A First War Group & Documents to Major Lautenschlager; Bavarian Regiment 21

Group of Three: Bavaria: Military Merit Order of St. Michael, 4th Class Cross with Swords (silver and enamels, 41.3 mm x 44.7 mm); Prussia: Iron Cross 2nd Class 1914 (silver, iron core, magnetic, 42.3 mm); and Bavaria: Prince Regent Luitpold Army Jubilee Medal, Bronze Grade (bronze, 32.3 mm x 38 mm), mounted to a suspension with swing bar pinback, as worn by the veteran, with its three-Ribbon Ribbon Bar (17.8 mm x 46.5 mm, silvered swords on the 4th Class Cross ribbon); Prussia: Iron Cross 1st Class (silver and black paint, iron core, magnetic, marked "KO" on the reverse, 43 mm, vertical pinback); Third Reich: War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords (tombac, 50 mm); Imperial: Hindenburg Cross for Combatants (bronze gilt on metal, marked "G10" on the reverse, 37.5 mm); Imperial: Reich War Veteran Organization "Kyffhauser" Medal (bronze gilt, measuring 30.8 mm x 47 mm); Imperial: Wound Badge, Black Grade (black paint on iron, magnetic, 39.5 mm x 43.5 mm, vertical pinback); No. 14 Bayern Infantry Regiment, Hartmann, Nuremberg 100th Anniversary Medal 1814-1914 (silver, 34.7 mm x 40.8 mm); No. 14 Bayern Infantry Regiment, Nuremberg 1814-1939 Badge (bronze gilt on aluminum, maker marked "C. BALMBERGER NÜRNBERG" on the reverse, 49 mm x 62.6 mm, horizontal pinback); and his Identification Tag (steel, engraved "Oblt. Lautenschlager / bayr. 21. Inf. Regt. / Stab.", 55.5 mm x 70.7 mm). Extremely fine. Accompanied by seven Award Documents for the Bavarian Military Merit Order of St. Michael, 4th Class Cross with Swords (dated August 10, 1915), the Prussian Iron Cross 1st Class 1914 (dated October 3, 1918), the Prussia Iron Cross 2nd Class 1914 (dated September 17, 1914), the Bavarian Prince Regent Luitpold Army Jubilee Medal, Bronze Grade (dated June 1, 1914), the Third Reich's War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords (dated April 20, 1943), the Reich War Veteran Organization "Kyffhauser" Medal (dated January 15, 1922), the Hindenburg Cross for Combatants (dated February 28, 1935) and the Wound Badge, Black Grade (dated September 9, 1918).

 

Footnote: Footnote: Friedrich Lautenschlager was born on December 24, 1885 in Kehlbach, Oberfranken (Bavaria), the son of Josef Lautenschlager (✝July 31, 1905) and Elisabeth, née Übler. He began his military career as a volunteer in the Royal Bavarian Infantry Regiment 11 on October 1, 1907, and achieved the rank of Lieutenant of the Reserve on January 10, 1911. Lautenschlager's First World War military service saw him named as Platoon Commander in the field, seeing front line action shortly thereafter at the Battle of Lorraine. He was then named Commander of the 7th Company, seeing front line action in the Battle of Luneville. He was named Senior Lieutenant of the Reserve on July 1, 1915. In late 1918, he was named Commander of the 2nd Machine Gun Company of the Royal Bavarian Infantry Regiment 21 and Commander of the 2nd Battery of the Royal Bavarian Infantry Regiment 21. He was placed "on leave" in Regensburg over the Christmas period (December 21, 1918 to January 5, 1919) before being discharged on January 5, 1919. Post-war, he was named retired “charakterisierter Hauptmann” (meaning he held the rank of Captain without being formally promoted and not receiving the payment of that rank) of the Reserve on November 29, 1921. By 1935, he was a retired Regierungsrat (qualified for the highest civil service) and living in Munich. Upon mobilization for the Second World War in 1939, Lautenschlager was named Captain of the Reserve “zur Verfügung” (at disposal, primary reserve) at the age of 53, with a promotion four years later to Major of the Reserve “zur Verfügung” in April 1943.