Herr General Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 He is wearing a Iron Cross and a Bavaria Military Merit Order Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr General Posted February 10, 2007 Author Share Posted February 10, 2007 I think I already found it. It is Th.F.J. Muller Massis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webr55 Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 (edited) Wow! He must have got the EK 1914 when he was attach? in Berlin from 1916-20. I try hard to remember, but I think I have never seen a picture of a non-Central Powers soldier wearing an EK before WW2. Chris Edited February 10, 2007 by webr55 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great Dane Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 FYI:He was awarded the Danish Order of Dannebrog (Commander 1.class) 10. May 1922./Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr General Posted February 10, 2007 Author Share Posted February 10, 2007 Thanks for that Info. It looks like some of the awards where drawn into the photo or in a negative of the photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rick Research Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 That is FREAKISH! No neutral attach? would have qualified for frontline combatant awards! I hope you can get his military records to explain those completely inappropriate German wartime decorations!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 That is FREAKISH! No neutral attach? would have qualified for frontline combatant awards! I hope you can get his military records to explain those completely inappropriate German wartime decorations!!!! Maybe he did some covert advisory work on the front? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr General Posted February 10, 2007 Author Share Posted February 10, 2007 He received the Militar Verdienstorde on 26-02-1918. Before the end of WWI. Maybe Erik Muller knows more about these German decorations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great Dane Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 What Grand Cross is he wearing?The sash and the right star must belong to it.../Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr General Posted February 10, 2007 Author Share Posted February 10, 2007 I believe he received the following grandcrosses:L?gion d'Honneur from FranceSt. Olaf Order from NorwaySword Order from Sweden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernd D Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 He received the Militar Verdienstorde on 26-02-1918. Before the end of WWI. Maybe Erik Muller knows more about these German decorations.In 1918 he had the rang of a lieutenant colonel and received the MVO 3. Class with Crown and Swords.Bernd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rick Research Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 The problem with Bavarian wartime rolls is the unit given is either a pre-war affiliation or something generic for non-career draftees like "of a reserve infantry reiment." He is not on the roll as published years back by Michael Autengruber. I'm stumped.How in God's name did a NEUTRAL get a COMBATANT frontline award? If they had given him the perfectly normal "peacetime" version on statute ribbon without swords, that would have been odd (in wartime), but the usual. Swords on the front ribbon is insane-- unless he was SHOOTING at the Allies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr General Posted February 11, 2007 Author Share Posted February 11, 2007 (edited) Here are all his awards:DutchCommander in the Order of the Dutch Lion ( First Knight 30-08-1922, later updated to commander 27-06-1927)Knight in the Order of Oranje NassauMuseum medal in silver Flood of 1926 medal in silver ( Watersnoodmedaille 1926 )Officiers long service cross for 30 years of serviceMobilisation Cross WWIForeignGrandcross in the Order Of Sint Olaf from NorwayGranofficer in the Legion of Honor from FranceCommander Grandcross in the Swordorder of SwedenGrandofficier in the Order of Leopold II from BelgiumCommander 1st classe in the Order of the Dannebrog from Denmark 10-05-1922Officer in the Crownorder of ItalyThird Class in the Order of the Crown for PrussiaThird Class with Sword and Crown in the Military Merit Order of Bavaria 26-02-1918Second Class of the Iron Cross 1914-1918 from GermanyKriegserinnerungsmedaille from Austria Edited February 12, 2007 by Herr General Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernd D Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 The problem with Bavarian wartime rolls is the unit given is either a pre-war affiliation or something generic for non-career draftees like "of a reserve infantry reiment." He is not on the roll as published years back by Michael Autengruber. I'm stumped.How in God's name did a NEUTRAL get a COMBATANT frontline award? If they had given him the perfectly normal "peacetime" version on statute ribbon without swords, that would have been odd (in wartime), but the usual. Swords on the front ribbon is insane-- unless he was SHOOTING at the Allies. On the 26 Feb 1918 five officiers received the MVO 3. class with crown and swords. Two Prussians, one navy, one Netherland and one Spanish. None of them is listed in Autengrubers book. In the prefix he wrote that his list in incomplete because after 12 March 1917 the recipients of Bavarian orders are not listed anymore. Thats why a few are missing.Bernd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn J Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 it is indeed General Theodor Frederik Jan Muller-Massis. Another photograph of the General appears in an interesting article in the January/February 1968 issue of the Zeitschrift f?r Heereskunde titled "The award of the Prussian Iron Cross to foreigners". It states that General Muller-Massis was awarded the EK not as a volunteer in the German Army but as the Dutch Military attach? (!) It goes on to state that the award was first listed in the 1922 Dutch Army list and speculates that the EK2 was then only awarded in 1921. (Ridder 2. Klasse Ijzeren Kruis (Pruisen)).The other gentleman pictured is the Swedish Colonel Nils August Domingo Adlercreutz awarded the EK2 as the Swedish Military attach?. It is reported he received his EK2 in 1919.RegardsGlenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 2 Thoughts from an EK point of view...I would guess they would not have awarded him one during the war, the statutes for the white ribboned cross would have been just right for this. I would assume that it was a bit of political stroking done in the post war period. tossing a few medals their way to get brownie points and who cares about the prussians anyway.I would put it down as an two off wierdo occurance.secondly, how do "Neutrals" get awards for war service to germany?They may have been good attaches, but the Iron cross is for Military, or at least "war " service, hardly something neutral attaches would provide.It is probably a postwar gesture by someone who did not really give 2 farts about what he was awarding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikMuller Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 Lieutenant-General Muller Massis was also awarded the Austrian Kriegserinnerungsmedaille. I don't know why he was awarded both the MVO3 as the EK2, but I know he wasn't the only Dutch officer to receive the EK2 for being a military attache (and off course, when needed, you can never find their names).The ribbon of the Grand Cross is that of the Order of the Sword of Sweden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikMuller Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 Here are all his awards:DutchLife saving medal in silver ( erepenning voor menslievend hulpbetoon ) Not sure about this one!It's the Museum Medal in silver, not the Medal for Humane Actions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 Lieutenant-General Muller Massis was also awarded the Austrian Kriegserinnerungsmedaille. I don't know why he was awarded both the MVO3 as the EK2, but I know he wasn't the only Dutch officer to receive the EK2 for being a military attache (and off course, when needed, you can never find their names).The ribbon of the Grand Cross is that of the Order of the Sword of Sweden.Which would mean the others would have gotten it during the war...I wonder if the Dutch Attaches in England got MIDs or MCs?What kind of "war service" were they providing the germans? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikMuller Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 Which would mean the others would have gotten it during the war...I wonder if the Dutch Attaches in England got MIDs or MCs?What kind of "war service" were they providing the germans?As far as I know they were attache's who acted as observers on the front lines. Another well known example of this was the Dutch Colonel Thompson, who was an 'observer' on the Greek-Turkish front in 1912. He was killed-in-action in Albania in 1914. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikMuller Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 So far I found mention of the following Iron Crosses 1914, all 2nd class, to Dutch officers, besides the earlier mentioned Lieutenant-Colonel Muller Massis:J. Fabius (1888-?), First Lieutenant of Artillery (authorisation to wear by royal decree July 1922)Haro baron van Hemert tot Dingshof (1879-?), Captain, Royal Netherlands Marines, Commander of the Guard of the Dutch Legation in Bejing (05-09-1913 / 15-03-1920)Johan Lodewijk von Leschen (1868-1949), Captain, Royal Netherlands Navy, Naval Attach? in Berlin (10-09-1917 / 21-08-1919) (authorisation to wear by royal decree 28 juli 1920)Leonard Spiegelberg (1882-?), Captain, Royal Netherlands Marines, Guard of the Dutch Legation in BejingP. te Wechel (1871-?), Captain, Royal Netherlands-Indies Army (authorisation to wear by royal decree September 1920 and September 1922)In the newspaperclipping stating the award to Von Leschen it was specifically mentioned that he received the EK2 for 'numerously visiting the front lines, as Dutch naval attache in Berlin'The Marine Captains received their EK2's for 'merit to German residents in Bejing, China'For which Captain Te Wechel and First Lieutenant Fabius received their awards, I can't tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 No Chance of one of their EK docs turning up I guess.... :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikMuller Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 No Chance of one of their EK docs turning up I guess.... :-)If they do, I will be the first one to rob the person who has them (at least to get those papers on my scanner, he can have them back later on off course *ahem*) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr General Posted February 12, 2007 Author Share Posted February 12, 2007 Here's another shot that might be nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulsterman Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 (edited) ...and a noncombat white/blsack ribbon IRON CROSS!!? Edited February 12, 2007 by Ulsterman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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