Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Documents of a Soldier / Customs man

[Chris Boonzaier]

Document 1 is the accompanying letter

[Chris Boonzaier]

The award document

[Chris Boonzaier]

The small book of the statutes for the award.... Cover and the 1901 statutes...

[Chris Boonzaier]

Early 1915 and still in the army...

[IrishGunner]

The medal bar is upstaged by the mustache...

[Guest Rick Research]

He must have left the army before earning an old-tyle "XV" brooch--so with pre-1897 seniority and long service classes pre-1913, that's a "IX" Model 1913 updated from the brooch type M1825 he's wearing as a Feldwebelleutnant. Presumably he actually did the 12 year contract term, but there wasn't a "XII" class until 1913.

I'm surprised to see the startlingly rare (no wonder the Prince had time to sign each Urkunde!) Ehrenmedaille in last place in Über-Prussian precedence.

Edited August 24, 2013 by Rick Research

[Chris Boonzaier]

Here is a Dienstauszeichnung III Class in 1904...

[Chris Boonzaier]

For his 15 years...

[Chris Boonzaier]

Other documents relating to it...

[Chris Boonzaier]

1897

[Guest Rick Research]

Interesting! They tweaked his "active" time to give him a post-war XV... and discharged him (as usual for that seniority of wartime Feldwebelleutnants) as a Leutnant der Landwehr aD!

CO IR 71 in 1897 = later GenMaj aD August "Wittstein" (1847-1907). CO in 1904 later GenMaj aD Eduard "v. Witzleben" (1850-1920).

I don't know WHICH "v. Puttkamer" was head of the Demobilization Section, IVth Army Corps 1920/21 since while he brusquely scratched out the "im Auftrag" printed bit, he didn't put his RANK.

[Chris Boonzaier]

A bit more post war...

[Guest Rick Research]

So, Genesis 2:2 or what?

[Chris Boonzaier]

I am still ploughing through a binder full of "fluff" that I have to keep, but wish was not there (to a certain extent).

He joined in October 1894, 1895 Gefreiter, 1896 Uffz., 1901 Sgt, 1905 or 06 Vize Fldw. Leaves in 1908 becoming LandW II.

Becomes Zoll Guy.

August 1914 Offz Stellv. December 1914 to RIR263.

6.2.15 until 14.2.15 took part in the Winterschlacht in the masuren.

On the 15th he was sick and spent 5 months in Hospital (Sick not wounded). then 10 Months at the Ersatz Batln of IR26. then until November 1916 with the army in magdeburg (can someone read this below?)

Then released and to the Zoll.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Here is the hard to read 1916 posting...

[Chris Boonzaier]

A bit more about his career

[Chris Boonzaier]

He seems to have deserved an EK2 even though he was at the front for just 6 days, the award was much later.

It is easy to say "hah! cheap award , only 8 days at the front!"... but that is totally wrong, a lot can happen in 8 days... certainly more than i ever experianced.

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Here is the hard to read 1916 posting...

Hello Chris.

See your document pictured in Nr. 16. I had problems reading Nr.15 but 16 makes it clear that he spent time in a military prison however it is not clear re. as inmate or what. That stint is followed by a discharge from the army. In my opinion if inmate he would most likely become ineligible for civil service.

Bernhard H.Holst

[Guest Rick Research]

Oh dear. Oh my. That "hard to eread bit" was "Festungsgefängnis."

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

he slipped straight into the Customs Service upon release, retiring in 1932, so i guess he was one of the guys in the prison who had a set of keys ;-)

Thanks for the info.

best

Chris

[Guest Rick Research]

Ah, Bernhard and I are simultaneous typing....

Post #16 "Am 9.5.16 der Militärabteilung der Gerichtsgefängnisses Magdeburg überwiesen. Seite 12/13 Festungsgefängnis Zweigstelle beim Gerichtsgefängnis Magdeburg-Thrämsberg." and then WHUMP out of the army.

I'm not happy about that verb "überweisen" which to me, rather than some wording like "kommandiert" suggests he was indeed on the wrong side of the locked doors for SOMETHING.

BUT, having served his allotted span of "civic death," that was it--and that may explain his late Iron Cross, which could not be processed or delivered while under punishment.

have you got his Militärpass? I'd like to see the entries for "Strafen;" that usually say "Keine!"

Like "außerdem abgegaangen" officers expelled from the army but subsequently rehabilitated, he must have overcome whatever "it" was.

[Dave Danner]

"überweisen" is OK. It is basically between "versetzt" and "kommandiert". I see it all the time in Wehrmacht files where an officer was commanded to a particular assignment, and in the meantime transferred from one command to another, while remaining in his commandment (that doesn't sound right in English, shades of Moses).

For example, "Lt. in GR 12, in das GR 11 versetzt, zur Fliegertruppe kommandiert, dem GR 12 überweisen..." would mean he returned from GR 11 to GR 12 as his permanent station, but remained attached to an aviation unit.

[Guest Rick Research]

Ahhh. Don't think I've ever seen it in Imperial era military papers before. So sort of "loaned out" rather than a rather ambiguous "transmitted to" shade of meaning....

still would have been clear if they'd just said "Stab von..."

[Dave Danner]

Regarding the Fürstich Schwarzburgische Ehrenmedaille in Silber:

I only have a roll for these from 1909 to 1918, as they started a new roll after the childless Fürst Karl Günther von Schwarzburg-Sondershausen died and Fürst Günther Victor von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt succeeded him, reuniting the two principalities in personal union.

This roll covers both civilian and military awards of the Friedensklasse. There weren't any wartime military awards of the Ehrenmedaille, as the Medaille für Verdienst im Kriege was awarded instead. But civilians continued to receive the medal. There were also wartime awards for homefront merit with the oak brooch (Eichenbruch "1914/15"), but the roll from Rudolstadt for these is missing.

Between April 1909 and November 1918, there were 141 awards of the Ehrenmedaille in Gold and 432 awards of the Ehrenmedaille in Silber.

Just looking at the first year, which may give you an idea of how many awards were made in peacetime, there were the following between 17.4.1909 and 17.4.1910:

Inf. Regt. Nr. 71 - 24 (2 Fw., 8 Vfw., 2 Sgt., 4 Uffz., 1 Gefr., 6 Musk., 1Tambour)

III./Inf. Regt. Nr. 96 - 7 (1 Fw., 1 San.Fw., 3 Vfw., 2 Sgt.)

Schutztruppe - 2 (1 Fw., 1 Gefr.)

Other military - 3 to Bezirksfeldwebel (1 in Rudolstadt and 2 in Sondershausen), 1 to a Sanitäts-Feldwebel in Sondershausen, although I am not sure if the latter was military, as no unit is given. Were there police or other Sanitäts-Feldwebel?

The Ehrenmedaille in Silber was often given to military men as a long service & good conduct medal after 12 years of service, although as can be seen with the awards to Musketiers, it was also probably given as an individual merit medal.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Some more of his goodies, i had these before gettng the docs etc.