Content - Richard Lundström
Layout - Sebastian Bianchi
This Bavarian Flak Offizier-Stellvertreter is wearing the
usual M1916 south German style ribbon bar. It is always
difficult to determine exactly what ribbons may be when this
style was photographed. As a Bavarian, he wears the war ribbon
of a Military Merit Cross before his Prussian Iron Cross 2nd
Class, followed by two other ribbons-one of which must be a
Bavarian Long Service award. The huge chevrons normally denoted
a Feldwebel: since Vizefeldwebels could also hold
"Officer-Deputy" wartime rank, he wanted to indicate
that he held higher permanent rank.
This Unteroffizier returned from the front to serve as a
Landsturm squad leader back home in Bavaria in 1917 is wearing
the south German convertible hook back medal and ribbon bar
mounting as a large ribbon bar. Frontline wear of such a
large ribbon bar was unlikely.
Unteroffizier Josef Häusler of Bavarian Infantry
Regiment 20 is wearing his south German hook back bar with medals,
in this photo taken in Landau im Bodensee 2 February 1919.
This portrait of Austro-Hungarian Feldmarschall-leutnant Franz
Ritter Höfer von Feldsturm (1861-1918) shows a typical Habsburg
ribbon bar, with full sized 40 mm ribbons overlapping each other and
sewn into a single row.
RV
Dated from a small town in Brunswick in September 1918, this
Engineering Petty Officer Third Class is wearing the sort of lapel bow
normally seen in civilian dress on his dress "monkey"
jacket. A 1914 Iron Cross covers another ribbon.
Hauptmann Beeckmann of Fahrabteilung 1 in 1929 is wearing a version
of service dress with NO ribbon bar, but the ribbon of his highest
award-the Prussian Hohenzollern House Order 3rd Class with Swords
(note the crown and crossed swords ribbon devices)-from his 2nd
buttonhole. Many WW1 awards were worn this way-normally the Iron
Cross 2nd Class was worn here when no ribbon bar was worn.
Buttonhole wear of some valor decorations and the 1941-42 East Medal
continued through 1945
