David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:37pm
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The Prussian Observers Ba
The Prussian Observers Badge, like the Pilot's Badge described above, the Observer's Badge was not strictly an achievement award. Observers training was longer and more rigorous than pilot training, so the Observer's Badge carried a status somewhat akin to an achievement award. It features an enameled Prussian "signal flag" in the center, surrounded by a red border, and fixed to abackground piece with a "starburst" design with a spray of laurels and oakleaves. The Prussian crown surmounts the design. German aviation obervers were almost always officers while during the early war years, pilot were frequently enlisted personnnel and ordered where to go and how to fly by the officer. The Kingdom of Bavaria had a coresponding badge for its own observers and is not shown here.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:37pm
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German Army Wound Badge
German Army Wound Badge. During the summer of 1918, almost 4 years after the start of the war, the German Army authorized the design and distribution of an official badge that could be worn by those military personnel wounded during the war. The badge came in three grades "black" for 1 or 2 wounds, "silver" for 3-5, and in "gold" for those that permanently crippled or disfigured or having been wounded more than 5 or more times. The Army design features a "Stahlhelm" or steel helmet in the center, surrounded by a spray of oakleaves. The Navy authorized a similar design at the same time, but with a large fouled anchor in the center instead of a helmet.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:40pm
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The Military Order of Mar
The Military Order of Maria Theresa. Founded by the Empress Maria Theresa on 22 June 1757 as a reward for merit for senior military officers. The order was to be granted as a reward for acts of military valor and to perpetuate the memory of the brave officers receiving it. An officer had to command in a battle or a unit in a winning action to be eligible for the higher grades. For even the lowest class (Knight) an officer had to perform highly significant feats of valor and extreme devotion to duty, to be considered for the Order . With such strict requirements, the Order was sparingly awarded. As with many high orders the decoration was to be returned to the Chancellery of the Order on the death of the holder.
Like most Austrian Orders, it came in three classes or grades:
Knights Grand Cross: worn from the neck, or on an equal-striped red/white/red sash for more formal occasions. Included a breast star. Image of Franz Josef wearing Grand Cross.
Knights Commander: cross worn from the neck.
Knights: cross worn on left breast, suspended from its ribbon. Since the mid 1800s, the ribbons of Austrian awards were folded in a distictive triangular (dreiecks) shape. It was peculiarly Austrian but also copied by some nations under her cultural or military influence.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:42pm
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Milit
Milit?r-Verdienstkreuz (Cross for Military Merit) Awarded to officers, in peace time, for distinguished service through zeal and perseverance, in war time for valour and fine leadership. The cross, in white enamel with red enamel borders, was originally instituted on 21 October 1849 by Emperor Franz Joseph I and in 1860 the "Kriegsdekoration" (War Decoration), a gilded laurel wreath appearing between the arms of the cross, was added for distinction in action. On 23 September 1914 the decoration was reorganized into three classes :
1st Class becoming a breast pin cross (only for general officers
commanding at least an army corps),
2nd Class a neck badge
3rd Class a breast badge.
On 13 December 1916 crossed gilt swords to be attached on the ribbon were instituted while from 1 August 1917 onwards, subsequent awards of the 3rd Class could be identified by trapeze shaped, gilt bars. The obverse medaillon of the cross bears the word "VER / DIENST" (Merit), the reverse is in plain white enamel.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:45pm
Rating: 10
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Tiroler Lanesdenkm
Tiroler Lanesdenkm?nze (Tyrol Province Remembrance Medal) Awarded to all Tiroleans whos served in the First World War and also to those who, between 1915 and 1918 participated in defending the Tirol Province (amongst them were German mountain troops). This bronze gilt medal was instituted on 7 February 1928 and awards were stopped end March 1940. During that period some 120,000 were awarded. The obverse shows the Tirolean Eagle and the reverse bears, within an oak leaf wreath, the words "DAS / LAND TIROL / DEN / VERTEIDIGERN / DES / VATERLANDES/ 1914-1918" (The Tirol Province to the Defenders of the Homeland, 1914-1918).
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:47pm
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The Turkish War Medal
The Turkish War Medal of 1915. This medal is referred to by a number of informal names. Commonwealth nations often call it the "Gallipoli Star" even though it was not a campaign medal specifically for that battle. Another informal name is the "Iron Crescent," as it functioned similarly to Prussia's Iron Cross. The medal was given from 1915 until the end of the war, for acts of bravery or merit in action. Recipients of the Imtiaz and Liyakat medal were automatically eligible for this medal. The medal is a star-shaped pin back badge of white metal (not iron), with a raised crescent around the bottom center, and the "Toughra" or monogram of the Sultan in the center. The flat surfaces of the badge were finished in a thin opaque red enamel. The War Medal was worn pinned to the tunic in a manner similar to the Iron Cross, and not suspended from a ribbon. There was a ribbon (red with white side stripes) which was worn in the second button hole (like the Iron Cross 2nd Class) when the star itself was not worn.
Because the medal was frequently awarded to German and Austrian personnel who served with the Turkish forces during WW1, many unofficial variants were made in Germany and elsewhere, of varying quality, but usually of higher quality than the originals. This difference in quality had led some early authors to speculate that there were two classes of the War Medal -- poor quality copies for enlisted men, nicer copies for officers. In fact there was only one class.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:48pm
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The Liyakat Medal
The Liyakat Medal was the junior ranking medal in the Turkish system of honors. It resembles a smaller version of the Imtiaz medal, 25mm in diameter. It was also awarded in silver and gold classes, both suspended from a red ribbon with narrow green stripes at the borders. Like the Imtiaz medals of the WW1 period, it used the crossed sabers device for combat awards, and in this form was frequently awarded to German military personnel.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:49pm
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The Turkish Army Pilot's
The Turkish Army Pilot's badge was fashioned after German and Austrian qualification badges of the period. Established in 1914 by a French Officer, the Turkish Air Force came under the command of a German officer, Erich Sarno, after the outbreak of hostilities, and grew steadily during the war years thanks to an influx of German planes and pilots, as well as concerted efforts to train Ottoman pilots and observers. There was also a Navy Pilot and Observer's badge, of a slightly different design.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:50pm
Rating: 10
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The Mobilisation Cross 19
The Mobilisation Cross 1914-1918 (in Dutch : Het Mobilisatiekruis 1914-1918) is a bronze cross instituted on 1 August 1924 by the "National Committee forthe Commemoration of the 1914 Mobilisation" (Nationaal Comit? Herdenking Mobilisatie 1914) and because Queen Wilhelmina accepted the cross offered to her by the committee, this decoration became officially recognized (Army Order of 26 november 1924). It was awarded to those that during the 1st World War had worn an official Dutch uniform (between 4 August 1914 and 11 November 1918), including reservists and civilians which served under military supervision. Obverse : the vertical cross arms have the dates "1914" and "1918" on them, the horizontal ones "AUGUSTUS" and "NOVEMBER". Between the cross arms lie bundles of arrows symbolising the power of unity. Reverse (shown above): the words "MOBILISATIE / VREDE / EER" (Mobilisation, Peace, Honour) in the same lettering as the obverse. There's also a maker's mark at the bottom.
On 27 September 1927 an almost identical cross was created: the so-called "White Mobilisation Cross" for civilians who performed distinguished service to the mobilised troops. The reverse is different bearing the words "MOBILISATIE / WAARDERING" (Mobilisation, Recognition) and the ribbon's central blue is replaced by white.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:51pm
Rating: 10
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Medal of the Revolution
Medal of the Revolution -- Awarded to all volunteers of the Czechoslovak Army who enlisted before the proclamation of the Provisional Government in Paris and to others who had rendered military or political services towards the independance of Czechoslovakia.
The bronze medal was instituted by the Provisional Government in Paris on 1 July 1918 and consists of a cross lying on a broad circle. On the obverse cross stands a winged horse with a nude horseman holding a flag. On the riband between the cross arms is the legend "VZHURU NA STRAZ SVOBODNY NA'BODE" (keep good watch, free nations).
The reverse has a winged female figure holding a stone block over her head, while at her feet are snakes. On the stone is the text "ZA ZVOBODY" (for liberty).
A number of emblems are related to this medal : silver bars for actions and smaller bars indicating the recipient's regiment. Unit Citation emblems are also in evidence.
Among the action bars are, for Czechs fighting in France : Alsace, Argonne, Peronne and L.E. (L?gion Etrang?re - the Foreign Legion), for actions in Russia : Zhorov, Bachmac, Sibir (Siberia) and C.D. (Czech Brigade) and for actions in Italy : Doss'Alto and Piave.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:53pm
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The Cross of Liberty
The Cross of Liberty. This is the first Finnish decoration and was instituted on 4 March 1918 (later it became the Order of the Cross of Liberty, Finland's premier award). It had been a suggestion of General Mannerheim to institute this cross to reward bravery or meritorious service during the Finnish War of Liberation.
The Cross of Liberty held two divisions : a military (marked with swords on the suspension device) and a civil division and five classes. Furthermore, it could be awarded with brilliants, with oakleaf or, for medical personnel, with a red cross (in the central medallion, 3rd and 4th class only).
German General Rudiger von der Goltz, commander of the Baltic Division which aided Mannerheim's White army, was awarded the 1st Class, with diamonds.
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David
Thu October 7, 2004 12:55pm
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Blue Cross
Blue Cross. Instituted in 1968, this award would fall well outside this collection, but for the fact that it was made available retroactively to Finns who participated in the civil Guards during the liberation period. It is awarded to all former members of the civil Guards and lotta Sv?rd organization, from 1918 to 1944. The bar "1917-1918" is awarded to people who were in Civil Guards or Lotta & Sv?rd during the Liberation war.
The medal is a bronze St. George style cross with blue enamel. In the center of the cross is a sword, point up, atop a white enameled stylized letter S, which stands for "Suojeluskunta" (Civil Guards). Behind the S show the points of a stylized spruce branch.
A second grade of the Blue Cross was awarded to people who were not former members of Civil Guards, but had been in some kind of voluntary work with veterans or research of Civil Guards after war. This version of the medal omits the sword and the S, revealing the spruce branch more clearly.
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David
Sat February 26, 2005 9:57am
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1st and 2nd Persian Invas
1st and 2nd Persian Invasions, 490 B.C.
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David
Sat February 26, 2005 9:57am
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3rd Persian Invasion, 480
3rd Persian Invasion, 480 - 479 B.C.
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David
Sat February 26, 2005 9:58am
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The Persian Empire, 490 B
The Persian Empire, 490 B.C.
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