uniform ribbons

[rory]

Hello guys i have a probably stupid question, altough one that i have always wodered about. Why do you see the ek2 worn as a ribbon bar, and/with kvk or eastern front worn on the button hole.? but sometimes i have seen it the other way around with the kvk as a ribbon bar and ek2 through the button hole. Was this just down to different units, just lack of stock, personal, or was it just that an individual has just been awarded one of their awards?

Thanks

Rory

[Adrian]

Personal preference or circumstance I think Rory. It would be easy to sew a ribbon through the button hole at the front, maybe not so easy to buy a ribbon bar until the soldier next got home on leave.

For example: A soldier was awarded a KVK2. He got some leave, went home and bought a ribbon bar for his medal and wore it like that. He returns to the front and is awarded an EK2. No leave for a few months so he wears his EK2 ribbon through the buttonhole until he can get home an buy the corresponding ribbon bar.

I'm sure there are many different scenarios!

[rory]

Thanks for that Adrian, i can relate to that. At least they werent, how would i put it politely awkward! I thought there might have been certain regulations were if it was their first award it would have been on the button hole. It is quite un uniform like imo. But thanks it was probably a question which was too indepth.

Cheers

Rory

[HPL2008]

Buttonhole wear was permitted only for the ribbons of Kriegsauszeichnungen [= war decorations, such as the WW1- and WW2-era EK2, the KVK2, the Ostmedaille and the 2nd classes of the Ostvölker decorations) as well as the Rettungsmedaille [Life Saving Medal].

Particularly practical and popular for field uniforms, this was an optional method of wear, i.e. the wearer got to decide whether he preferred to wear the ribbon on his ribbon bar or in the buttonhole, but there was one exception: The Ehrenblattspange/Ehrentafelspange [Honor Roll Clasp] was only permitted to be worn on the EK2 ribbon in the button hole.

The maximum number of medal ribbons that could be worn in this manner was two and they were (officially) not allowed to be "repeated" on the ribbon bar. In practice, the latter regulation was commonly ignored; period photographs often show the same ribbon worn in the buttonhole and on the ribbon bar.