Since October Is "Colonial Month," A Pigpile of Colonial Ribbon Bars

[Rick Research]

OK:

Hohenzollern/Mecklenburg group =

von ONDARZA, originally commissioned Sekondeleutnant 18.8.1894 Yy in FeldArtRgt 24, in CHINA with Feldhaubitz Munition-Kolonne. In Southwest Africa as Oberleutnant 17.5.04 J in 1905 "field unit not reported" per Rangliste, returned with Crown Order 4X and Friedrich Franz Cross 2nd (no date colonial). Hauptmann 22.3.10 F4f, having picked up the Griffin Order with Crown and the XXV Years Service Cross early for all that overseas double credit time. Deutscher Ordens-Almanach confirms 1897 Centenary Medal. In 1914 he was an instructor at the Military Technical Academy, "uniform of Field Artillery Regiment 60."

Hohenzollern House Order 3X gazetted 22 March 1917 as Major (18.8.16 H). Discharged as char. Oberstleutnant aD-- Honor Rank List shows him as Commander of 3rd Guard Field Artillery Regiment, so hopefully Glenn can provide his first name, command dates, and birth and death dates. (We do all make a nice team, eh?)

He was presumably the older brother of Herbert von Ondarza, also of Feld Art Rgt 60, born 1878, who was recalled for Wehrmacht service after retiring from the Reichsheer, eventually reaching Generalleutnant-- and who got the German Cross in Gold in 1941 at the ripe old age of 63 as a Generalmajor! Now if that 1939 Spange on the ribbon bar of Older Brother Notyetnamed is correct, he TOO was an Elderly Warrior in WW2!!!!

Old style ribbon bar =

Unknown first name, last name RICHARD, of Inf Rgt 83:

Hauptmann 19.9.01 Aa later mysteriously given retroactive seniority of 19.9.98, Major 20.12.10.

Deutscher Ordensalmanach confirms 1897 of course, but like von Ondarza, provides no name or birth data.

Awards are (and I was expecting a Crown 4X first)--

Red Eagle 4X, Red Eagle 4 with Crown, Waldeck Merit 4, XXV, Southwest Africa, 1897, Bavarian Military Merit 4x (this and the Red Eagle 4X for SWA) Saxe-Ernestine House Order-Knight 1st, Brunswick House Order-Knight 2nd.

He was in Inf Rgt 147 in 1902, but seems to have settled permanently in Waldeck's Inf Rgt 83 after that, except for service in 2. Feldregiment in SWA. He was killed in action near Boncelles 6 August 1914 as commander of II./Inf Rgt 83-- possibly while wearing this massive ribbon bar. (See "von Brömbsien" for another "overdecorated" 1914 target).

So, a Feeble Human Brain CAN still take on a Mighty Megatron Computer! Rick

[JensF.]

GREAT bars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Werner, why does the Mecklenburger has got swords on its ribbon-bar?

[Rick Research]

He was probably being naughty and trying to show it was a colonial and not a WW1 award. There was no way to tell from the ribbon alone.

[WNickel]

good work Rick

good - better - Rick

Ramon von Ondarza is my favorite, too. But I don't found him in service in WWII.

I think you need 30 seconds for Major Richard He was killed in a night-action 6 August 1914, maybe in confusion by own troops. There were only 6 officers, I think, who were alloud to wear the RAO4 x and the RAO 4 with crown.

Merci

Werner

[Glenn2438]

Rick and Werner,

Oberstleutnant Ramon von Ondarza was the last commanding officer of 3. Garde-Feldartillerie-Regiment from August 1918 onwards. Born on 19 Dec 1874 he died in 1950.

Regards
Glenn

[Christian L]

it's very nice if you can make out the wearer of a bar.
but my question is, which books or other information sources you use for finding it out?

[Rick Research]

For these, I used the annual army Ranglisten, the 1908/09 (final) edition of the Deutscher Ordens Almanach, a Dienstaltersliste showing what regiments "back home" the officers sent to China for the Boxer Rebellion had come from (only TWO Mecklenburgers--that one was tough, Werner! ), and the WW1 awards rolls published by Michael Autengruber. No von Ondarza (RAMON!!!!!?????) died in World War One, so no family data to be found in the "Gedenkmappe" which gives much detail on families of "von XYZs" who died in the war. Neither of these men made General, so less information than a general would have available.

If you want to see what we have to go through to find these people, do a search here for "Ranglisten" and you will see what poor middle aged guys have to put up with, straining their worn out eyes on a dark, rainy day. Or a bright, sunny day, for that matter!

[Daniel Krause]

Hi guys,

here my newest colonial find from the Siebentritt collection:
I´m wondering about the 6th ribbon. Either it is a misplaced Turkish War medal or a Hessen long service ribbon.

Best regards

Daniel

[Daniel Krause]

here the reverse:

[JensF.]

Hi Daniel,

this soldier got a Bavarian Long Service, so he can't get a Hessian one too. I would say it is a Hessian Kriegsehrenzeichen.

[Daniel Krause]

Hi Jens,

that might be, although the white stripes are a bit too big.

Beste Grüße

Daniel

[stogieman]

Daniel.......

.......... you won some very nice bars from the auction!! Congratulations! But, did you get anything else??

[Daniel Krause]

Hi Rick,

just 3 ribbon bars. The WEEBER one, this one mentioned above and this non-com one below. Nothing else.....nearly everything jumped to the moonmoremad 800 Euros for the lequis ribbon bar....thousands of Euros for the big bars....out of my relations.

Best regards

Daniel