The Red Eagle Order 3rd class with crown and swords

The Red Eagle Order knows definitely the most different combinations within its different grades. Not only having swords to show ones merit for war service, there are oak leafs, bows, swords on the ring, jubilee numbers, crowns, enamel ribbons and of course ribbons with different meanings. One of the rare combinations is found among the war merit combinations - the crown and swords. The crown was issued in 1892, so that only the last model could have been awarded with this addition as a symbol for outrageous merit. Looking at the 3^rd class of the Red eagle order only the following awards are recorded:

Hermann von Wissmann	03.09.1894	Decoration in gold	Crown to the REO3 with Swords
Oberst Friedrich von Scholl	1895	Decoration in gold	Swords to the REO3 with Crown
Oberst Pavel	Cameroon 1902	Decoration in gold	Manfred von Richthofen
Hauptmann Franke	South West Africa 1904	Decoration in gold
Kapitän zur See Pohl	East Asia 1905	Decoration in gold
Oberst Müller	Cameroon 1905	Decoration in gold
Oberstleutnant von Estorff	South West Africa 1905	Decoration in gold
Rittmeister von Richthofen	World War I	Probably decoration in silver gilt
Georg Kronprinz v.Griechenland	1913	Decoration in gold	REO3 with Crown and Swords
k.u.k. Hofreisedirektor, Leutnant a.D. Zdenko Mareś	18.12.17	Probably silver gilt decorations	Swords to the REO3 with Crown
Maercker, Oberstleutnant z.D.	16.11.18	Probably decoration in silver gilt	Crown and Swords to the REO3 with Bow

Due to the fact that there was no Iron Cross issued for the Colonial most Red Eagle Orders for war merit were awarded during this historical period. The I. World War on the other hand did bear the signature of the Iron Crosses and the Pour le Mérite's. Manfred von Richthofen did receive the high order of the Pour le Mérite in the end of WWI. After continuing his career, he was suggested for the oak leaf to the Pour le Mérite. Since however the oak leaf was given only for won battles, which he didn’t achieved, he was “only” awarded with the Red Eagle Order with Crown and swords. This might help to understand, what value the so-called house orders did have during this period of time.

Following the picture of a Red Eagle order 3^rd class with crown and swords worn on the medal bar of the later Generalmajor Müller. Born on September 7, 1850, he served in the “Schutztruppe” in Deutsch-Süd-West Afrika (German-South-West Africa) in between 1895 – 1898 and became commander of the “Schutztruppe” in Cameroon in 1903, were he served until 1908.

The following decoration is made from gold with silver gilt crown. This replacement piece shows the makers mark “G” for Godet in Berlin and stemmed originally from Generalmajor Müller.

Generalmajor Franz Ludwig Wilhelm Müller's complete medal bar and below the "Grosse Feldschnalle" ribbon bar

Image from the auction: "Sammlung Deutsche Kolonien 1884-1918 Reinhold Siebentritt"