Leutwein

Hello, I would like to know if here are some photo-collectors of colonial-soldiers or -veterans. I would be very thankful if someone would post his colonial treasuries. I will start with Sergeant Albin Keßler. He received his MEZ II for his actions against the Hottentotten

Hello, no it´s not the same man! I have the same picture in my collection and this guy received his MEZ II for his service in German-Southwestafrica. Here is a closeup of his medalbar and you will see the differences. By the way Jens is correct. Your guy is a member of the Seebataillon. Can you read the battle clasp? There are only the following few posibilities: Kaumi, Nan-Hung-Men, Liang-Hsiang-Hsien and Tientsin Best wishes Karsten

Sorry for that misunderstanding. But your guy received his MEZII for his service in China and he is wearing the china-medal. I meant only that the combination MEZ II + China-medal rarer is than MEZ II and Southwestafrica-medal. Best wishes Karsten

Very nice picture. Congratulate! But it is a "Militärehrenzeichen" 2nd class and not an "Allgemeines Ehrenzeichen"! Such portraits are rarer to find than those with the combination "MEZ II" and the German-Southwest-africa medal. Best wishes Karsten

Thanks for the pic but it would be dificult to find him because it doesn´t exist any photo of the whole SMS Habicht-crew (during the Herero-rebelion). So we need time and luck Best wishes Karsten

And the certificate for the South west africa commemorative medal in bronze for fighters. Signed by von Heeringen, here you can find more about von Heeringen: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_von_Heeringen Unfortunately is only the certifiacte for Crown Order with swords missing But I´m still looking for that certificate Hope you´ll enjoy it Best wishes Karsten

Part II

Some newspaper cutting about his actions during the battle of Owikokorero Part I

A very interesting photo which shows the survivors of the battle of OWIKOKORERO!! During this famous battle Oblt. zS Hermann was the chief of the maschine gun. On that photo you can see Oblt. zS Hermann seriously injured lying on the bed. On that group photo you can also see: Leutnant and Adjutant Schäfer Assistenzarzt Dr. Jansen Freiwilliger Arzt Dr. Kräger Stabsarzt Dr. Wiemann

the PRE-1918 ribbon bar, with the following orders: Iron Cross II (27.January 1915) Crown Order IV. with swords (11.August 1904) the prussian lifesaving medal (12.July 1908) South west africa commemorative medal with miniature clasp Hereroland (23. August 1907)

Hello Albert, sorry for my late reply. I don´t think so that we can find your guy in my little photo collection. I have only these two photos which shows Habicht-veterans and nobody of them seems to be Obermaschinist Paul Hochstein. Futhermore I have the estate of Oblt. zur See Hermann who was part of the landing party and who took part on the (well-known) battle of OWIKOKORERO. But there are no pictures of the gunboat Habicht and their crew, unfortunately. I will post some pictures here. At first Friedrich Hermann after the WW1. With the ribbon bar on his chest. There you can see the miniature-clasp HEREROLAND

Very interesting estate then. Congratulates But I don´t think that Obermaschinist Paul Hochstein was part of the landing party. The engineer/ maschinist had to stay in Swakopmund. There they had to work in the job shop for reconstruct the trains. Some heater manned the locomotives because the available railway staff didn´t suffice. Best wishes Karsten

Some details

Two decorated Habicht-veterans with some more clasps on the medal bar

Sorry for my question but why are you thinking that this a "Habicht-medal bar"? Do you have some papers? The Habicht-crew had normally the clasp HEREROLAND but some crew-members wore some more clasps. Furthermore the battle clasps were never awarded! Here some pictures of my collection

@medalnet Nice bar Could it be the medal bar of Oblt. Stage??? But I´m not sure if it´s an "officer-medal-bar" Could you post perhaps the whole bar?? Best wishes Karsten

Sorry but in my opinion a DSWA-medal in steel went also only to those who stayed at homes (and not to Non-Combantant)! Medicals received also the DSWA-medal in bronze for fighters (who were in DSWA!)! EVERYONE who served in DSWA received the DSWA-medal in bronze (like in China)!!! Some exceptions are only civilians (who stayed in DSWA and received the DSWA-medal in steel)!! For example the wife of governor Leutwein received the DSWA-medal in steel or a priest like August Trüten received also the DSWA-medal in steel! For example some medicals who received the DSWA-medal in bronze: Medicals like members of the Red Cross (for example Hermann Finster) received the red cross medal 3rd class with clasp Südwestafrika 04/06 and the DSWA-medal in bronze! Medicals like Oberstabsarzt Dr. Paul Friedrich Hugo Heinrich Schöpwinkel received also the DSWA-medal in bronze! So everyone (fighter or medical or servant or member of the Red Cross) received the DSWA-medal in bronze for fighters (who stayed in DSWA), some exceptions were only civilians and members of the shipowning companies(who stayed in DSWA and received the DSWA-medal in steel)! Best wishes Karsten

Hello Claudius, as Sascha said, it could also be the China- and Soutwestafrica medal in steel for stay-at-homes. So we can not say for sure that the owner was in China or africa (as a colonial-fighter) Best wishes Karsten

Why overseas??? The colonial-medals (for china and africa) could also be the Non-Combatant-Versions... Best wishes Karsten

Nice photo-estate! Is that right that Koslowsky received the Saxony Meiningen Military Merit Medal with clasp Afrika as a Sergeant (then there are only 2 others missing ) or did he received the Saxony Meiningen Military Merit Medal with clasp Afrika as a Unteroffizier?? Total numbers for Saxony Meiningen Military Merit Medal with clasp Afrika (for NCO´s) Bootsmannsmaat 1 Sergeant 3 Unteroffizier 5 Best wishes Karsten

Hello Roman, is (or perhaps was) there a name on the backside??? The africa-veteran should be a NCO. So his SEHO-medal with swordsclasp (of Sachsen Meinigen) should he received as a "Reiter" or a "Gefreiter" or a "Unteroffizier". So there were only 15 possibilities. May be we can exclude (for the future) some unidentified bars or photos if we have some pics of named medal bars (in this case also with a face which is better for photo-collectors like us (for example Heiko and me) ). Would be very great if you have a name to that highly decorated africa-veteran Best wishes Karsten

I would say that the combination is possible.... ...but I don´t like the claps! Best wishes Karsten

Hello Chris, on page 9 of this Link you will find a photo of Count Waldersee... Link: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=20668&st=160 perhaps you can recognize more on that pic. All the best Karsten

Hello Chris, don´t know if some EM (of the imperial amry!!) received the long service medal but the most soldiers should be a NCO after nine years service! In the colonies it was most common that an EM received the long service medal for 9 years but only due to the fact that colonial service was a double counting.... ....for example an EM served since 1901 in the imperial army and from 1904 to 1906 in German Southwestafria. It´s only 5 years but with his colonial service it is 9 years So he was able to receive the long service medal for 9 years. Have to check up my collection, perhaps I´ll find an example.. Best wishes Karsten

For 100 % are those members of the Schutztruppe of GSWA! But to date it, could be very difficult or perhaps impossible. But I would assume between 1896 and 1908. Best wishes Karsten