Glenn J

Charles, born 7 October 1861 at Graudenz and indeed spent much of his earlier career at the HKA. At mobilisation he became commander of RIR 10 and promoted to Oberst on 5 September 14. Relinquished command of RIR 10 on 20 November 14 following a wound and on recovery assumed command of RIR 82 on 20 January 1915. On 2 January 1917 commander of 244. Infanterie-Brigade in 237 Infanterie-Division the East. Generalmajor on 22 March 1918 and commander of 14. Division on 9 July 1918. Plm 4 Ocober 1918 for conduct during the defensive battles in Champagne. Retired 12 August 1919. "Tannenberg" promotion to char. Generalleutnant on 27 August 1939.

Erik, Walther von Brauchitsch was not a Baron nor for that matter was any officer of the von Brauchitsch family going back at least until 1870 as far as I can see, And of course, he was never an Hauptmann a.D. Regards Glenn

Charles there will be more - when you include all the recalled general officers who served during the war. The Ehrenrangliste alone lists a furthe 58 officers who were recalled and either died in the rank of or attained by wars end the rank of Generalleutnant. Of course not all of these were of noble birth. Regards Glenn

Charles, Bernhard von Hartz Friedrich Hurt Exz. = Exzellenz (excellency); title awarded on promotion to Generalleutnant. Regards Glenn

Very possibly Garde-Train. Regards Glenn

Scott, Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich III. (2. Schlesisches) Nr. 11. Regards Glenn

Dave, his first name as given in the 6th Supplement to the 1905 Ordensliste for his 18 January 1911 award of the RAO4 is Paul. Regards Glenn

Hallo David, ein Foto von TvT. Glenn

Joe my tentative identification of your Bavarian Major is Major Johann Seitz, commanding officer of I./21. Infanterie-Regiment at Fürth between 25 January 1907 and 23 February 1908. Herr Seitz only commanded the battalion for a year before taking up a retired officers' post as a district officer in Landwehr-Bezirk Amsberg. He commanded at mobilisation the Ersatz-Bataillon of Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 7 and briefly commanded II./21. Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment in November 1914. From 1 March 1915 through 1 June 1917 he was commanding the II. Ersatz-Bataillon of 6. Infanterie-Regiment followed by command of Garnison-Bataillon Amberg. Promoted to char. Oberstleutnant on 10.4.15, he retired as a char. Oberst. The photograph shows him with the Prince Luitpold Jubilee Medal, the Bavarian Officers' Long service Decoration and the Knight's Cross of the Austrian Franz Joseph Order he was awarded on 12 June 1891 in 13. Infanterie-Regiment. The photograph has to be between his appointment as the commander of I./21 in January 07 and his award of the Military Merit Order 4th Class on his transfer to "z.D." status in February 1908. Regards Glenn

Here is Graf Degenfeld. Regards Glenn

I think a better candidate is General der Cavallerie Christoph Graf von Degenfeld-Schonburg, commanding general of the VII. Army Corps in Temesvar between 1883 and 1889 and Inhaber of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 83. Picture to follow. Regards Glenn

Guys, I don't know who he is (yet) but I do not believe it is Freiherr von Šokčević. Take a look at this portrait from an Austrian Army album of 1889. Regards Glenn

Paul, No, retired officers received the pension of their substantive rank. Regards Glenn

Joe, I don't know how you dig these up!! This guy is driving me nuts. My initial thought was a Stabstrompeter from a Line Dragoon Regiment pre 1889; then I noticed the Brandenburg cuffs. For the life of me, I cannot think of a mounted unit which utilised Brandenburg cuffs but this chap is wearing a mounted personnel waist belt?? And then the trousers appear to be the same colour as the Waffenrock - most strange unless Bavarian infantry but that Portepee does not look Bavarian and still we are left with that waist belt. Regards Glenn

Dave, I imagine that would depend on what he was doing. Was he employed during this period in an established retired officers' post such as a Bezirksoffizier or Pferdevormusterungskommissar? Regards Glenn

Thank you Robin and Michael, here is the then Major v. Ketteler's entry in the 1914 Prussian Army list. Regards Glenn

Michael, Oberst Friedrich v. Kettler, Artillerie-Kommandeur 238. Regards Glenn

Joe, there is a bit of a problem with the old boy from Baden; His uniform is something of a mismatch. Although the Stabshoboist/Musikmeister wore the double cuff rings from 1889 to 1908, a special shoulder board was introduced in 1898. If this photograph is pre 1898 he should be wearing his sword suspended from a normal waist belt and following that he would be wearing the the special Musikmeister waist belt. His shoulder straps do not conform to any Baden Infantry Regimental pattern and as a Stabshoboist/Muskimeister he should really be wearing chin scales on the helmet. Regards Glenn

Dave, Hauptmann v. Rabenau's "Die deutsche Land- und Seemacht und die Berufspflichten des Offiziers" 1906, give a table showing various routes to a commission, both cadet and direct entry as a Fahnenjunker. Normally Fahnenjunker were promoted directly to Portepee-Fähnrich, whereas as ex-cadets usually utilised the rank of char. Portepee-Fähnrich. But generally speaking, a Fahnenjunker ultimately commissioned in August 1898 would normally have entered service on 1 April 1897. From the example quoted: 1 April 1905: Entry in the Army as a Fahnenjunker. 6 months service and Fähnrich's examination, followed shortly thereafter by promotion to Fähnrich. October 1905: Attend War School. Jume 1906: Officer's Examination, followed by regimental duty and vote by officer corps. Promotion to Officer in approximately August 1906. It seems the average for a direct entry non cadet from entry to commissioning was 15-16 months. Regards Glenn

Joe, Generalmajor Karl Leichtenstern, Commander of the 10. Infanterie-Brigade (renamed as 8. Infanterie-Brigade on 1 April 1901) from 2 June 1899 to 16 May 1902. The Commander's Cross of the Italian Order of Saint Maurice and Lazarus confirms the identity of this Metz based brigade commander. Regards Glenn

With Daniel's identification of Freiherr v. Loë, that narrows down the time frame considerably. The Grey Paletot was inroduced on 9 March 1893 and General der Kavallerie Frhr. v. Loë left command of VIII. Armeekorps in Coblenz on 27 January 1895. Here is a later portrait. Regards Glenn

Joe, I do not have a positive ID but possibly we could narrow this gentleman down to being either the General officer Commanding the VIII. Armeekorps or of the 30. Infanterie-Brigade or the Commandant of Coblenz. I would tentatively date the photograph between 1890 and 1900 (introduction of the General Officer's embroidery on the service tunic in 1900). Regards Glenn

Joe, he is not dissimiliar to Rittmeister Emanuel zu Salm-Salm. Regards Glenn

Dave, Andy having consulted the Stammliste of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 111, I can confirm he returned to active duty on 20 May 1896 in Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 59 (i.e. the date of his appointment to Portepee-Fähnrich). Regards Glenn

Joe, this must show Major Arnold Teubel during the time he served as a Major in Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 27 between 26 October 1972 and 13 April 1876 when he retired as an Oberstlieutenant z.D. Regards Glenn