How much condecorations had Wilhelm Keitel ???

[feldmarschall]

I THINK KEITEL HAD A LOT OF MEDALS AND VERY MUCH WHAT SEPP DIETRICH AND HERMANN GÖRING
OR NOT???
IF YOU HAVE ANY POSSIBILITY OF MAKE A BAR OF MEDALS I GRATEFULL REALLY
THANKS VERY MUCH
I SAW HIS BAR OF MEDAL AND HE HAD 17 CONDECORATIONS ENTER FIRST AND SECOND WORLD

[USAF1986]

Here are the decorations of Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm [Bodewin Johann Gustav] Keitel that I am aware of.

Regards,
Shawn

Decorations & Awards:
• Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross: 30 September 1939, Generaloberst, Chief of the Armed Forces High Command.
• Prussian Royal Hohenzollern House Order, Knight’s Cross with Swords
• Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class (1914) with 1939 Bar
• Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914) with 1939 Bar
• Hesse General Honor Decoration, “for Bravery”
• Oldenburg Friedrich August Cross, 1st Class
• Oldenburg Friedrich August Cross, 2nd Class with “Vor Dem Feinde” (In the Face of the Enemy) Clasp
• Brunswick War Merit Cross, 1st Class
• Brunswick War Merit Cross, 2nd Class with “Bewährung” (Reliability) Clasp
• Hamburg Hanseatic Cross
• Bremen Hanseatic Cross
• Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
• Brunswick Ducal Order of Henry the Lion, 4th Class
• Saxe-Ernestine Ducal House Order, Knight 2nd Class (without Swords) – This decoration presents something of an anomaly. The 1932 (and earlier) Rangliste shows Keitel as holding this decoration without swords; however, the swords are clearly visible in several photographs of him wearing both Feldschnalle and Großordenschnallle. To add to the confusion, the portrait photograph on the cover of Keitel’s memoirs depicts this award without swords and in a position subordinate to his combat decorations. Perhaps his tailor simply made a mistake and added the swords when mounting his ribbons and medal bar!
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 1st Class (25-year Service Cross)
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 3rd Class (12-year Service Medal)
• Austrian Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration
• Commemorative Medal of 13 March 1938
• Commemorative Medal of 1 October 1938 with Castle Prague Bar
• Commemorative Medal for the Return of the Memel District
• Wound Badge in Black – World War I award
• Wound Badge of 20 July 1944 in Black
• Golden Party Badge: April 1939. [On 3 April 1946, Keitel commented on his alleged membership in the NSDAP before the International Military Tribunal at Nürnberg: “Hitler presented this Golden Badge of the Party to me in April 1939, at the same time that the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, General von Brauchitsch, received it. The Führer said it was to be in commemoration of the march into Czechoslovakia. The Golden Badge had ‘16 and 17 March’ engraved on it.”]
• Romanian Order of Michael the Brave, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Classes: 14 October 1941 (Royal Decree No. 2868) – Awarded during his visit to Bucharest for the victory parade held to celebrate the capture of Odessa (see footnote, page 175, of Keitel’s memoirs).
• Italian Military Order of Savoy, Grand Cross – See page 77 of Pour le Mérite und Tapferkeitsmedaille by Dr. Kurt G. Kleitmann.
• Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty, Grand Cross with Swords: 25 March 1942.
• (Possibly) Order of the White Rose of Finland, Grand Cross with Swords – See photograph on pages 173-174 (Hitler’s meetings with Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim in June 1942) of Hitler’s Military Headquarters: Organization, Structure, Security and Personnel by Aaron L. Johnson. NOTE: It is possible this decoration might be the Order of the Lion of Finland as the centerpiece of the breast star is very blurred in the photographs cited.

[WCSTUMP]

I THINK KEITEL HAD A LOT OF MEDALS AND VERY MUCH WHAT SEPP DIETRICH AND HERMANN GÖRING
OR NOT???
IF YOU HAVE ANY POSSIBILITY OF MAKE A BAR OF MEDALS I GRATEFULL REALLY
THANKS VERY MUCH
I SAW HIS BAR OF MEDAL AND HE HAD 17 CONDECORATIONS ENTER FIRST AND SECOND WORLD

Hermann Göring had more orders, medals and decorations than any other ranking officer in the Third Reich Period. He had to have a special display case to hold all his medals.

[feldmarschall]

A PIC OF WILHELM KEITEL AND WILHELM KEITEL IS TOO BODEWIN KEITEL, I THINK HE WAS THE BROTHER OF WILHELM KARL GUSTAV KEITEL

[WCSTUMP]

Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel was the chief of the OKW and was 63 years old in 1945.

Bowewin Keitel the Infantry General was Wilhelm's younger brother, age 56 in 1945, was Cheif of Army Personnel.

[USAF1986]

Of interest, here are the decorations of younger brother General der Infanterie Bodewin Keitel (25 December 1888-27 July 1953) that I am aware of:

Decorations & Awards:
• German Cross in Silver: 2 October 1942, General der Infanterie, Chief of the Army Personnel Office.
• Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class (1914)
• Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914)
• War Merit Cross, 1st Class with Swords
• War Merit Cross, 2nd Class with Swords
• Saxon Albert Order, Knight 2nd Class with Swords
• Brunswick War Merit Cross, 2nd Class with “Bewährung” (Reliability) Clasp
• Hamburg Hanseatic Cross
• Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 1st Class (25-year Service Cross)
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 3rd Class (12-year Service Medal)
• Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty, 1st Class with Oakleaf and Swords: 25 March 1942.

[feldmarschall]

BUT I WANTED A WRITING WHERE IS EACH MEDAL EXACTLY HOW THE EXAMPLE OF DIETRICH

[USAF1986]

Here is a facsimile of Keitel’s ribbon bars based on the manner of wear as seen in various photographs:

Top Bar
• Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914) with 1939 Bar
• Prussian Royal Hohenzollern House Order, Knight’s Cross with Swords
• Brunswick War Merit Cross, 2nd Class with “Bewährung” (Reliability) Clasp
• Saxe-Ernestine Ducal House Order, Knight 2nd Class with Swords – Note Keitel frequently wore this ribbon with swords when available evidence suggests his decoration was without swords. Technically, it should have been displayed subordinate to the Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918 like the Brunswick Ducal Order of Henry the Lion.
• Hesse General Honor Decoration, “for Bravery”
• Oldenburg Friedrich August Cross, 2nd Class with “Vor Dem Feinde” (In the Face of the Enemy) Clasp
• Hamburg Hanseatic Cross
• Bremen Hanseatic Cross
• Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918

Bottom Bar
• Brunswick Ducal Order of Henry the Lion, 4th Class
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 1st Class (25-year Service Cross)
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 3rd Class (12-year Service Medal)
• Austrian Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration
• Commemorative Medal of 13 March 1938
• Commemorative Medal of 1 October 1938 with Castle Prague Bar
• Commemorative Medal for the Return of the Memel District

NOTE: The following were pin-back decorations earned by Keitel:
• Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class (1914) with 1939 Bar
• Oldenburg Friedrich August Cross, 1st Class
• Brunswick War Merit Cross, 1st Class

Regards,
Shawn

[USAF1986]

It should be noted that Keitel had several ribbon bars over the years and the placement of the decorations sometime differed. Here is a closeup of Keitel's ribbon bar as worn in the mid-1930s prior to his wearing the Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918 and the Armed Forces Long Service Awards.

1. Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914)
2. Prussian Royal Hohenzollern House Order, Knight’s Cross with Swords
3. Brunswick War Merit Cross, 2nd Class with “Bewährung” Clasp
4. Oldenburg Friedrich August Cross, 2nd Class with “Vor Dem Feinde” Clasp
5. Hesse General Honor Decoration, “for Bravery”
6. Hamburg Hanseatic Cross
7. Bremen Hanseatic Cross
8. Saxe-Ernestine Ducal House Order, Knight 2nd Class (As a pre-World War I award for peacetime service, the ribbon is worn correctly without the swords device and in a position subordinate to his combat decorations.)
9. Brunswick Ducal Order of Henry the Lion, 4th Class (As a pre-World War I award for peacetime service, the ribbon is likewise worn correctly in a position subordinate to his combat decorations.)
10. Austrian Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration (Although a combat decoration, the ribbon is worn correctly at the end of the ribbon bar in a position subordinate to all German decorations. Note the laurel wreath device denoting the “War Decoration” distinction.)

Regards,
Shawn

[USAF1986]

And yet another method of wear…

In this portrait photograph of General der Artillerie Keitel taken after his promotion to that rank on 1 August 1937, we see the following ribbons on his ribbon bar:

1. Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914)
2. Prussian Royal Hohenzollern House Order, Knight’s Cross with Swords
3. Saxe-Ernestine Ducal House Order, Knight 2nd Class (Note the incorrect use of swords on the ribbon and its placement among his combat decorations.)
4. Hesse General Honor Decoration, “for Bravery”
5. Oldenburg Friedrich August Cross, 2nd Class with “Vor Dem Feinde” Clasp
6. Brunswick War Merit Cross, 2nd Class with “Bewährung” Clasp
7. Hamburg Hanseatic Cross
8. Bremen Hanseatic Cross
9. Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
10. Brunswick Ducal Order of Henry the Lion, 4th Class (As a pre-World War I award for peacetime service, the ribbon is worn correctly in a position subordinate to his combat decorations.)
11. Armed Forces Long Service Award, 1st Class (25-year Service Cross)
12. Armed Forces Long Service Award, 3rd Class (12-year Service Medal)
13. Austrian Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration (Although a combat decoration, the ribbon is worn correctly at the end of the ribbon bar in a position subordinate to all German decorations. Note the laurel wreath device denoting the “War Decoration” distinction.)

Regards,
Shawn

[USAF1986]

And still yet another method of wear:

In this color photograph of Generaloberst Keitel taking the salute at pre-war military function circa 1939, we see his full Großordenschnallle or large orders bar. From the viewer’s left, Keitel displays the following medals:

1. Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914)
2. Prussian Royal Hohenzollern House Order, Knight’s Cross with Swords
3. Saxe-Ernestine Ducal House Order, Knight 2nd Class (Note the incorrect use of swords between the arms of the cross and the placement of the medal among his combat decorations.)
4. Hesse General Honor Decoration, “for Bravery”
5. Oldenburg Friedrich August Cross, 2nd Class (Note the “Vor Dem Feinde” Clasp is not displayed on the medal.)
6. Brunswick War Merit Cross, 2nd Class with “Bewährung” Clasp
7. Hamburg Hanseatic Cross
8. Bremen Hanseatic Cross
9. Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
10. Brunswick Ducal Order of Henry the Lion, 4th Class (As a pre-World War I award for peacetime service, this medal is worn correctly in a position subordinate to his combat decorations.)
11. Armed Forces Long Service Award, 1st Class (25-year Service Cross)
12. Armed Forces Long Service Award, 3rd Class (12-year Service Medal)
13. Austrian Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration (Although a combat decoration, this medal is worn correctly at the end of the ribbon bar in a position subordinate to all German decorations.)

Note Keitel’s Golden Party Badge above his Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class (1914). The Brunswick War Merit Cross, 1st Class is worn to the viewer’s left and slightly below the Iron Cross, 1st Class while the World War I Wound Badge in Black is below the latter decoration. Although cut from the photograph, Keitel was also displaying his Oldenburg Friedrich August Cross, 1st Class to the viewer’s right and slightly below the Iron Cross, 1st Class. He is also wearing some type of tinnie or day badge on his right breast.

Regards,
Shawn

[Marcus]

Shawn,

Thanks for those excellent posts.

/Marcus

[USAF1986]

Glad to share the information! BTW, I inadvertently reversed two medals on the mid-1930s ribbon bar post. It should read:

8. Brunswick Ducal Order of Henry the Lion, 4th Class (As a pre-World War I award for peacetime service, the ribbon is likewise worn correctly in a position subordinate to his combat decorations.)
9. Saxe-Ernestine Ducal House Order, Knight 2nd Class (As a pre-World War I award for peacetime service, the ribbon is worn correctly without the swords device and in a position subordinate to his combat decorations.)

Regards,
Shawn

[Gerst]

The pre-1934 ribbon bar shown as Wilhelm's is not his. It shows the Prussian 25-year long service ribbon in 8th place and he did not earn this - he was one year short. Please show the full photo.

I have a beautiful reproduction of Dietrich's South German style ribbon bar as worn at the Berghof in the color photo. I will be happy to share photos of this well-researched bar.

[USAF1986]

Here is the full picture of the pre-1934 ribbon bar above. It is the cover of Wilhelm Keitel's memoirs. The eighth ribbon is that of the Brunswick Ducal Order of Henry the Lion, 4th Class, red ribbon with yellow edges.

Best regards,
Shawn