The Journal of the Orders and Medals Society_ of America

The Modern Medals of Two Bavarian Veterans Organizations Jack Boddington, OMSA No. 871

T here are two main veteran organizations in Bavaria

that continue to award medals. These are the BayerischerSoldatenbund, which was created in 1874; and the Bayerischer Katneraden - und Soldaten- vereinigung e.V., which was established in 1956.

This article will serve to identify and describe some the awards of these two organizations.

Baverischer Soldatenbund (BSB)

Honor Cross

This, the most senior award of the BSB, is a gold (gilt) cross with the arms being white and dark blue enamel. The center oval is white and mid-blue enamel.

The cross is suspended from a crown device, and the Austrian-type trifold ribbon is light blue with eight equally spaced white stripes.

BSB Honor Cross

Service Cross I Class

A gold (gilt) pin-back breast badge that is a Templar’s

cross with a shield in the center. Inscribed in the arms

are, IN (top), TREUE (left), FEST (right), and I (bottom)

BSB Service Cross H Class and III Class

in black impressed letters. The shield is inscribed, 18

BSB 74, in the upper band. The shield below has a mid-

blue and white enameled diamond-shaped background

with a black Templar’s cross in the center.

Service Cross II Class

As above, but in silver with the numeral "II" replacing the numeral "I" on the lower arm.

Service Cross III Class

As above, but in bronze with an oak leaf replacing the numeral "II" on the lower arm.

Reservist Service Cross in Bronze

(This award may also exist in sliver and gold.) A pin- back breast badge in bronze, the arms of the main cross being in white and gold enamel. A center oval disc in Bavarian

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BSB Reservist Service Cross in Bronze

blue and white enamel diamonds with a heraldic lion centered surrounded by a black border that is inscribed

Fur Verdiesnt U.D. Reservistenarbeit im BSB, in gold.

Service Pin With Golden Oak Leaves

A stickpin with the center shield of the Service Cross encircled by a wreath of oak leaves.

125 Year Commemorative

Medal (1874~1999)

A circular badge in gilt attached to a crown with red enamel inserts and suspended from a ribbon of mid-blue and white halves with borders of white and blue alternating strips. At the top of the ribbon is a brooch with a Templar’s cross on a trophy of

The obverse of the badge has a center field with the usual Bavarian blue and white diamonds. Inscriben on the field is, 125 Jahre. A surrounding band carries the words, Bayeriscer Soldatenbund in the upper half and oak sprigs in the lower.

The reverse has the inscription ~ GEDENK - MEDAILLE ~ 1999, surrounding the words 1874 Koniglich

BSB 125 year Commemorative Medal

Volume 52 Number 1

Bayeriseher Kriegerbund in the center.

Ba~erische Kameraden---und Soldatenvereinbzun~, e. v. (BKV)

Service Cross on Ribbon in Gold

A Templar’s cross in gold (gilt) and enamel suspended from a ribbon. The ribbon, mounted on a metal frame, is in halves of light blue and white. The arms of the cross are in blue enamel, with the lower arm bearing the

BVK Service Cross

date 1956. In the center of the cross is a disc that contains a background of the Bavarian blue and white diamonds surrounded by a wreath with a Geneva Cross at the top and the letters BKV in the center.

A miniature stick pin emblem of the award adorns the ribbon.

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The Journal of the Orders and Medals Society of America

Veterans National Guard of California Membership Badge Todd Wheatley, OMSA No. 0752

T he collecting of the medals and badges of military

societies is a specialized field. Generally speaking, the membership of these organizations is drawn from qualified personnel nationwide and for the most part include commissioned and enlisted personnel.

Colonel Victor D. Duboce (1856-1900) wearing his California N.G. Long Service Medal V.N.G.C. badge,

and Bear .~larksmanship Medal of the California N.G. CoL Duboce began his military career when he enlisted in Battery F, 2nd Artillery, National Guard

of California on 8 October 1878. He rose to command the 1st California Infantry, U.S.V. during the Spanish American War.

On 16 May 1888,a military society was organized in San Francisco whose membership was limited exclusively to commissioned and enlisted members of the National Guard of Calitbrnia and the Naval Militia, who were in good standing and had completed seven consecutive years of honorable service. The name of the organization was the Veterans National Guard of California (V.N.G.C.). Dues were $2.00 per year and a statement of service from the California Adjutant

General was required to be eligible for membership. The city directory of San Francisco for the year beginning in May1900, listed the group with the following entry:

"VETERANS NATIONAL GUARD OF CALIFOP, NIA, Organized May 16, 1888. Objectives: To provide social reunion and good fellowship; to assist its members in all just claims for the rights and benefits conferred upon them by the laws of the State of California, and to advance the interests of the National GuartL Seven years of continuous service in the National Guard of the state is a prerequisite of membership. Meets on the third Wednesday of each month at the Veterans "Headquarters, Pioneer Building, 24 Fourth Street, San Francisco."

The membership badge for the V.N.G.C., referred to as the "Corps Badge," was authorized for wear in Par. IV, General Orders No.7, Adjutant Generals Office, dated 1 April 1888. Calitbrnia National Guard medal groups representing service before and after the Spanish American War often contain this handsome sterling badge in the form of a seven-pointed star supporting a modified seal of the State of California. Surrounding the seal is an embossed legend reading, NATIONAL GUARD - CALIFORNIA. The reverse is numbered. The pendant is suspended from a brooch by two jump links. On the brooch in raised letters is the word, VETERAN, which is enriched with floral leaves. The reverse of the brooch is marked sterling and stamped with the name of the maker, GEO. C. SHREVE & CO.

I recently acquired a pre-1900 California militia group which contained one of these badges. It was numbered and engraved on the reverse with his name, unit, the word "exempt," and the date of his induction into the organization. The reverse is engraved as follows:

42 J WII~DERMUTH

Co. C. 2nd Rg 2nd Bgd EXEMPT

March 20, 1879

Of particular interest was the word "EXEMPT." A search of records in the California State Archives noted several files dealing with the issue of "Certificates of Exemption" to California militiamen. In a canvas ofthe file gazetting certificates issued in 1879, it was found

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