What is: Militärverdienstorden V. Klasse mit Kriegsdekoration?

[stdub]

Hello friends,

this maybe the wrong Section, but maybe someone can help here.

I have an Wehpass with the following entrie:

Militärverdienstorden V. Klasse mit Kriegsdekoration

I think this is Bulgarian or Rumanian? What is it for a Badge?
And what was it given for?

Thanks in advance.

Best wishes
Joerg

[McCulloh]

What kind of Wehrpass?

[stdub]

What kind of Wehrpass?

It´s a Heer Wehrpass for an Officer (KIA as a Major). He was awarded with the badge when he was Oberleutnant - Rick told me that this is the wrong class for an Oberleutnant. Maybe a mistake of the man who made the entrie.

[McCulloh]

Bulgarian?

Well, technically the translation would fit the Bulgarian "war cross" with swords. It was commonly awarded to enlisted troops and I have photos of mass awards to Gebirgsjagers and Luftwaffe NCOs in the Balkans @1941 and 1942.

[stdub]

Hello Jeff,

here are shots from the entries - the award entrie and the his rank at this time.

Best wishes
Joerg

[stdub]

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[McCulloh]

I would reccommend putting a link to the Wehrpass site with this-as I'll bet Ian or Akira have Tessian's books and can find out this unit and its location in 1941-42.
I am convinced it's Bulgarian, but it could be one of two possible medals.

[Ian Jewison]

What's the unit 73 Infanterie Division? Looks like that written next to Infanterie Sturm Abzeichen!
The Wound Badge was awarded by San.Abt. Graz and there appears to be a Ersatz Bataillon stamp over the Militärverdiesntordern.

Looks like Inf.Ers.Btl. 213 which did provide replacements for 73 Inf.Div.

1941 the unit was involved in the campaign in Romania and Greece.....

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/...nen/73ID-R.htm

/Ian

[McCulloh]

Romania?
Greece -well parts of it, was occupied by the Bulgarians and their troops were involved in the conquest of Greece.
I reckon it's this medal, the Bulgarian Bravery Cross, which was only supposed to go to enlisted troops and NCOs in bronze (from Prince Rominoff's book, showing a type 3 medal):

[hec801]

Hallo,

I also think that he served the 73. ID! My grandfather was also awarded with this order, he served the 50. ID!

@ McCulloh

You have written that you have a lot of photos with German soldiers wearing this award! Maybe can you post some of German Heer soldiers!?

Regards and thanks

Hannes

[McCulloh]

I did one above-all Vth class bracery crosses.
Maybe I'll start a "Bulgarian medals thread" in photos though.

[Dave Danner]

The "Militärverdienstorden V. Klasse mit Kriegsdekoration" would be the 5th Class of the Bulgarian National Order for Military Merit (Naroden orden "Za voenna zasluga"), also commonly called the Order of Military Merit. The 5th Class was the Knight's Cross, which would be customary for a lieutenant. The "War Decoration" was a wreath attached to the cross.

Here is the award in question. This particular example is on the ribbon of the Military Order for Bravery (Voenen orden "Za hrabrost"). Several Bulgarian decorations, including the National Order for Military Merit, were worn on the ribbon of the Military Order for Bravery when they were awarded for bravery.

[Dave Danner]

The "Militärverdienstorden V. Klasse mit Kriegsdekoration" would be the 5th Class of the Bulgarian National Order for Military Merit (Naroden orden "Za voenna zasluga"), also commonly called the Order of Military Merit. The 5th Class was the Knight's Cross, which would be customary for a lieutenant. The "War Decoration" was a wreath attached to the cross.

Here is the award in question. This particular example is on the ribbon of the Military Order for Bravery (Voenen orden "Za hrabrost"). Several Bulgarian decorations, including the National Order for Military Merit, were worn on the ribbon of the Military Order for Bravery when they were awarded for bravery.

Joerg,

If this were the case for your lieutenant, the Wehrpass entry would include "am Bande des Tapferkeitsordens" or "am Bande des Militärordens für Tapferkeit", so I think yours would be on the regular ribbon. Here is a IV Class (Officer's Cross) on that ribbon:

http://home.att.net/~david.danner/mi.../MMO_off_1.jpg

(Note that the orders on my Bulgaria page are listed with the wrong classes; I have to update that page pretty soon)

[McCulloh]

I think Dave is correct. I did not know about the "war ribbon" details.
I based my i.d. upon the assumption that Rick was correct when he stated "wrong class for officers" hinted at the bravery cross and I thought the military merit order was only awarded to Bulgarians-whereas lots of bravery crosses were handed out to Germans.
A Bulgarian Merit Order would certainly be a rare award to a Wehrmacht officer!
Congratulations!

[Dave Danner]

Joerg,

If this were the case for your lieutenant, the Wehrpass entry would include "am Bande des Tapferkeitsordens" or "am Bande des Militärordens für Tapferkeit", so I think yours would be on the regular ribbon. Here is a IV Class (Officer's Cross) on that ribbon:

http://home.att.net/~david.danner/mi.../MMO_off_1.jpg

(Note that the orders on my Bulgaria page are listed with the wrong classes; I have to update that page pretty soon)

Please allow me to revise my remarks.

Apparently, by regulation, when awarded with the war decoration, the 4th and 5th classes always came on the ribbon of the Military Order for Bravery. The other distinguishing feature was that the ring around the medallions on the obverse and reverse was made of white enamel (as in the example above) instead of green (as in the one on my web site).

I have also updated the web site to give the right classes of the various orders, as well as their transliterated Bulgarian names.