German Awards - Iron Division Commemorative Medal

The Iron Division medal was established on behalf of the commander of the Volunteer Russian Western Army, Major General Prince Avaloff, by the Union of Former Iron Division Servicemen in 1920. Members of the Iron Division who fought in the Baltic States had the right to admission. 1. The chairman of the association was Major Josef Bischoff, who also signed the offending papers. The award was entered into military documents. The medal was worn on a black ribbon with white side stripes.
The Iron Division developed from a volunteer detachment recruited after the end of the war, from November 29, 1918, from former soldiers, the Iron Brigade, which was supposed to ensure the withdrawal of troops and materiel. On January 16, 1919, Major Joseph Bischoff took command. He struck out all unreliable soldiers and named the remaining 300 or so men the "Iron Division." Since February 1919, the troupe was part of the VI. Reserve Corps, subordinate to Major General Rüdiger von der Goltz. In the reconquest of Riga and other operations, the Iron Division gained a reputation as particularly merciless and brutal. Through recruitment and association with other volunteer units, the unit grew to about 14,000 by mid-1919. At that time, the Iron Division had 2 infantry and 1 artillery regiment. They added cavalry and supply troops. When the dispatch to Germany was to take place in August, Bischoff refused the order and joined the West Russian liberation army under the command of Prince Bermondt-Avaloff. After being defeated by the Latvian army in November 1919, the remaining free corps returned to Germany. Despite impunity for desertion, Freikor members were subject to restrictions in choosing a profession and joining the Reichswehr.
The supplier is the domestic flag factory Cologne-on-the-Rhine. The latter supplied non-ferrous metal (bronze) and silver-plated alpacca medals. Prices were 8.50 and 6.00 marks, respectively. Despite relatively large troop levels, medals are rare on the market.

Round medal made of silver-plated bronze or alpacca with slightly raised edges. Above is a soldered ordinary eye with a ribbon ring. Alpacca pieces were cut into a -ALPACCA tape ring (often illegible).

Front side:

• Plastic image of the skull (skull).
• Behind the jaws 2 crossed bones.
• At the edge from the center at the bottom in Gothic font, the solution:
• - U - N - D - D - O - C - H -
• Above the edge, 5 quadrilaterals standing at the apex are evenly distributed at a short distance.

Downside:

In
• center a sharp order shield. The tips touch the edge above and below.
• On the shield is a straight, raised beam cross. (shield of the Teutonic Order)
• At the bottom next to the shield on the left and right, respectively, the number is 19 - (for 1919).

Tape:

• black 26 mm wide, edges 1 mm, side stripes white 1 mm.

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Iron Division Commemorative Medal

Iron Division Commemorative Medal

Established:

1920 Club ehem. Serviceman of the Iron Division

Awarded:

1920 – 1934

Data:

• Material: Alpacca silver plated
• Size: 33mm
• Weight:

estimated collector price:

270 - 290 € silver
210 - 230 € silver plated in bronze
160 - 180 € silver plated in white metal

OEK Number:

3347