Glenn J

John, it is not easy to determine the career of a wartime junior medical officer. However, as Dr.Weber is wearing the uniform of a Feldhilfsarzt, he is most probably the Feldunterarzt of Feld-Lazarett 8 of the XI. Armeekorps who was promoted to the rank of Feldhilfsarzt on 17.6.16. The Feldhilfsarzt was a medical student yet to fully qualify as a medical doctor who was employed as a medical officer. Regards Glenn

Here is a picture of Ritter v. Mann in regualtion Reichsheer uniform. It was not unusual in the formative years of the Reichsheer to see the continued use of former Imperial items of clothing to even include the kleiner Rock and Überrock. Regards Glenn

Promoted to Hauptmann in 21. (Bayer.) Infanterie-Regiment on 1.2.23 (22) Glenn

Chris, That's him. He commanded 16./I.R. 21 in 1927-1929. Regards Glenn

Chris, I am assuming you are referring to Ferdinand Ritter von Mann Edler von Tiechler who was in the Reichswehr 21. (Bayer.) Infanterie-Regiment and later Generalmajor? I believe his highest Bavarian decoration was a BMV4X. Regards Glenn

Chris, the Generalquartiermeister was directly subordinate to the Chef des Generalstabes des Feldheeres (Hindenburg) as so presumably was co-located. I think what confuses matters is that although Hindenburg was Chief of Staff of the Armies in the Field, he was in reality the commander-in Chief after 1916 and his Chief of Staff (Ludendorff) effectively became the Chief of Staff of the Armies in the Field although titled 1. Generalquartiermeister!! Glenn

Chris, Ludendorff was the 1. Generalquartiermeister, a position created in September 1916 initially just for him - in effect the Chief of Staff of the armies in the Field; Hindenburg being the defacto Commander-in-Chief. Gröner replaced him. The Generalquartiermeister in wartime was the deputy Chief of Staff responsible for those matters not directly of an operational nature such as supply, rear area administration, railways, field post, medical and veterinary matters etc. Generalleutnant Hahndorff was the last holder of this appointment. Regards Glenn

Chris, Generalleutnant Viktor Hahndorff. And here is his Chief of Staff: Oberst Albrecht v. Thaer. Regards Glenn

Chris, Herr Pelkmann. Regards Glenn

David, Maj. v. Salisch. Regards Glenn

David, this from the Stammliste of Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 11. Regards Glenn

David, Dave, the von Rheinbaben was Karl Frhr. v. Rheinbaben (1798-1855), later commander of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 24 and who died in that appointment as an Oberst. Regards Glenn

Dave, Probably not. Retired officers did not wear high boots. And bearing in mind he only has an LD2, I don't think he would fit the criteria to have been granted permission to wear a uniform on retirement. Regards Glenn

Gentlemen, thank you all for your responses. At the moment this guy still belongs to the ranks of the unidentified. I have gone through all the lists from 1899 to 1913 and really no one jumps out. Apart from the obscure foreign stuff, he is not particularly well decorated, just the Johanniter and a Long Service Medal. Probably only an Oberleutnant d.R. He may have fallen through the cracks of the army lists, being shown with just the two Prussian awards and then retired after the foreign award(s) but before the publication of the next years edition? The officers he is stood with are from a Füsilier-Bataillon of one of the Foot Guards Regiments (hence the black plumes). If I had to hazard a guess (and if it is actually September 1910) , I would say F./2.GRzF as I believe the mounted field officer is Major v. Berg. Regards Glenn

I happened across this photo in a 1978 publication titled "Armies of the World 1854-1914". The caption states it was taken in Berlin on 1 September 1910. I am having some difficulty with this bespectacled Reserve officer. He would appear to be from one of the Garde-Regimenter zu Fuß and what is clear, is he is wearing a Johanniter and a Landwehrdienstauszeichnungskreuz 2nd Class. The neck and breast order are more problematical. I have looked through the 1910 through 1912 editions of the Prussian Army List for officers of the 1st four Foot Guards Regiments (both active and reserve) and the Garde-Landwehr-Regimenter with no initial success for a matching suspect. Can anyone positively identify those two decorations?? Thanks Regards Glenn

Christer, Major Edwin Ehrhardt, commander of RIR 70. Regards Glenn

Jon, I would hazard the opinion that, that is Konrad v. Goßler. Here is a portrait of the General from the time he was commanding 4. GRzF. Regards Glenn

Andy, No idea on Chinese uniforms of the period although the tunic does appear to be German. The book "Vanished Armies" illustrated by A E Haswell Miller is very good for the period just before the war, including the armies of Sweden and Spain. Regards Glenn

Andy, Swedish in the kepi and Spanish in the peaked cap with glasses. I would not think that it could be a Japanese officer in this wartime shot. Regards Glenn

John, here it is. Regards Glenn

Jon, it the cipher of a General à la suite to the Kaiser and in fact WR. The symbol means etc. Regards Glenn

Here is Dr. Nießen's entry in the State Medical Calendar of 1914. The abbreviations are somewhat different from those in the Prussian Armly List: PpHG2a: Päbstlicher Orden von Heiligen Grabe Kommandeurkreuz mit Stern. PpS: Ritter des Päbstlichen Silvesterordens. Regards Glenn

I am not sure about online, but the two orders are included in the "Handbuch der Ritter- und Verdienstorden" by Maximilian Gritzner. Oberstabsarzt Dr. Nießen is wearing a commanders' (Komtur) cross of the Holy Sepulture (OhGr2) and a Knights' Cross of the St.Sylvester (PS3) both awarded sometime after his 21 February 1909 retiral from Landwehr service before the war. Regards Glenn

Hi Freiwillige, Char. Oberstabsartz d.L. a.D. Dr. Wilhelm Nießen of Reserve-Lazarett I Neuenahr, taken sometime after his promotion to that rank on 12 December 1916. In civil practice, Sanitätsrat and head doctor at the Maria-Hilf hospital in Neuenahr. Apart from the two Papal decorations, he wears the Hohenzollern Honour Cross (HEK3) and the Landwehr Officers' Long Service Decoration 1st Class (LD1). Regards Glenn

MJC, Heinrich Paul Vollmer, born 24 October 1871 at Heidelberg. Entered IR 60 as a 3 year volunteer on 21 April 1890. Promotions: Portepee-Fähnrich: 18.11.90 Sekonde-Lieutenant: 22.8.91 Oberleutnant: 18.4.00 Hauptmann: 18.5.07 Transfered to Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 81 on 27 January 1914. Killed in action on 19 September 1914 at Courcy. Regards Glenn