Glenn J

Hi, he received the swords to his already held peacetime Crown Order 2nd Class and additionally the Star of the Second Class with Swords. Basically "with swords to" Regards Glenn

Hi, he was a former cadet, so his age at entry was not out of the ordinary. Regards Glenn

Hello, Hans Dedo Freiherr von Milkau, born 1858 at Skassa near Großenhain. Entered the Saxon army in 1874 and was promoted to Portepee-Fägnrich in 1. Husaren-Regiment Nr. 18 on 10. April 1876. Sekonde-Lieutenant: 21.9. 77 E Premier-Lieutenant: 26.10.83 A Rittmeister: 20.5.90 Major: 28.6.99 E 1899: Adjutant of 3. Division Nr. 22 1902: Major on the staff of 1. Husaren-Regiment Nr. 18 23.4.1904: Commander of 1. Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 17 Oberstleutnant: 15.4.04 A Oberst: 25.3.07 D 14.7.09: Officer of the Army 20.10.09: Provisional commander of 2. Kavallerie-Brigade Nr. 24 24.9.10: Retired with character of Generalmajor Died 24.12.1913 Regards Glenn

Geoff, as can be seen from this extract from the 19 February 1820 edition of the "Militair-Wochenblatt", awards of deceased holders of the Iron Cross were further awarded to deserving recipients. So for example as shown here, the award of the deceased Sek.-Lt. von Wischetzki went to Sek.-Lt. Weiland, that of Sek.-Lt. Promnitz to Sek.-Lt.von Below and that of Rittmeister von Kriegsheim to Major von Zieten. Regards Glenn

The description of this individual has been troubling me for some time. I am at a loss to understand how a Paymaster candidate (who would hold the rank of an active NCO) would wear the shoulder boards of an official of the pay groups A8 through A10. I have been through all the editions of the Allgemeine Heeresmitteilungen which described the insignia of rank and their subsequent alterations and I can find no reference to a candidate wearing this combination of insignia. As described on page 38 of the AHM 1935 (Rw. Minister, 20.3.35 V5 IIIa), the insignia as worn by solders who were appointed as paymaster candidates (Zahlmeisteranwärter) wore a speciality badge on the lower right sleeve with the letter V. (See also Angolia/Schlicht volume 2 page 26). An order of 21 January 1942 (Ob.d.H., 21.1.42 - 25 g 14 - VA/Ag VI/V 1/Gr I (A) stated that the Zahlmeisteranwärter now wore the uniform of an official at the entry point for that career with the rank insignia of a Zahlmeister. To differentiate the candidate between those officials already holding the rank of either a substantive or non-substantive Zahlmeister, the candidate wore 1 cm wide lace strip across the base of the shoulder board in green. Is this chap then perhaps an official with the equivalence of senior NCO rank who has just "upgraded" his collar patches as a personal preference? If such an order as alluded to in the thread: "One is a senior NCO / Paymaster candidate. When he finished his probationary candidacy he'll upgrade the boards. Note, also that senior NCO's who were officer candidates were authorized to wear Officers type collar tabs and chin cords on their visor caps.", exists, I would certainly be most grateful for details. Regards Glenn

Hi Graham, I don't think he could be General Barger. The General was not promoted to Generalmajor until 24 December 1935, some two and a half years after the reintroduction of the former k.u.k. style uniform. Eduard Barger is pictured here still as a colonel in the newly reintroduced uniform whereas the General officer at the beginning of this thread is wearing the older pattern Bundesheer uniform. Regards Glenn

Charles, maybe I was unclear; per regulations the 1910 tunic for Flügeladjutants should NOT have breast pockets. However, I should not imagine anyone lost any sleep about such a transgression! Regards Glenn

Hi Charles, that is an M15 Bluse. The field grey Waffenrock for Flügeladjutanten did not necessarily have breast pockets; in fact as per regulations did not have them. Regards Glenn

Charles, Freiherr von Leonrod was listed as an "Offizier à la suite der Armee" with the uniform of a Flügel-Adjutant. He was a senior official at the court of the Bavarian King. His final rank was that of an Oberst (11.10.14). He was appointed as a Flügeladjutant to King Ludwig on 23 December 1912, having previously been the then Prince Ludwig's personal adjutant. He retired from active service on 12 June 1913 and was appointed à la suite der Armee with his previous uniform. Regards Glenn

Charles, Most likely. Graf Castell-Castell was promoted to Generalmajor on 28 May 1918, Patent of 28.5.18 (4) but was not elevated to an appointment as General à la suite or General-Adjutant and retired still in the appointment of a Flügel-Adjutant with Major-General's rank on 28 December 1918. I am not aware of any other individuals in that rank serving as Flügeladjutanten at this period. Regards Glenn

Matty, it is a pre-war photograph of Konrad Graf Finck von Finckenstein, commanding the Garde-Jäger-Bataillon. The award above the Johanniter is the 1906 Kaiser's Erinnerungszeichen zur silbernen Hochzeit (silver wedding jubilee badge). Regards Glenn

Hi Laurentius, Oberst a.D. Karl v. Winterberger, formerly of IR 94, IR 59 and lastly the Landwehrbezirkskommandeur in Weilburg. Awarded the GSF2 in 1888. Regards Glenn

Hi Laurentius, he is Major Waldemar Brünecke of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 153. Regards Glenn

Hi Matty, the Bavarian is LAPO Oberstleutnant Alfred Wanka. And yes, that is Major Kay/Kai Meyn. Regards Glenn

Hi Laurentius, this from the Offizier-Stammliste of Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 5. He was actually born in 1836. The date of death shown here is wrong; he died on 24 March 1907. He was awarded the RAO4X for Trautenau during the Austro-Prussian War. Regards Glenn

Chris, well officially, Offizier-Aspiranten should not wear an officers’ helmet. They usually held the rank of Vizefeldwebel /Vizewachmeister d.R. As such they would usually wear an issue helmet with the officer pattern cockade. Of course, during wartime, I am sure that some guys would have “upgraded” their helmets contrary to regulations. Regards Glenn

I should think Oberst Ernst Streit. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 83 in 1914 and a former officer in the Ostasiatisches Detachement. Awarded the CDIII1 around 1910. Listed as an Oberstleutnant (E) in 1939 with a Patent of 4.11.20. Regards Glenn

Claudio, he does not appear in the officer/official lists of either the k.u.k. Army or k.k. Kandwehr. I am assuming he is a Landsturm military official. That does seem to be a rank "Rosette" on the collar as worn by officials as opposed to a star worn by officers. Regards Glenn

Does he have a name? Regards Glenn

A subject now firmly on my radar! Here is a photograph I took at the tomb of Kaiser Wilhelm I in Charlottenburg in 2013. As can be seen, the old Emperor never "upgraded" himself from Generaloberst der Infanterie (mit dem Range eines General-Feldmarschalls). Regards Glenn

GD, I have been researching the Prussian army for many years and as Andy rightly said, there sometimes are not the answers in black and white that we desire. However, I will offer an opinion. The first two promotions of the the Prince of Prussia and Prince Carl were "one offs", that is promotions of two individuals who were Hohenzollern princes and therefore according to past practice were not promoted to actual GFM rank but accorded the dignity and seniority as such with a different title; Generaloberst and General-Feldzeugmeister respectively. Following King Wilhelm's accession to the throne and the successful course of the Franco-German war, he changed the practice used hitherto and promoted two Hohenzollern princes (both army commanders) to the rank of GFM. It will be seen that all the other wartime and immediate post war promotions to GFM were of former army commanders, the chief of staff and the war minister: Moltke, Roon, Manteuffel, Herwarth (1866) and Steinmetz. With the the creation of army inspectorates following the creation of the German Empire, promotions of senior generals to these posts at a time when the nation was no longer at war allowed for the promotion to Generaloberst but still ranking as a GFM. Additionally, the corps commander of the Guards Corps, Prince August was so promoted. As time went on, the fine distinctions were blurred and as Andy alludes, Kaiser Wilhelm was probably more generous with his promotion policy (as indeed he was with his awards policy) and this accounts for Haeseler, Bock und Polack and Goltz's peacetime promotions to GFM. Certainly until 1900 one can consider the holders of the ranks of Generalfeldmarschall, Generaloberst der Infanterie, Generaloberst der Kavallerie and General-Feldzeugmeister as holding the rank of a Field Marshal and they were consequently listed together in order of seniority in the army list. Promotion policy and politics is a difficult minefield to navigate in the Prussian army and this is exacerbated by the wartime destruction of pretty much all the original primary documentation. Nothing is clear cut; we have a peacetime corps commander - Graf Haeseler as a GFM and wartime army group commanders such as von Below and von Gallwitz as a General der Infanterie and Artillerie respectively! Regards Glenn

No, the Prince was à la suite (an honorary position similar to that of a regimental "Chef") to the Garde-Kürassier-Regiment and therefore entitled to wear that regiment's uniform. Regards Glenn

There is an interesting section in the book by Reinhard Stumpf - "Die Wehrmacht Elite" which covers in some detail the development of the rank of Generaloberst. He refers to the case of the future Kaiser WIlhelm I who was promoted to Generaloberst by his brother, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV. for his army command in the 1849 Baden campaign. He refers in this case to an " unwritten rule, lost in the depths of time, that Hohenzollern princes could not attain the rank of Field Marshal.This would also have applied in the case of Prince Carl's promotion to Generalfeldzeugmeister. In any case, titles aside, at this time the rank of Generaloberst ranked equally with the Generalfeldmarschall. This unwritten law was broken with the promotion of the Crown Prince and Prince Friedrich Karl to Generalfeldmarschall in October 1870. Below is a portrait of Generaloberst (2 Sep 73) Prinz August von Württemberg, commanding the Guards Corps. One can ascertain at least two of his three stars plus crossed batons. I heartily concur with Andy's last couple of sentences! Regards Glenn

The appointment and insignia of the Generaloberst/Generaloberst m.d.R. eines GFM and the char. Generalfeldmarschall is an interesting and somewhat tricky subject. The period introductory orders as published in the Militär-Wochenblatt are rather vague. The first two promotions to Generaloberst were those of the future Kaiser and King Wilhelm I as Prince of Prussia and that of Prince Carl (General-Feldzeugmeister), both in March 1854. The gazetting of both promotions does not mention that these were accompanied by the rank of Generalfeldmarschall. However in the 1854 Prussian Rangliste both are listed as having the rank of Generaloberst m.d.R. eines GFM. It appears that by default, all further appointments to Generaloberst were also accompanied with the title and dignity of a Generalfeldmarschall until the 1901 promotions of Generals von Hahnke and Graf von Haeseler to the "basic" rank of Generaloberst. Up to 1900 the Generalfeldmarschall and the Generaloberst m.d.R. eines GFM were equal in rank. One sees for example that in the 1873 Prussian Rangliste, that Generalfeldzeugmeister Prinz Carl von Preußen was the senior serving officer in the Prussian Army and senior to all the serving Field Marschals. Similary both Generalobersten Friedrich Franz Großherzog von Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Prinz August von Württemberg were senior To GFM Freiherr von Manteuffel and the two char. GFM, Herwarth von Bittenfeld and von Steinmetz. From 1901 the Generaloberst, including those with the rank of a GFM are shown below the Field Marshals. The order introducing the insignia of the Generaloberst dated 30 March 1854 is similarly frustrating; although it details the three stars of the Generaloberst/General-Feldzeugmeister, it does not specifically mention the wear of the batons of GFM rank or the details pertaining to the char. Generalfeldmarschall. To date, I have found no further introductory order describing this insignia. As however noted earlier, that these Generaloberst had the title and dignity of a GFM, it is presumed that the stars were from this point onward accompanied by the crossed batons of a GFM. The first "official" documentation that I have found detailing the permutations (batons with two/three stars) is to be found in the 1879 edition of Helldorf's "Dienstvorschriften der Königlich Preußischen Armee". I have only come across three promotions to char. GFM and these were bestowed on retirement; Carl Graf zu Dohna in 1854 and Herwarth and Steinmetz in 1871. Just to add to the confusion, although only a brevet Field Marshal, Graf Dohna is listed before Prince Wilhelm and Prince Carl until his death in 1859. Regards Glenn

Chaps, Eugen Berckhemer was born in 1866 and did not enter military service until 1884. Presumably not the guy we are looking for. Regards Glenn