GM Emil Just and his awards

[Dieter Zinke]

I own a poor paper copy of a pic in "Sammlung" Krug" showing Emil Just with 2 bars and many foreign decorations.
I'm very interested in your opinion. I already know:
Eiserner Halbmond
EK I
DKiS
KVK I mS
Slowakisches Kriegssiegerkreuz

Thanks in advance, Dieter Z.

[graveland]

My contribution, Dieter:

- Österr. Kriegserinnerungsmedaille mit Schwertern (ribbon bar)
- Schwed. Wasaorden??? (around the neck; 1st)
- Orden vom Joch und den Pfeilen, Spanien (around the neck; 2nd)
- Grossoffizierkreuz des Königl. Ordens des Stern von Rumänien mit Schwertern (around the neck; 3rd)

[VtwinVince]

I think the white cross next to the EK I is a Hungarian Merit Order.

[Dave Danner]

The top order is the Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden, Komturkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern am Ring, awarded on 15.8.1935 by Carl Eduard Herzog von Sachsen-Coburg u. Gotha.

VtwinVince is correct about the Hungarian Merit Order. Fourth Class (Officer's Cross) awarded on 24.2.1936.

Other known awards:
14.9.14 Eisernes Kreuz 2. Kl.
21.5.15 Eisernes Kreuz 1. Kl.
xx.6.17 Türkische Kriegsmedaille (Harp Madalyasi), AKA Eiserner Halbmond
21.7.17 Preußisches Verdienstkreuz für Kriegshilfe
20.12.34 Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
2.12.35 Finnischer Orden der Weißen Rose, Ritterkreuz 1. Klasse
2.10.36 Wehrmacht (Heer) Dienstauszeichnung 4. bis 1. Kl.
27.8.37 Estnischer Orden des Adlerkreuzes 3. Kl.
11.11.37 Bulgarische Kriegserinnerungsmedaille
12.4.39 Spanisches Militärverdienstkreuz 2. Kl. (weiß) (Cruz blanca del Merito militar de 2a clase)
1.8.40 Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Kl.
3.1.42 Kriegsverdienstkreuz 1. Kl.
2.6.44 Deutsches Kreuz in Silber

The Österreichische Kriegserinnerungsmedaille mit Schwertern is not listed in his personnel file, but it is visible on the ribbon bar between the Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer and the two WHDA ribbons.

There is an award listed in his personnel file as the "W.V.O. 3" awarded on 18.3.18. I have no idea what this is supposed to be. He is not in the rolls for either the Württemberg Militärverdienstorden or the Waldecksches Verdienstkreuz, and he had no connection to either state. At the time of the award, he was a Hauptmann, recently (5.3.18) attached to the staff of the Gruppe Soissons as Quartiermeister, previously on the general staff of the 206. Infanterie-Division.

Decorations awarded after mobilization in 1939 are not usually listed in the officer's Dienstlaufbahn, and foreign awards are not listed in the officer's wartime Beurteilungen, so I don't know about his other foreign awards other than what we can see in the picture. He was military and air attaché for Latvia and Lithuania from 15.9.38 until the Soviet Union officially annexed the Baltic States in August 1940, so maybe he received something from those countries.

[graveland]

Thank you so much, Dave!