Bavarian ribbon bar

[Stepdale]

Hello,
Another ribbon bar I got froma US veteran bringback grouping. Just wondered why there would be two ribbons for the military merit order, maybe he won two different grades of the order?
Thank you,
Dale

[luftkrieg]

Nice original ribbon bar. Yes the two Bavarian ribbons represent different classes of the Merit Cross.

Kind regards
Pierce

[Konigtiger]

As far as I know two grades of the military merit order/cross could not be worn together, unless on different ribbons (usually the war riibon and beamtenband). The only exception to this was that a Military Merit Order could be worn with a Military Merit Cross

This ribbon bar is most likely of a man who was in the ranks at the start of the war and earned a Military Merit Cross, and later received a promotion to officer rank and received the military Merit Order for another act of bravery.

[VonPeter]

Its funny that it is almost only the bavarians who put their own medals before the iron cross, or at least more often then the others.

I guess the people of baveria was the proudest.

Nice bar btw, made between 1922-1934.

/peter

[Dave Danner]

Its funny that it is almost only the bavarians who put their own medals before the iron cross, or at least more often then the others.

I guess the people of baveria was the proudest.

Nice bar btw, made between 1922-1934.

/peter

Both Bavaria and Saxony did so. The other states were part of the Prussian Army, and were subject to Prussian uniform regulations. After 1918, those rules no longer applied, but most people continued to follow them as custom. Wehrmacht regulations moved the Iron Cross back to first place, so many a reactivated Bavarian or Saxon had to re-order his medals.

As far as I know two grades of the military merit order/cross could not be worn together, unless on different ribbons (usually the war riibon and beamtenband). The only exception to this was that a Military Merit Order could be worn with a Military Merit Cross

This ribbon bar is most likely of a man who was in the ranks at the start of the war and earned a Military Merit Cross, and later received a promotion to officer rank and received the military Merit Order for another act of bravery.

Typically, two of the post-1913 war ribbon would be as you say, a Military Merit Order worn with a Military Merit Cross, which was allowed by Bavarian regulations. After 1918, though, in the "anything goes" Weimar Republic, some Bavarians wore whatever they were awarded. Indeed, Generalleutnant Helwig Luz wore the ribbons for both his Military Merit Order 4th Class with Swords and his later 4th Class with Crown and Swords even on his Wehrmacht uniform.

Regards

[Stepdale]

Thanks to all for their help!