Red Cross Bar

[Chris Wainwrigh]

Here's my first Red Cross medal bar The Red Cross medal is zinc. What year did they start making these from zinc? I hear these refered to as medics bars a lot. Besides medics who would have been eligible for this combination? Thanks for your input

[Chris Wainwrigh]

reverse

[McCulloh]

A fascinating combination.

The RCmedal3 was awarded not only for services to the Red Cross but also for donations. One sees them awarded to all sorts of non-Medical types in the ranklists. Despite that, it wasn't that common to award it outside the Red Cross.
There are a LOT of WW1 photos with Red Cross uniformed volunteers wearing this medal-and a few with the EK2 as well. If I had to guess, I'd reckon some sort of Army Doctor/medic or Red Cross man. If we could tell it was post 1935 then we'd be able to narrow it down to Red Cross only.

[Chris Wainwrigh]

Thanks for the information Jeff I was thinking a officer doctor would have had a RAO or Crown order

[McCulloh]

REO-only apre-war Arzt. There were thousands of M.D.s drawn into the army during WW1 and many of them got nothing at all during the entire war.

The zinc ones were made/awarded from @ Summer 1917-1919. After the war these were made of white metal with a teardrop configuration.