VINTAGE WW1 GERMANY MARINE KORPS FLANDERS COMMEMORATIVE CAMPAIGN SERVICE MEDAL

Offered is an original immediate post WW1 era German Marine Korps Flanders commemorative cross.

40 mm wide bronze cross pattée, the arms with beaded borders after the Prussian Iron Cross, with crossed swords between the arms and with loop for ribbon suspension; the face with a crowned naval anchor imposed on the letter ‘W’ (for Kaiser Wilhelm II) within a laurel wreath, the upper, lower, left and right arms inscribed ‘Zur See’ ‘Im Felde’ ‘Unbe-’ ‘siegt’ respectively (at sea, in the field, undefeated); the reverse with the Imperial German Naval War Ensign (Reichkriegsflagge) within a laurel wreath, the Flemish lion on the upper arm, the lower arm dated ‘1914/18’, the left and right arms inscribed ‘Marine’ ‘Korps’; on original mounted ribbon with pin back attachment - as worn.

The Cross was instituted on 13 September 1921 by Admiral Ludwig von Schröder, the former commander of the Marinekorps Flandern and its Kameradschaftsverband (Veterans‘ Association) in honour and remembrance of former members of the Corps. In August 1914 the German High Command decided to create an expeditionary force of Marines in Flanders. By November 1914, two divisions were in place, to be joined by a third in June 1917. The Corps was involved in heavy fighting, demonstrated by the ten bars associated with the medal. Althought the Somme is not in Flanders, members of the Marine Corps were involved in battles there. The medal was officially suppressed in 1934 with the issue of the Cross of Honour of the World War (Ehrenkreuz des Weltkrieges), popularly known as the Hindenburg Cross but the Flanders Cross was widely worn after this date with tacit approval. In all only some thirty thousand Crosses were issued and it is now quite hard to find.