Westlichen Kriegerbund Medal

[Fred Borgmann]

Westlichen Kriegerbund Medal

Ever have one of those days when you bid on a nice item only to find that you already have one? Ok, it is always nice to have a second copy so that both the obverse and reverse can be displayed,  even if  the medal is uniface with not even a makers mark on the reverse.  So what did I get?   It is a large 44.2 mm brass medal with a black enameled cross on which are the brass initials “W K B 1906”.  The top legend starts at the left with “1870 DEN VATERLANDSVERTHEIDIGERN 1910” ( The 1870 Defenders of the Fatherland 1910 ). The lower legend starts at eight o’clock, “VOM WESTLICHEN KRIEGERBUND” (From the Western War Veterans Bund)  The term Western could mean the U. S. or just the western states. The only geographical name I could find connected with the group was that one of their officers lived in Dubuque, Iowa. So what we have here is a medal issued by a German military veterans group in the U.S. to it’s members who were veterans of the Franco Prussian War on the 40th anniversary of that war!

[SARGE]

Yep, I unintentionally buy duplicates myself from time to time.  I hate it when that happens.  

 

Neat veteran membership badge/medal.  I have seen one or two other similar veteran medals for German nationals residing in the US.  I don't recall seeing this one before.

 

 

[Fred Borgmann]

Forgot to mention that the 1906 date is the date the group was founded which could indicate a political split with the Kriegerbund of North America.

[Proud Kraut]

Fred, I have found your list of German veteran associations in the U.S. at omsa.org. I have never thought that so many did exist. I also learned that one of the WKB chapters was located at Omaha, Nebraska. Very interesting!

[Fred Borgmann]

2 hours ago, Proud Kraut said:

Fred, I have found your list of German veteran associations in the U.S. at omsa.org. I have never thought that so many did exist. I also learned that one of the WKB chapters was located at Omaha, Nebraska. Very interesting!

Thanks PK, There was a very active German community in the Omaha area and the Germans were joiners of many different vereins.  That would point to the Westlichen part of the name meaning  west of the Mississippi River states.

[Fred Borgmann]

Omaha Nebraska was the location of the WKB  on my earlier list of German Veterans groups in the US. Sorry I missed that. Thanks again PK.

 

[Fred Borgmann]

In 1914 Omaha is where the group's president lived.  They did not have a home town for their headquarters so where ever their president lived was their mailing address.