GreyC Posted 20 November , 2022 Share Posted 20 November , 2022 If I remember correctly some German royalty auctioned off their British and other medals for charity some time into WW1. And German regiments were renamed in case they had British or other then hostile emporers as honorary chiefs. I wonder when were British subjects ordered to no longer wear German medals? Maybe someone here could tell me? Help greatly appreciated. GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TullochArd Posted 20 November , 2022 Share Posted 20 November , 2022 (edited) I'm not sure about the British auctioning off medals for charity GreyC but certainly there was a purge on all things Germanic at this time, widely characterised by the Royal family dropping the name Saxe-Coburg in favour of Windsor in 1917 and formally purging all German titles held within the Royal family. As an example, the Colonel in Chief of The Seaforth Highlanders in 1905 was HRH Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany KG, GCVO. His Colonelcy was terminated in 1917 due to his perceived ongoing support for his adoptive country. Charles Edward served on the staff of an infantry division of the German army at the beginning of the war, fighting Russians in East Prussia until 1915 when he wasremoved as medically unfit. He was also removed from the Order of Garter (KG) and similar in 1915 I'm surprised it took so long. Below: Cartoon "Punch" 1917: Edited 23 November , 2022 by TullochArd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 20 November , 2022 Author Share Posted 20 November , 2022 Thank you very much! Have a good week, GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitchener's Bugle Posted 23 November , 2022 Share Posted 23 November , 2022 The actual term is a "Revocation". In 1915 a number of high ranking Germans/Axis figures had their KG's Revoked. These included The Kaiser and Franz Joseph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 23 November , 2022 Author Share Posted 23 November , 2022 Thank you very much for this information. GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscherinfanteriest Posted 26 December , 2022 Share Posted 26 December , 2022 Actually some Italian generals wore no Red Eagle cross after 1915 and 1919. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 28 December , 2022 Share Posted 28 December , 2022 The British removed a number of Germans from the Order of the garter on 13 May 1915, including no 827 (inv 1904) Wilhelm II, King of Württemberg (1848-1921). Removed 13 May 1915. The list is here - click Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 28 December , 2022 Share Posted 28 December , 2022 The actual mechanics of removal were quite interesting. A sentry (apparently just one) with fixed bayonet guarded the chapel while the regalia of the Germans were removed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 28 December , 2022 Share Posted 28 December , 2022 (edited) I get the impression that a lot of it was to do with public opinion deliberately whipped up by the print media of the time (anything to sell more newspapers). I can’t imagine King George V sitting in his Palace and thinking to himself right….I’ll take my cousins medals away…that’ll show them! The likes of the Daily Mail had the same editorial instincts then, as it has now. Edited 28 December , 2022 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 28 December , 2022 Share Posted 28 December , 2022 20 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said: I can’t imagine King George V sitting in his Palace and thinking to himself right….I’ll take my cousins medals away…that’ll show them! Well he b***dy jolly well should have! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 28 December , 2022 Share Posted 28 December , 2022 (edited) 14 minutes ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said: Well he b***dy jolly well should have! Never mind Dai, I’m sure that “disgusted from Cheltenham” did…. You can always rely on British official institutions to be a bunch of hypocrites. Edited 28 December , 2022 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 28 December , 2022 Author Share Posted 28 December , 2022 GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscherinfanteriest Posted 28 December , 2022 Share Posted 28 December , 2022 13 hours ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said: Well he b***dy jolly well should have! That even wore German medals after 1914!? And what they did with those flags??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TullochArd Posted 29 December , 2022 Share Posted 29 December , 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, deutscherinfanteriest said: And what they did with those flags??? I wonder. It would seem that the related suggestion in the 'The Times' of May 1915 to remove the Germanic components of Banbury Cross were also followed through. A plaque on the Cross that recorded the 1858 royal marriage of Queen Victoria's eldest daughter to Crown Prince Frederick, later Kaiser Frederick III was removed as was a painted panel with his Prussian eagle. Edited 29 December , 2022 by TullochArd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 29 December , 2022 Author Share Posted 29 December , 2022 I guess nobody would have objected if they were just simply not worn any longer. The official act of banning them was just a confirmation of a practice probably already in place. GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscherinfanteriest Posted 29 December , 2022 Share Posted 29 December , 2022 In Italy they did not react so with Austrians.... and fasci littori on Buonconsiglio castle are still there from 1920s rulers. It is interesting this radical decision from the British gouvernement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 30 December , 2022 Share Posted 30 December , 2022 On 29/12/2022 at 18:44, deutscherinfanteriest said: It is interesting this radical decision from the British gouvernement Nothing radical about it. Merely withdrawing honours from folk who showed themselves subsequently to be undeserving of the same. No different to applying sanctions to folk associated to aggressive regimes today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TullochArd Posted 30 December , 2022 Share Posted 30 December , 2022 (edited) On 29/12/2022 at 18:44, deutscherinfanteriest said: It is interesting this radical decision from the British gouvernement The British Royals only held/hold a constitutional role and the name changing and rejection of all things German was a logical consequence of the War and therefore perhaps not such a radical decision? In contrast the German Royals were directly involved in the government and the War and I would offer that the Weimar Constitution made a far more radical decision in 1919 by forever abolishing the monarchy and all the German nobility's titles and legal privileges. Perhaps a bit more radical ....... but very understandable. Edited 30 December , 2022 by TullochArd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscherinfanteriest Posted 31 December , 2022 Share Posted 31 December , 2022 13 hours ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said: Nothing radical about it. Merely withdrawing honours from folk who showed themselves subsequently to be undeserving of the same. No different to applying sanctions to folk associated to aggressive regimes today. I mean thinking to Italian way of thinking. British did so. Italians never stripped people of their honours..... and French too, if we think Putin still is insigned with Legion of Honor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 31 December , 2022 Share Posted 31 December , 2022 12 minutes ago, deutscherinfanteriest said: I mean thinking to Italian way of thinking. British did so. Italians never stripped people of their honours..... and French too, if we think Putin still is insigned with Legion of Honor "Let every person stick up for his own country". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscherinfanteriest Posted 31 December , 2022 Share Posted 31 December , 2022 For example Victor Emmanuel III or General Cadorna, never lost their honours. Only the KK IR 28 named after Italian Kings, changed their name, Austrians as British had a serious view on the "Weltpolitik", and may be is understandable as TullochArd said. An honour to a man who declares you war is not so a fun fact Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 31 December , 2022 Author Share Posted 31 December , 2022 (edited) 5 hours ago, deutscherinfanteriest said: Only the KK IR 28 named after Italian Kings, changed their name So did the German Jäger Btl 11 which was named after the Italian Queen Margherita , but the German order to change names of units named after enemy potentaries was only issued late in the war, mid 1917, and only affected living royalty. It was explicitly stated, that those units named after deceased royalty from enemy countries were excluded from the order, as they, in their time, fought side by side with the German forces. GreyC Edited 31 December , 2022 by GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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