Imperial German group with questions

[OldBraggs]

I was invited to have a look at a superb collection put together in the 1970-1980s by a British guy serving in Germany. He particularly went for Imperial German. This group was interesting for the questions that it raises.

Iron Cross 2nd Class (1914), Order of the Red Eagle 3rd class with swords, South West Africa Medal (combatant), China Medal (non-combatant) and the Kaiser Wilhelm Centenary Medal.

The questions are:

1. The China Medal (1900-01) and the South West Africa Medal (1902-04) are mounted in the wrong order? Or does a combatant medal take precedence over a non-combatant medal?

2. The Red Eagle 3rd Class with swords was rarely awarded. The most authoritative statement I can find is 35 awards. As the China Medal is the non-combatant type, the award must be for South West Africa? If there was a list of the recipients it may be possible to identify a candidate.

3. The Iron Cross 2nd class (1914) but no other awards for the Great War? An early recipient who then was unable to continue service? Group never updated with later awards?

4. There is, of course, the possibility that the group was created by someone much later who did not really understand what they were doing!

Steve

[lilnuke]

2. The Red Eagle 3rd Class with swords was rarely awarded. The most authoritative statement I can find is 35 awards. As the China Medal is the non-combatant type, the award must be for South West Africa? If there was a list of the recipients it may be possible to identify a candidate.

That is a Red Eagle 4th class with swords.

[Chopperman]

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