Pre 1915 Officer's Ribbon Bar Help needed

[Brian R]

Looking for some help on this officer's ribbon bar. I would imagine that this is from around the turn of the century and not from the first year of WWI. Would the first ribbon be the Militär-Ehrenzeichen (not an EK2)? Also what is the pink and green ribbon, some sort of foreign award?

Brian

[Brian R]

Reverse...

[Rick Research]

Nope, definitely a circa 1915 officer's bar, most likely a Major--

Iron Cross 2nd Class 1914
Red Eagle Order 4th Class
Prussian Long Service Award (probably XXV)
Prussian 1897 Wilhelm I Centenary Medal
Anhalt 1896 Jubilee Medal
Austro-Hungarian award, most likely the Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with War Decoration

Unfortunately the one distinct award-- the Anhalt Jubilee-- is one of the many "invisible" awards never shown in Prussian Rank Lists!

It should most likely have gone to an officer in Infantry Regiment 93 in 1896-- but not a native Anhalter, and one who did not remain long enough for an Anhalt The Bear Order to be bestowed.

VERY nice bar!

[Daniel Krause]

great bar!!! Congratulations!!!

Hard to find a ca.1915 old style bar.
Only chance to find him is a check which Offcers served Anhalt-related around 1896 and cross-check them in 1914 and with the Ordensalmanach.

Best regards

Daniel

[Brian R]

Rick and Daniel - Thanks for the comments.

Two questions:

1. Does anyone have an Anhalt 1896 Jubilee Medal they could show? And who, exactly, was qualified to receive the award?

2. How long would he have had to serve for the Order of Albert the Bear? And did the class of Bear Order he would have been awarded depend on his rank?

Thanks again,
Brian

[Daniel Krause]

Hi Brian,

I have no pic of the medal at hands. It was given like other jubilee medal to Anhalt natives and members of the Anhalt Infanterieregiment.

Anhalt native officers received the Bear most likely as a parallel awards to the normal Red eagle and Crown Order awards or even earlier. Non-Anhalt Officers serving in the Anhalt Regiment received the Order normally after some years of service. A Lt/1stLt would get the Bear knight 2nd class, a Captain/Major a knight 1st class. Up to LtCol or Col would get a Commanders badge.

Best regards

Daniel

[Dave Danner]

Possibly a stupid question, but what chance is there that it is a senior Major or a Lt. Colonel with an Albert the Bear Commander 2nd Class that doesn't show up on the ribbon bar?

[Rick Research]

Pretty slim, I'd say. I don't find anybody anyplace obvious with more than the "Honey Bear," even as Oberstleutnant. And then we're into Prussian Crown 3rd territory, in any case.