What's this ribbon?

[Woolgar]

A very useful exercise Andreas, thank you

Nick

[Pablo]

Thanks for all the comments. Using HPL2008's photos, I measured the width from the inside of the white band on the left across the ribbon to the inside of the white band on the right. Then I measured the outside of the white band on the left across the ribbon to the outside of the white band on the right. Then I calculated a ratio of the inner width divided by the outer width and got the results below.

from photo
Imperial EK2 0.49
1939 EK2 0.59 (0.61 from a actual ribbon)
KVK 0.63 (0.62 from actual ribbon)
Westwall 0.68 (0.68 from actual ribbon)
Lifesaving 0.65
Red Cross 0.71
Opa photo 1 0.51
Opa Photo 2 0.55

So the ribbon looks closer to a EK2. But couldn't be Imperial since he did not serve in WW1. Can also rule out Westwall. What do you think?

[Adrian]

Have you got anymore photos or can you find out what awards he was entitled to?

[Pablo]

Have you got anymore photos or can you find out what awards he was entitled to?

ds
Unfortunately, those are the best photos I have showing the ribbon. I do not know what awards he received. My gut feeling is that the ribbon is a Westwall.....but it doesn't match up with the expected ratios. But at least he got his tunic eagle corrected.

[Adrian]

I'm personally still not convinced it's a Westwall ribbon. The central stripe looks too narrow in my eyes. If you had said 'this is a photo of my Grandfather with his EK2 ribbonbar' I wonder how many of us would've questioned it?

[talltom]

I'm personally still not convinced it's a Westwall ribbon. The central stripe looks too narrow in my eyes. If you had said 'this is a photo of my Grandfather with his EK2 ribbonbar' I wonder how many of us would've questioned it?

im kind of glad pablo didn't its turned into a rather good excersise

[Adrian]

im kind of glad pablo didn't its turned into a rather good excersise

I completely agree, an interesting discussion and great to see how many people can look at the same thing and see it differently!

[Pablo]

Here is one more photo I found that shows his ribbon.... taken in 1941. The middle band does look narrow.

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/.../Polan1941.jpg

He also was involved with Westwall activities (I have a photo that says "Westwall 1939") so I thought that he would at least have that ribbon. I assume ribbons were displayed differently depending on what it represented?

Thanks for taking the time to look at this.

[talltom]

ive added it to the forum to keep it alive (if it gets deleted no one will see it

[Thanatos]

Gday all,
Just a couple of things,only speculation though,
The West Wall case.
Pablo states his grandfather served in France(early in the war) and mainly Poland.If the photo was taken in late 1940 (as Andreas worked out) then that would most likely make it France.Luftwaffe personel would have been involved very early in the piece constructing AAA defences I would think.This could be the basis for the West Wall.
EK2 case.
If he served as a early FallschirmJager (which I don't think he did by the Tunic Litzen) he would have been in a position to win a EK2 early in the war in only two countries,Holland or Belguim I would think (please correct me if I am wrong on this) and neither were given as places of deployment.Luft. ground Infantry were not deployed at this early stage of the war as combat troops.
What about the button hole ribbon if it is an EK2? Would he not be wearing it for such a photo especialy if he was prepared to place his (I assume) new Luft Eagle on his tunic.If I had won such an award I would be wearing my button hole ribbon for the photo shoot.
As stated above only speculation and I could be way off.
Have a good day one and all.