Bad Baron Bodo

[Guest Rick Research]

The Barons Hodenberg are an old and distinguished Hannoverian family.

Arms and background ? C.A. Starcke Verlag's TERRIFIC "Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels: Freiherrliche H?user A Band III," 1959:

These are a fantastic, albeit vast resource, and I most highly recommend these volumes-- many of which, amazingly enough, are original unsold volumes from publication overruns!

[Guest Rick Research]

(August Wilhlem) Bodo Freiherr von Hodenberg was born in Jork, Hannover in 1846. As a Hannoverian Second Lieutenant, he fought the Prussians at Langensalza, then continued on under the Prussians to serve in the war against France, earning an Iron Cross 2nd Class for actions that included Columbey, Gravelotte, and Metz.

This is his entry in the 1905 "Offizier Stammliste des K?niglich Preussischen 4. Garde Regiments zu Fuss 1860-1905" by Major aD Paul Curtius. And a big to Glenn J for this:

All very straightforward. Served in the 4th Foot Guards 1875-78, left the army in that year, and living abroad.

yup.

Yup.

That's what it says.

Uh huh.

Yup.

[Guest Rick Research]

One starts toi wonder why there is a suspicious lack of children listed in the 1959 book, between 1839 and 1851, but that is ONLY after checking THIS--

"Roll 'A'" of the Schaumburg Lippe Honor Cross 1869-1890:

If you cannot even find him, never fear. But do bear in mind that this scan is about 50% larger than the original size I have thousands of entries to transcribe from.

[Guest Rick Research]

Here we go-- BIGGER if not necessarily CLEARER --

Entry #307 on the running roll:

having just been transferred out of Westphalian J?ger Battalion 7 (whose officers routinely received Honor Crosses from Schaumburg), he was decorated with the SLH3 on 1 October 1875 as Premier-Lieutenant in the 4. Garde Regiment zu Fuss:

The clerk at the Orders Chancery was obssessed with getting Orders returned--that's what all those diagonal slashed out entries represent. Around 1902, many of these folks have pencilled in entries, down to their street addresses as he kept tabs on them, in order to snatch back the expensive decorations (a type no longer even used after 1890, I might add) the moment their obituaries were published.

But no return from BAD Baron Bodo ....

For pencilled beneath his name is this:

"verschollen (fahnenfl?chtig)"

"disappeared (deserted)"

[joerookery]

Now that was really fun to read! Thank you for your efforts on this.

[Tom Y]

For pencilled beneath his name is this:

"verschollen (fahnenfl?chtig)"

"disappeared (deserted)"

[Glenn J]

Rick,

according to his entry in the 1908 Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Freiherrlichen H?user he died on 13 April 1906 in New York. Although he is shown as an Oberleutnant a.D. in the Gotha, a check of the 1879 Rang- und Quartier-Liste shows him leaving under the cryptic Au?erdem Abgang - he left under a cloud Tellingly his "departure" is also not published in the Milit?r-Wochenblatt for that date.

Regards

Glenn

[Guest Rick Research]

At least he didn't get stripped of his title, like this Prince

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=2530

Must have been quite a blow to have a Guards officer DESERT

It's a wonder they mentioned him at all.

And I wonder how he got out of the country undetected at the frontiers. One would assume the All Highest hue and cry would have been raised for him.

And we STILL don't have and probably never will have a clue about what was in the cloud he left under.