Prepare To Be Amazed 02

A NAVAL Observer... in the ARMY?

Yes indeed.

Hans Messinger
born 2 February 1897, alive 1983
Imperial German Navy 1.6.14-21.1.20 as Marine Infantry reservist:

Leutnant der Reserve (Marine-Infanterie) 16.11.17 L
Served in II. Matrosen Artillerie Abteilung to August 1915; in 4. Matrosen Regiment to June 1916 in Flanders; in 2nd Matrosen Regiment in Flanders to April 1918; then in Marine Landflieger Abteilung as observer until war?s end.

He had to have joined the POLICE for continuous service through the Weimar Republic, because he was in the ARMY (not navy, not Luftwaffe) as

Major 1.10.36 #98 as Commander I./Grenzartillerieabteilung 1010, Crossen/Oder January 1939 (former Uniform of Field Artillery Regiment 59) in Border District K?strin.

Oberst 1.2.44 #1 showing assignment as Heeresdienststelle 30 (Krems, Austria) when the war started.

The end of March 1945 death card for his only son lists him as ?Oberst and Regimental Commander, Missing In Action in the East.?

Oberst aD Hans Messinger was Chairman (Vositzender) of the Marine Infantry Veterans Association in 1983, when he was living in Mainz.

Awards shown in pre-February 1944 photo as an Oberstleutnant are?

ribbon bar: EK2 1914 with !939 Spange, WW2 KVK2X, Hessian Bravery Medal, Honor Cross X, Wehrmacht 25, Wehrmacht 12, ?Westwall Medal or a foreign ribbon, Slovak Order of the War Victory Cross, Slovak Silver Bravery Medal, Slovak Defense of Slovakia Medal with a ? bar.

From buttonhole ribbon: 1941/42 East Medal

pinback: Iron Cross 1914 1st Class with 1939 Spange, Hessian Kriegerehrenzeichen, 1918 Naval Black Wound Badge, Imperial Navy Observers Badge.

An incredibly "unlikely" career.

And notice that one of his Wehrmacht long service eagles had come off and been replaced by a non-matching one.

Courtesy of stogieman. (It's OK, it's in his will, so I have a reason to continue living. )