Deaths head Hussar....

[Chris Boonzaier]

This photo is stamped "Nicht zur Ver?ffentlichung!" so i suppose it was an official photo that caught the old guy at the wrong moment... and somehow made its way to the public (ie. moi) years later...

Can anyone place this? maybe an official ceremony?

[Great Dane]

Nice photo!

Maybe von Mackensen didn't want anybody to see that he needed a helping hand

/Mike

[Herr General]

Maybe it is after the funeral of the old Kaiser in Holland?

[David M]

Maybe it is after the funeral of the old Kaiser in Holland?

I think so to, I saw pictures of the ceremonie before and recognize the setting...

[Chris Boonzaier]

I guess this photo was removed from the pile of approved ones and landed in a drawer....

[Peter_Suciu]

Maybe it is after the funeral of the old Kaiser in Holland?

That would be my guess... the man does have a funeral band on his left arm.

[Robin Lumsden]

I'd be happy to look like that at 90-odd years old!

[Glenn J]

The Army officer is presumably the then Oberstleutnant Hans-Henning v. Gersdorff, the Generalfeldmarschall's adjutant.

Regards

Glenn

[Christian Hans]

Dear Glenn, Yes he is! Hans-Henning v. Gersdorff is my grandfather. I am the son of his daughter Sibylle. On the photo shown I recognize his face and shape. A description of the funeral of Wilhelm II, confirming HaHe's presence there, is given in http://www.wilhelm-der-zweite.de/essays/beerdigung.php . Since - apparently - you are an expert of HaHe's CV I would be grateful if you could give me some details of his pre-1935 career. Regards Christian

[VtwinVince]

Great photo of a real Prussian hero. Mackensen supposedly still fit into his subaltern's uniform at this age.

[Naxos]

I have a similar picture of him at a different event.

From a private photo album

[bob lembke]

Christian;

In the 1914 preuss./wuerttem. Rangliste there are, under von Gersdorff, four Hauptleute, one Rittmeister, five Leutnante, and one Amtsrat. Can you give us a bit of a clue, like a regiment, or an exact age, or a branch of the army; Infanterie, Artillerie, usw.? Or a hometown, which might indicate his regiment?

Welcome to the Club!

Bob Lembke

[Robin Lumsden]

Christian;

In the 1914 preuss./wuerttem. Rangliste there are, under von Gersdorff, four Hauptleute, one Rittmeister, five Leutnante, and one Amtsrat. Can you give us a bit of a clue, like a regiment, or an exact age, or a branch of the army; Infanterie, Artillerie, usw.? Or a hometown, which might indicate his regiment?

Welcome to the Club!

Bob Lembke

From the photo.........Reiter Regiment 5.

[arb]

Hans Henning von Gersdorff *07.08.1886 Frankfurt a.O. †08.05.1965

Vater: Landrat und Rittergutbesitzer. - Mutter: geb. Collenbusch

Eintritt in 3. Garde Regiment zu Fuß (Berlin) als charakterisierter Fähnrich 18.11.1905 Fähnrich 18.08.1906 Leutnant

1907-01.10.1912 Kompanie Offizier im 3. Garde Regt. zu Fuß

01.10.12-00.05.1913 kommandiert b. Garde Schloß Garde Kompanie

00.05.1913 kommandiert zur Dienstleistung b. 4. Garde Feldartillerie Regiment

01.10.13-1914 Kompanie Offizier b. Garde Maschinengewehr Abteilung Nr. 2 (zugeteilt d. II./Garde Grenadier Regiment 3)

18.08.1906 Patent als Leutnant

27.01.1916 Patent als Hauptmann

Unfortunately, I have nothing about his 1914-1918 service record.

In 1939 he was a Major serving as on the Staff of the II. Armee Korps als der 2. Adj. b. GFM Mackensen

Andy

[Ulsterman]

Here's the old man @ 1926 or so:

[Robin Lumsden]

Mackensen supposedly still fitted into his subaltern's uniform at this age.

And, according to the memoirs of Hitler's valet, Heinz Linge, Mackensen put on some facial make-up before he went to meet Hitler in the 1930s!

[Naxos]

The young Mackensen in 1871