ExaltedFrog Posted 30 April , 2020 Share Posted 30 April , 2020 Hello and good day everyone, I have found this photo of Fritz Duquesne, a Boer War-era South African soldier and German spy during WW1 and WW2. In it he has a vast assortment of Imperial German medals and decorations, would anyone be so kind as to help me identify them? I can only make out the 1914 Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse down at the bottom of his tunic, as well as the Karl-Friedrich Merit Order (maybe?). P.S This is my first time using GWF, so I am not sure if this is the right forum for this discussion, please forgive me if there is a better place for this to be posted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 30 April , 2020 Share Posted 30 April , 2020 (edited) He is wearing the Order of Osmanieh around his neck, the Star of the Order on his left breast, & the sash over his right shoulder thus he is Knight Grand cross class. Regret unable to assist with the other decorations he is wearing. Thanks for posting, Bryan Edited 30 April , 2020 by RNCVR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExaltedFrog Posted 30 April , 2020 Author Share Posted 30 April , 2020 33 minutes ago, RNCVR said: He is wearing the Order of Osmanieh around his neck, the Star of the Order on his left breast, & the sash over his right shoulder thus he is Knight Grand cross class. Sorry for this being a bit of an obvious question, but, just to clarify, the sash and the star are Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Osmanieh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 30 April , 2020 Share Posted 30 April , 2020 Yes, I think the Order came in 5 classes, he would be wearing the 1st class but exactly what the 1st class was called I am uncertain. In the big photo you posted the Star of the Order appears to be just above his EK1. I think the Osmanieh was the premier Turkish Order at that time period. The only reason I know of this Order is I have a Commander class awarded to a Victorian RN Captain for the Egypt 1882 campaign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExaltedFrog Posted 30 April , 2020 Author Share Posted 30 April , 2020 1 minute ago, RNCVR said: I have a Commander class awarded to a Victorian RN Captain for the Egypt 1882 campaign. That's awesome. Although I'm a WW2 German and British collector, Imperial awards and decorations are cool as well Thanks for the help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 30 April , 2020 Share Posted 30 April , 2020 Here is a photo of the Commander class Order of Osmanieh. The class Fritz Duquesne wears around his neck would be identical but somewhat larger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 30 April , 2020 Share Posted 30 April , 2020 Some of those decorations on his chest could be German State House Orders,perhaps someone will come along better versed in these decorations than I. Are those his decorations in the 2nd (smaller) photo you have posted? If same man he seems to be wearing different Orders or perhaps has rearranged them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExaltedFrog Posted 30 April , 2020 Author Share Posted 30 April , 2020 2 minutes ago, RNCVR said: Are those his decorations in the 2nd (smaller) photo you have posted? If same man he seems to be wearing different Orders or perhaps has rearranged them. Yes, it is edited down from a second photo of him. Although, he is wearing a different neck order, the medal bar is the same and I'm pretty sure he just rearranged his orders as you said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 30 April , 2020 Share Posted 30 April , 2020 (edited) Yes I noticed that as well, perhaps a German House Order which he felt was senior to the Osmanieh, he may have been awarded that Order later in the war. He would likely have received Order(s) from whatever German State he originated in - ie: Saxe Cobourg Gotha, Hesse & By Rhine, Darmstadt etc. There were quite a few of them prior to 1879 Unification. Edited 30 April , 2020 by RNCVR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExaltedFrog Posted 30 April , 2020 Author Share Posted 30 April , 2020 Do you know what the ribbon bar would've looked like for the Order of Osmanieh, 1st Class? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 30 April , 2020 Share Posted 30 April , 2020 (edited) Green with red edging, would be same as sash but sash much wider - approx 10cm width. Only have photo of my RN Captain's medal grouping, but you will see the colour of the Osmanieh ribbon. Edited 30 April , 2020 by RNCVR . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExaltedFrog Posted 30 April , 2020 Author Share Posted 30 April , 2020 Thanks for the help, RNCVR. I do agree that some of the other medals do look like house orders, however the lighting seems to remove any discerning detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 30 April , 2020 Share Posted 30 April , 2020 I have emailed my son in law & sent him the two photos you have posted, see if he can help you out, he collects KM 2WW but think he knows something of Imperial German awards & Decorations. Will let you know.... The GWForum has a huge lot of members, someone may come along that knows decorations & will be able to assist..... Best....Bryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 30 April , 2020 Share Posted 30 April , 2020 This Medal vendor in Ontario, CANADA has a huge stock of many nations Orders & Decorations, & they have a large data base, I know they have many Imperial German State Orders for sale. I will attach a link, checkout their site when you have a fair amount of time, you may find some of Duquesne's decorations on there. https://www.emedals.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 30 April , 2020 Share Posted 30 April , 2020 Think I have one of them ID'd - third from left as you are looking at his medal group. The Cross for Merit in War was awarded to officers for outstanding merit displayed during World War I. The Cross for Merit in War (German: Kreuz für Verdienste im Kriege) was a military decoration of the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen established by Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen on 7 March 1915. The Cross for Merit in War was awarded to officers for outstanding merit displayed during World War I. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExaltedFrog Posted 30 April , 2020 Author Share Posted 30 April , 2020 That does seem to be the medal. I'll check out that website as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 30 April , 2020 Share Posted 30 April , 2020 He was quite the character, I have just finished reading up on him in Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Joubert_Duquesne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 1 May , 2020 Share Posted 1 May , 2020 I have rec'd a response concerning Dusquene's various Orders & copy below - Another collector mentioned that the first order on his medal bar might be the Order of Franz Joseph but said as the focus in the photo is so poor its hard to tell exactly. Best Wishes, Bryan The first order on the medal bar is the order of the iron crown, the last one (the sixth) is the Bulgarian Order for Military Merit (4th or 5th) grade.The very top star (bottom photo) is this of the Bulgarian Order Of St. Alexander 1st grade w/o swords. The very bottom star in the same photo is the Turkish Osmanieh to match the neck decoration in the first photo. In this same photo the white cross with swords is a rare decoration of Prince Albrecht and below it is of course an iron cross 1st class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExaltedFrog Posted 1 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 1 May , 2020 I agree that the first order on the bar, is Order of Franz Joseph, Knight. The profile matches that more than the Iron Crown order Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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