Deciphering my Bavarian ribbon bar

[landsknechte]

• I've seen a number of different devices on the second ribbon from the left, which is either listed as a Bavarian Military Service Cross or a Bavarian Military Service Order. What is the ribbon represenative of when it has no devices?

• The ribbon on the far right is a Bavarian Long Service Medal, if I'm not mistaken. What is the length of service is required for award of that ribbon?

[Rick Research]

Here is a small clump of Bavarian ribbon bars all in one place:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...Bavarian+Rules

That is the frontline bravery ribbon 1914+ of BOTH the Military MERIT (Verdienst) Orders 3rd and 4th Classes and the Military MERIT Crosses 1st, 2nd and 3rd Classes.

Quite often no swords device was used, since the ribbon itself implied that there WERE swords (there weren't always... but that's Freaky Territory we don't want to wander off into! There were so few of those we need not lose any sleep over them!).

Both the Order and the Cross were awarded by the rank of the recipient, not degree of merit... so an Oberleutnant could only have the Order 4th Class, and a Gefreiter could only have the Cross 3rd Class. All these grades came with a Crown for either an additional award, or sometimes a direct "all in one" award, again, dependent on the recipient's rank. (A Sergeant got the 3rd Class with Crown as one award-- usually. And so on.)

Generally speaking, if there is no crown device on the ribbon, we can assume it was a grade with only swords.

A Bavarian Long Service award ribbon without the 1905 or 1911/12 Luitpold Junilee Medals' ribbons indicates either career long service for someone who enlisted AFTER 1911, or a pre-war Landwehr Long Service Medal 2nd Class (last awarded in 1914, and normally for 12 years reserve maneuvers duty). Bavaria awarded long service awards throughout the war, and up to 1920. War years counted double for REGULAR army personnel (draftees got nothing, nor did reservists for post-1914 duty), so 1914 to 1918 = "10 years." A 1914 War Volunteer who stayed in the Provisional Reichsheer until April 1920 thus got an XII Years Service Medal. A IX vould have been earned by a regular who served from 1914 to 1919, or 1915 to 1920.

The most usual combination for this ribbon bar would be a Military Merit Cross 3rd Class (for ranks below Vizefeldwebel/Vizewachtmeister) with Swords, and either a XII or IX Years Service Medal.

Even WITHOUT any device on the MMC ribbon, it is possible to rule out that it was a MMO-- because officers did not receive the enlisted men's long service awards unless they were in a technical branch that involved rising through the ranks-- a process normally requiring well over 6 years (no Luitpold Jubilee ribbon, so post 1911 entry....). It took regular NCOs a mimimum of 6 REAL years to reach "Vize-" rank, so 1911+ 6 years means the MMC is 99.99% certainly a 3rd Class and not a 2nd. It MIGHT have been possible for some grades of technical/administrative NCOs to have received a MMC 2X and a IX or XII and then been commissioned. But statistically, we're talking 98 out of 100% this is the bar of a Gefreiter, Unteroffizier, or Sergeant, MMC3X and IX or XII.

[landsknechte]

Well above the call of newbie-assisting-duty

Thanks!