Christophes ribbon bars part 2

[Daniel Krause]

Hi,

here another interesting ribbon bar from Christophes collection.
Ths beauty shows awards from 10 different states in WW1.

I would assume it is a "wartime only" bar of a General Staffer or Adjutant guy. Rank probably Major.
The Saxon-Weimar has golden swords, so a knight 1xt class with X, a quite rare award, but until now no published rolls. Without peacetime awards to trace hin in pre-war lists I can just hope he served in the Reichsheer or Rick can do another miracle.


Best regards

Daniel

[Rick Research]

I think there is a very good chance this probably belonged to Reinhard von Westrem zum Gutacker (1879-1956), army 1895-1930 and 1939-1943:

Originally commissioned in Hussar Regiment 9, he was detached from Hussar Regt 12 as Rittmeister and Adjutant of the 8th Cavalry Brigade when the war started. Per the Honor Rank List, he ended the war as Adjutant of the General Command of the Ist Reserve Corps, Major 15.7.18.

Before WW1 he had an Anhalt Albert Order-Knight 2nd, a Saxe-Ernestine House Order-Knight 2nd, and the 1897 Centenary Medal.

Since there is no long service ribbon on this bar, I would say that it dates from DURING the war and not after, and as Daniel says, he has ditched his peacetime frippery for a "war only front." (Or he literally ran out of ROOM )

In the Reichsheer Listen he matches 9 out of 10-- Iron Cross, Bavarian MVO4X, SA3aX, MK2, AK, LüH, ÖM3K, BO4 (the lists never specify war ribbon or peace ribbon, but extremely unlikely he got it peacetime), and TH. He shows no additional peacetime decorations (including that SF3b) in the Militär-Wochenblatt rolls published by Autengruber. BMVO4X 29.11.14, SA3aX "1918."

The only "discrepancy" is that in 1924 and 1928 he lists a PEACETIME Saxe-Weimar Order of the White Falcon-Knight 2nd and NOT the same as Knight 1st with Swords.

I suspect that is a simple proofreading GLITCH, and this WAS his-- the combination is too peculiar to be anybody else's; the "coincidence" of a Saxe-Weimar ribbon (but "without" swords) too much.

He also had a Johanniter Order, after the war.

Discharged as a char. generalmajor aD in 1930, he was called back up on 1.9.39 as commandant of Officers Double Camp XIII.A, then moved on to become commandant of all POWs in Wehrkreis XII 1.10.40-30.4.43.

I'm 95% certain this was his, with the only discrepancy being that Saxe-Weimar ribbon's device. I can't imagine that he would NOT have received a wartime award from his "native" state for his peacetime permanent regimental attachment.