Award of MVK to a Canadian P.O.W.

[Ken MacLean]

The MVK 3rd Class was awarded to 475801 Pte H.A. Cochran, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) whilst a P.O.W. in Germany.

Citation:

"To the English Prisoner of War, Cochran Harry Adolf, from Prisoner Camp Bayreuth: We express herewith for the rescue done with courage,and resoluteness of the 3 year old child named Gugel, saving her from drowning in the Birnbaum Pond in Feilsbrom, District of Auch Gusbach, the acknowledgement of the War Office."

Munich, 20th of June 1918
M. Henningrath
General Of the Cavalry
Minister of War"




Pte Cochran was released from POW camp shortly after the armistice but died 28 Dec 1918 in a military hospital in France, probably from pneumonia.

This certainly qualifies as an 'unusual award'. Is it, as I suspect, a 'one-off" or does anyone have an instance of an Imperial Award to any other soldier of any of the armies at war with Germany?

[regular122]

Fantastic Ken. Never seen anything like that during wartime for enemies. that has to be the rarest common Bavarian award out there, Steve

[haynau]

unbelievable, what a x-tra-rare combination, thanks for showing

BTW to be totally exact he received the Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with Crown and Swords

haynau

[McCulloh]

no

As somebody on another forum pointed out, this medal was not awarded to the Canadian above. he merely received the telegram. The Bav MVK3x was a combat award.
Having said that there is anecdotal evidence that some US troops received life saving medals in Hessen in 1919-23 during the occupation.

[Ken MacLean]

Agree, the arguments on the other forum against this being awarded to the Canadian are very convincing; as it would not be 'presented' via a telegram. And as you state, it was a combat award.

A poster on the other forum is going to contact the museum regarding the provenance of this medal.