Unusual WMC Combination

[Gary B]

I thought this medal bar would be of interest....a double WMC combination.

Gary B

[Exile]

Hi Gary

That would be a very interesting combination indeed - but I don't like it. The order of the awards is wrong, and the bar construction looks suspect to me.

Wait for other opinions, but in my opinion it looks like it has been 'put together'.

Matt

[Gary B]

Matt,

I believe the order of precedence is correct for the awards on the bar. I am on travel now but will post Rick Versailles (aka Rick Research) explanation of this bar when I get back.

Gary B

[stukapilot]

I'd bet it is modern bar with original medals.

[Exile]

Matt,

I believe the order of precedence is correct for the awards on the bar. I am on travel now but will post Rick Versailles (aka Rick Research) explanation of this bar when I get back.

Gary B

Hi Gary

I would be really interested to see that. I have a few mixed imperial and TR bars with KvKs but I have not seen a KvK or especially a KvM placed ahead of an imperial state equivalent to the EKII (although I know the order of precedence was changed in TR times which may have allowed it).

I am more than happy to be wrong about this one.

Matt

[Gary B]

Hi Matt,

Order of precedence is correct for a WMC to precede any EK2 state equivalent. Only the '14 Prussian EK2 would out rank the WMC. See attached examples (Courtesy luftkrieg's posting)

Gary B

[Wood]

Matt,

I am on travel now but will post Rick Versailles (aka Rick Research) explanation of this bar when I get back.

Gary B

Rick is dead. Some time now.
Pete

[Gary B]

Yes, I am aware of his passing. He commented on the bar several years ago.

Gary B

[byterock]

Matt,

I believe the order of precedence is correct for the awards on the bar. I am on travel now but will post Rick Versailles (aka Rick Research) explanation of this bar when I get back.

Gary B

I agree the order is correct for Third Reich period and the medals make sense for a civil servant with pre-first war and post war service.

It is very minty though.

[Gary B]

Hi,

Thanks to all for the comments.

First off I need to make a correction to one of my earlier postings on this thread. Rick Lundstrom (aka Rick Research) commented on my bar and it is he who has, sadly, passed away. Rick Versailles is, to my knowledge, still quite alive! So apologies for that.

Explanation of the bar: Regulars received long service awards at "double time" for the war. Prussia and the Navy suspended awards for the duration but Bavaria and Württemberg continued processing throughout the war.

1914-1918, 5 calendar years, counted as 10 years towards military long service awards (from the 19th century regulations) and with most personnel remaining on the payroll until mass demobilization of Mar/Apr 1920, an Aug 1914 War volunteer who was retroactively regularized in the 1919 Provisional Army would have gotten a XII year LS award on dismissal in 1920.

So this man either joined in 1915 and was discharged in 1920, or volunteered in 1914 and left voluntarily in 1919. The Bvn MVK3X was given as an initial award to ranks from Private to Unteroffizier, which fits with the length of wartime service with that IX year LS award. Military service counted towards the award of the 25 year Faithful Service Cross but only on a one year for one year basis (no doubling of years). So that takes us to 1939/1940. The KvK w/o swords and KVM confirm that this man remained in a non-Wehrmacht service during WW2. Old soldiers called back up exchanged wear of their Imperial LS awards for the "current" Wehrmacht type, even though they had never served in the career Wehrmacht before the war.

This was someone with a uniform to wear these medals on, whether he was Railway or Post office etc. Opportunities for civilians to wear dress uniforms with bars during the war were quite limited. This would account for the rarity and condition of the bar.

Gary B