Three-Place Medal Bar

[Tom Yanacek]

Hi guys,

I bought this three-placer on Friday at a small military show. I remember this exact bar being posted on the forum about a month ago and I never expected that it would find its way to me. A fellow collector I know walked up to me and asked if I was interested in it. I immediately remembered seeing the bar on WAF and asked if he had posted it. He said that his son had posted it. Here is the thread from a month ago:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...t=Horst+Schenk

I really like this medal bar. The Czech Annexation Medal is marked to Deumer 'L/11' on the rim at the six-o'clock and the Italian Valor Medal in Bronze is named to Horst Schenk.

Best regards,
Tom

[Chet Sowersby]

That is a nice one Tom. Congrats!

Chet

[Sevrin]

That is a nice one Tom. Congrats!

Chet

+1

That nice rare bar is in great hands!

[Iam Al Bandy]

Very, very nice!!! Congratulations!!

[Tom Yanacek]

I checked the German War Graves Registry and found six listings for a Horst Schenk KIA/MIA in WW2. Of the six different listings I feel that there is only one real possibility: an Unteroffizier Horst Schenk, KIA on Christmas 1943. He is buried at the war cemetery in Dionyssos-Rapendoza, Greece. There is a good chance that this is the guy that owned this medal bar although he may have survived the war and therefore would not be found in the war graves registry.

Here is the listing from the war graves registry:


Horst Schenk

Nachname: Schenk

Vorname: Horst

Dienstgrad: Unteroffizier

Geburtsdatum: 19.07.1921

Geburtsort: Erfurt

Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 25.12.1943

Todes-/Vermisstenort: 1 km südlich Gyrtoni


If this is indeed the correct ID, then Horst Schenk probably went into the military in 1938 and was 17 years and three months old when he went into the Sudetenland in October of 1938. The 1938 entry date into the military would also explain why there is no Wehrmacht Long Service Decoration on his medal bar, since awarding of Wehrmacht Long Service Decorations was discontinued by late 1940. I think this is a very good possibility for an ID of the recipient.

Best regards,
Tom

[Tom Yanacek]

Thank you!

Thanks for the comments, Chet, James, and Al.

Best regards,
Tom

[Hille76]

Hello,

the owner of this medal bar Horst Schenk was awarded from the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Airforce). Because the Regia Aeronautica awarded this types of valore medals to foreign soldiers. This type had never a "zecca" and it was engraved only the name.
The Italian Army (Regio Esercito) normally awarded the "zecca" type valore medals to foreign soldiers without engraving.

Maybe this Horst Schenk you researched is a another one.


Best
Timo

[Tom Yanacek]

Hi Timo,

Thanks for responding and for sharing your knowledge about the Italian Valor Medal. Do you know how many different manufacturers produced these? I believe the type of medal I have (without the crown z and/or F.G. marks) was made in Rome by Cravanzola. Would that be correct?

Perhaps the Horst Schenk I found in the War Graves Registry was a Luftwaffe Unteroffizier? It really does not make any mention to which branch of the Wehrmacht he belonged.

Thanks again & best regards,
Tom