seen with both being worn. During WW1 the ribbon was worn out of the buttonhole like an EK2 most of the time. Confusion and misreading of the regulations (see International Forum, do search on "Turkish War Catalog") lead some 1920s dandies to mismount the pinback stars on medal bars... but more often one finds an ugly and silly looking empty TWM ribbon on the medal bar-- see the last empty ribbon being worn by Pol-Oberst Kiehl in the "Traceable Ribbon Bars" thread in General Wehrmacht Forum) when the star was worn.

Per regulations, the TWM ribbon was only to be worn when the star itself was NOT being worn.

For a bunch of "Turkish" ribbon bars, and double Wehrmacht long services, see my thread in the new Collections Forum under "Third Reich Ribbon Bars."