Glenn J

Mike, unfortunately no photograph of von Lobenthal in the regimental hostory - only regimental commanders Regards Glenn

Robin, Rittmeister Hemmerde was initially commissioned on the 12th of July 1870 and promoted to Premier-Lieutenant on the 25th of July 1878. He is shown in the lists I have as certainly serving with the 1. Leib-Husaren-Regiment Nr. 1 from 1877-1885. It would appear that he was originally an Infantry Officer serving in the Niederrheinisches F?silier-Regiment Nr. 39. He retired on the 12th of November 1885 with a simultaneous promotion to Rittmeister. Regards Glenn

Mike, I have ordered a copy of the 3. G.R.z.F. Regimental history from 1890 at the local university library. If he has a picture in there, I will scan it when I go there on Saturday. Regards Glenn

Mike, Karl von Lobenthal retired as a char. Oberst and Brigadier in the Gendarmerie on the 30th of October 1888. The 1886 Rang- und Quartier-Liste shows the following: OPLM RAO4 PKO3 EK2 Johaniter Ehren-Ritter Officers' Long Service Decoration Following his retirement he received the RAO3 with Bow in November 1888. He served at the following actions: 1864: Satrup, Eritsoe, Fridericia, D?ppel, Sonderburg 1866: Soor, K?niggr?tz 1870/71: St. Privat, Beaumont, Sedan, Paris Regards Glenn

Brian, from the Rangliste der K?niglich Preu?ischen Armee und des XIII. (K?niglich W?rttembergischen) Armeekorps f?r 1913 as at 6 May 1913: Major Hermann von Brandenstein 27.1.13 H - Infanterie-Regiment Kaiser Wilhelm, K?nig von Bayern (2. W?rttembergisches) Nr. 120 Major z.D. Rudolf von Brandenstein Char. 25.2.04 - Landwehrbezirk Stuttgart Incidentally Hermann von Brandenstein was a later OPLM winner and char. General der Infanterie. Rittmeister von Schwarzkopf was the Adjutant of 3. Kavallerie-Division. Kurt, thanks for the information regarding Graf von Brandenstein-Zeppelin's promotion in the nobility. Regards Glenn

Brian, I'm a little bit confused. Are you talking about two Major von Zeppelins and not von Brandensteins? G.R. 119: Major 25.2.13 - Albrecht von Zeppelin I.R. 125: Major 16.6.13 H - Hermann von Zeppelin Regards Glenn

Brian, with those page numbers I assume you are talking about the list of just "active" officers which I don't have. Can you please confirm the units of the two von Brandensteins in your list? Regards Glenn

Brian, only one Graf von Brandenstein-Zeppelin in the W?rttemberg Army in 1914: Hauptmann Graf Alexander Brandenstein-Zeppelin. This W?rttemberg nobleman was attached to the Great General Staff in Berlin. Born 27 September 1881 at Ludwigsburg, commissioned into the army from cadet school as a Leutnant on 23 March 1900 in Ulanen-Regiment K?nig Karl (1. W?rttembergisches) Nr. 19. Later serving as the Regimental Adjutant, he attended the War Academy in 1909/1911. Of note is the fact that prior to 1909 he is listed as just "von Brandenstein" and from then onwards as Graf von Brandenstein-Zeppelin. Follwing his War Academy course he was attached to the General Staff for the next two years before being assigned there in 1914. Leutnant: 23.3.00 K Oberleutnant: 19.11.08 (Patent - 18.10.09 Z45z Rittmeister/Hauptmann: 18.12.13 T2t Major: 15.7.18 M3m In your photograph the officer is still wearing the flat shoulder boards of an Hauptmann plus the collar patches of a General Staff Officer. Hauptmann Graf Alexander Brandenstein-Zeppelin was awarded the WMVO3 on 21 May 1915 as a General Staff Officer in the 3. Kavallerie-Division. Retired as a Major a.D. Your man I think! Regards Glenn

Rick's scan from Wer Ist's confirms Heeren's "One Year Volunteer" status having completed his One Year service at G?ttingen. Oh well, that clears that up. Regards Glenn

Paul, the pair of boards with the "Staff of Mercury" are for a Stabsintendant (Hauptmann) in the administrative branch of the Truppensonderdienst (Special Troop Service) created on 1 May 1944. Regards Glenn

Daniel, Firstly it should be understood that NOT all former "One Year Volunteers" were in fact commissioned. The soldier had to successfully pass his final exam in his unit before being appointed a Reserve-Officer Aspirant and receive a certificate of competence certifying to his suitability for a reserve commission. Those who did not necessarily fulfil the criteria could be released into the reserves as NCO Aspirants or at worst case as normal private soldiers. Assuming our former "One Year Volunteer" was appointed a Reserve-Officer Aspirant he would attend two annual exercises of eight weeks preferably in the next two consecutive years following his release from his active year with the colours. He participated in the first (?bung A) as an Unteroffizier der Reserve where he was instructed in the duties of a section and platoon commander in combat exercises, field firing and field service. At the conclusion of ?bung A he would take a practical and theoretical examination. Should he be successful he was promoted to Vizefeldwebel/Vizewachtmeister der Reserve/Landwehr. The following year he would attend ?bung B where he would perform the duties of an officer. Following the successful completion of yet another examination his Regimental Commander had to then agree to recommend him for a Reserve or Landwehr commission. Then his recommendation for a commission would have to be approved in a vote of the officers of his Landwehr District. This final hurdle passed, it only remained for Imperial and Royal approval and the individual received his patent as a Leutnant der Reserve/Landwehr. The earliest an individual could be approved of by the officers of his district was two full years following his discharge from his active year. Regards Glenn

Hi Daniel, a very nice helmet and an interesting career! I am a little confused by his early career progession. His service in the army and his eventual commissioning all seem to be the classic progression of a "one Year Volunteer" bearing in mind his academic background. If he joined the army in say October 1900 or 1901 as an "einj?hriger" he would normally have been commissioned in 1903 or 1904 as a Leutnant der Reserve respectively. He was in fact commissioned with a patent of15.11.04 J4j. This all makes sense and he is consequently listed in the 1905 Prussian Rangliste as a Leutnant der Reserve in Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 164. He could not enter the army as a F?hnrich. An aspirant for an active commission would enter the regiment as a Fahnenjunker and be promoted to F?hnrich after roughly six months. After attending a War School and successfully passing the vote of approval of the officers of his regiment he would be commissioned about 14 months after his initial entry. However as an Abiturient (and in Heeren's case also a Doctorate) his Patent would have been predated by two years. As Heeren's Patent is from 1904 and not 1900 I assume therefore he was never a regular officer. He could possibly have left active service as a F?hnrich and transferred to the reserves and was subsequently commissioned that way? Regards Glenn

Chris, The Armee-Abteilung Woyrsch Chief of Staff is Wilhem Heye. Chief of staff of the Karparthenkorps (I.V. Reserve-Korps) was Walter von Unruh. 4. Ersatz-Division: Albert von Werder 8. Landwehr-Division:Albert von Bodungen Regards Glenn

Which one Brian? Regards Glenn

Hi Rick, here are some perfect examples from the 17th of January 1907. Of the five field officers here who retired with the permission to wear a regimental uniform, three requested the wear of uniforms at variance with their last assignments. Oberstleutnant Eduard von Tettenborn for example, who is shown as an officer on the regimental staff of the 3. G.R.z.F requested the uniform of the Garde-F?silier-Regiment, the regiment in which he originally entered as a Fahnenjunker over thirty years earlier and into which he was first commissioned on the 14th of December 1875. Regards Glenn

Chip, The granting of the permission to wear regimental uniform was normally conferred on retirement after 15 years of honourable service for active officers. A General Officer would of course be automatically granted the privilege of continued wear of the General' pattern uniform with the necessary addition of non - active status insignia. On application the retiring General officer could also be granted the permission to wear a regimental uniform. This was not an automatic dispensation and the General Officer concerned could not just decide to wear the uniform of a previous unit in which he had served; He had to apply and the permission was then published in the Milit?r-Wochenblatt. It appears that the practice of granting regimental uniforms to retired general officers greatly increased in the period just prior to WW1 with dozens of such permissions being granted in the period from 1907-1914. The honour was similar to that of being granted ? la suite status although unlike the latter the wearer of just a regimental uniform was no longer listed in the Army list. Here is a example from 1895 when the retiring General-Lieutenant Rudolf Graf von Kanitz was granted permission to wear the regimental uniform of the 2. G.R.z.F. As a former commander of this unit he obviously decided to apply for this regimental uniform. Many officers, including those who did not achieve generals' rank often chose to apply for the uniform of the regiment in which they were first commissioned and not necessarily that unit in which they were serving at the time of retirement. Regards Glenn

Interestingly, the General wears the uniform of the Garde-Sch?tzen-Bataillon which honour was granted to him on the 25th of May 1914. One might have thought he would have preferred the Garde-J?ger-Bataillon's uniform having commanded that unit. Regards Glenn

Nice one Andy, here is Hans von Carlowitz's entry in the 1895 edition whilst serving as a Fl?gel-Adjutant to the King of Saxony. Regards Glenn

And Sch?tzen-Regiment Nr. 108

Tahe your pick - from 1895. Don't forget the shortlived J?ger-Bataillon Nr. 15! Regards Glenn

Hi David, The document attesting to his suitablility to be a reserve officer is signed by the then Oberstleutnant Bruno Hahn. This officer rose to generals' rank and the command of the 31. Artillerie-Brigade on the 20th of March 1911. He retired just prior to the war on the 22nd of March 1914 as a Generalleutnant z.D. but was recalled for service on mobilisation as the commander of the 46. Reserve-Division which he led until 10 May 1915. Hahn commanded Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 11 from 22 April 1905 for some six years through Major to Oberst until his brigade command in 1911. Seconde-Lieutenant: 12.4.73 Premier-Lieutenant: 15.6.82 Hauptmann: 28.3.89 Major: 22.5.99 U Oberstleutnant: 27.1.06 G Oberst: 10.9.08 F Generalmajor: 22.4.12 H Regards Glenn

Dave, Freiherr von Willisen was not a recipient of the WMVO. According to Hanns M?ller in his Geschichte der Ritter des Ordens Pour le m?rite, Baron Willisen was indeed awarded the PLM for his part in 12th Isonzo as the 1. Generalstabsoffizier of the 14th Army. He had been the the 1. Generalstabsoffizier of the Bavarian Alpenkorps previously and this may well have been the reason for his additional award of the MMJO. Regards Glenn

David, I saw this first at WAF and answered there. Regards Glenn

Claudio, Rick, Oberstleutnant Ernst Kaether is wearing the uniform of Reichswehr-Infanterie-Regiment 29. The photograph dates from late 1919 to late 1920. Regards Glenn

Gordon, nice to have a document signed by a PLM winner! Major Julius von Langsdorff (23 Oct 1866-25 Jul 1945) was the commander of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 184 from 6 Oct 1916 until assuming command of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 43 on 23 Sep 1918. He retired on the 23rd of May 1919 and received a charakterisierter promotion to Oberstleutnant on 27 Oct 1919 with a further bump-up on 27 Aug 1939 to Oberst (Tannenberg promotion for PLM winners) PLM on 22 Apr 1918 as commander of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 184. Regards Glenn