The Saxon War Merit Cross of 1915

[stogieman]

One of the more interesting Saxon decorations is the Saxon War Merit cross, (Kriegs-Verdienst-Kreuz) created in 1915, by King Friedrich August. This cross was awarded for war effort and aid, but only under peculiar circumstances. If you had received any other war-time (emphasis here folks) award, you were ineligible for this cross. If you received a subsequent, war-time award, it had to be returned! Here's what were talking about, a nice cased example:
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<img src=http://www.imperialorders.com/collectionpix/saxkvk1.jpg><img src=http://www.imperialorders.com/collectionpix/saxkvk2.jpg>
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<img src=http://www.imperialorders.com/collectionpix/saxkvk3.jpg><img src=http://www.imperialorders.com/collectionpix/saxkvk4.jpg>
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So, how do we justify these Saxon ribbon bars, with multiple awards on them?<br>
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<img src=http://www.imperialorders.com/collectionpix/3xsaxkvkbar1.jpg>
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The one above has a Friedrich August Medal, on the war ribbon, in first place. The FAM was instituted in 1905, was this a pre-1914 award? Maybe, but unlikely with the EK2 present. Saxony would not have been shown up by Prussia!<br>
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<img src=http://www.imperialorders.com/collectionpix/5xsaxkvkbar1.jpg><br>
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The above bar is easier toaccept, since the long service ribbon present would not pre-clude/exclude this soldier from getting the KVK!

[Rick Research]

Here's a 1920s Frackspange, probably a retired zD officer, untraceable (aaargh!!) with an odd combination of frontline (Prussian Iron Cross, Oldenburg Friedrich August Cross--dangling at the end!!) and "war merit" (Saxon War Effort and Württemberg Wilhelmskreuz with Swords) awards.

If Daniel will repost award numbers in this thread, we can keep on focus to this STRANGE Saxon award.

[Daniel Krause]

First of all, here the repost of the award numbers:

- Military recipients: to the 30.09.1918 3933 awards
- Ministry for Internal affairs: to the 01.10.1918 3746 awards
- Ministry for the Treasury: to the 14.08.1918 327 awards
- Ministry for Foreign affairs: to August 1917 18 awards
- Ministry for cultural affairs: to 28.09.1918 657 awards

all together 9406 awards. It is to assume, that to the end of WW1 around 10.000 awards were issued.
(source: OMM magazine 92 2nd Quartal 2000)

Interesting: The Maker of the KVK, Heinrich Schneider in Leipzig made 5000 KVK´s and F.J.Eberlein in Pirna made 5000 statutes for the Orders Chancellary. More official makers are not known. So at least half of the awarded KVK´s were regiven later and issued again.

also written in the statutes and regulations:
- award of an EK didnt exclude a KVK award
- a guy who has the KVK could NORMALLY ("in der Regel") not get the Friedrich August medal on peacetime ribbon

Stogie

- Your 2nd ribbon bar fits, no other Saxon War dec.
- Your 1st ribbon bar has the FAM on War ribbon, so no peacetime award!

Ricks bar is also quite o.k. no other Saxon war dec.

Nice thread, who can post more examples?

Best regards

Daniel

[Daniel Krause]

Here is my example, a small buttonier with

EK2, Frontkämpferkreuz, Saxon Verdienstkreuz, KVK, Saxon long service award and ? the Turkish Gallipoli Star ?

Best regards

Daniel

[matt johnson]

Here's one on a five place frackspange.

EK2
Saxon Verdienstkreuz
Hindenburg Cross
Austrian WWI Commemorative medal w/swords
Hungarian WWI Commemorative medal

Matt

[Rick Research]

Ah, what a nice minty bar! Isn't this weird Saxon Cross a beautiful thing-- always nice toned bronze and never seen a cruddy zink one!

I just went through some Rank Lists: 1928 Army, and the WW1 Honor Rank List for Intendants, just checked the XII and XIX Corps there:

came up with 39 recipients of the Saxon KVK, 29 supply branch officials and 10 officers. Of the 29 Saxon officials, 8 had no other WW1 award at all, and 16 had only an EK2 on the "white-black: ribbon. The other 5 had frontline awards--combatant Iron Crosses, etc---

of whom ONE also had the Civil Merit Cross-Silver Merit Cross with Swords for WW1!

Of the 10 Reichsheer officers, only 1 was an ordnance official with a noncombatant Iron Cross. The other 9 had combatant awards:

another ordnance officer had a Saxon Albert Order-Knight 2nd with Swords (he was a Saxon career NCO/officer), and of the other 8, two had EK1s but other "war effort" awards (Baden War Effort Cross and Prussian Red Cross Medal 3rd Class, the other had the Hessian War Effort Medal), but the remaining 6's awards were ALL combat--including two HHOX winners!!!

So, just from a VERY small (about 1:250) sample, heavily skewed to supply branch officials...

14 combatant awards recipients, of whom TWO (1:7) had other Saxon war awards, contrary to the KVK statutes!

[Daniel Krause]

Hi Matt, quite nice bar! Congratulations!

Rick,

so we know, that things like that happened. I assume, they got their War dec. at the latest end of the war and "forgot" to regive the KVK.
I think, that doesnt mean that plenty of tihs combínations are existing. Plenty of KVK´s went to civilians, which had nothing else than this.

You will find only the bronce color, never a zinc one! As I know, the KVK was made from a mix of different metals: copper, zinc, Zinn (I dont know the english anme for that ) iron and bronce.
To use only bronce would have been too expensive, thats why Heinrich Schneider did some experiments to find the right combination. He had still plenty of unsold Memorial medals from the Centennial Anniversary of the Völkerschlacht-Memorial in 1913 in his stock to use for that.

Best regards

Daniel

[JensF.]

It is stannous (=Zinn). I use www.leo.org if I don't know a word. Maybe the BEST online-german-english dictionary.

[Daniel Krause]

Hi Jens,

thank You for Your help!

Best regards

Daniel

[Rick Research]

I'm posting this for Jason in Australia-- note the combination of "front line" Iron Cross with Bavarian Ludwig Cross and Austro-Hungarian Red Cross "Order" class to an ex-long service NCO: I wish I had THIS guy's documents for his career!

[Kevin Sanders]

Stannous

is Tin.... quite a mixture of elements, but with great results...

excellent pictures...

[ccj]

I like the ribbon for this award. Never seen it before.