Description
This is a very nice Polizei/Police medalbar from a senior German Policeman from just before the Second World War, who was also a former German South Africa Schutztruppe member. It contains the following medals:
- Iron Cross second class from World War I.
- Frontkämpfer Ehrenkreuz (Hindenburgcross) with swords, awarded after 1934 (because it was only in 1934 instituted), to commemorate active frontservice in the trenches of World War I. On the reverse maker marked with A&S, which stands for maker Assmann & Sohne from Ludenscheid.
- Imperial South Africa Campaign medal, with on its ribbon two seperate clasps, being the Hereroland and Gross Namaland campaign clasps.
- Dienstauszeichnung 15 Jahre kreuz
- Dienstauszeichnung der Polizei 1.Stufe für 25 Jahre Kreuz (Police medal for 25 years loyal service). In excellent condition and with the rare seperate affixed ribbon with eagle on the ribbon on the medalbar. Often this seperate ribbon is missing, but here it is nicely still present and in great condition too.
- Austria World War I commemorative medal with seperate to the ribbon affixed swords, the swords again indicating active frontservice.
- Bulgarian “Pro Deo et Patria” World War I commemorative medal.
If we “read” the medalbar we can see that the owner served in South West Africa quelling the native insurrections between 1904 and 1906 and later served during the Great War for Germany in the trenchwar, where he earned the Iron Cross, and Austrian and Bulgarian medals. Later he would around 1934 be awarded the Frontkämpfer Ehrenkreuz to commemorate his service when the Frontkämpfer Cross was instituted.
If we keep in mind that the ownwer participated in the Africa campaigns and also the First World War, and that the institutiondate of the 25 years police cross was only in 1938, it seems plausible that the owner must have been born in the period 1870 – 1875 and was a senior Policeman who was when the Second World War broke out, too old to participate in World War 2 (else he would have had more medals, but logically would have been too old). No doubt he had had a long career by the time the medalbar was made up at the end of the 1930’s by a medalmaker. This is also evidenced by the 15 years “Dienstauszeichnung” service cross.
Overal this is a very impressive medalbar and it’s in excellent condition too. Hard to find!
