Claudio

Hauptmann von der Hellen IR91

Personal adjutant of GFM von Hindenburg (there's a small picture of him on Beyreiss book about Oldenburg's orders and medals, wearing his medal bar).

also shown here 

Unfortunately no date for the HHOX...

Enjoy!

Claudio

Dear all,

Here I’m posting a couple of pictures I have taken in the castle Veste in Coburg. The medal bar is of Ernst II Herzog von Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha. I think also the breast stars shown with the PlM should be his, but I’m not sure. There were at least two other displays which I haven’t taken the pictures. Very likely there were also the orders & breast stars of Ernst I . Ernst I didn’t wear the PlM, like Ernst II did, very likely because he participated to all German wars and major political events from 1840ies until 1870 (he got the PlM in 1849).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_II,_Duke_of_Saxe-Coburg_and_Gotha

Enjoy the pictures.

cordially

C

2 hours ago, VtwinVince said:

Great Haube, and interesting history indeed. So now you're into headgear, Claudio?

Yeah, it seems so... ? too much competition with named groups and medal bars. Besides German Imperial helmets have been always interesting for me... 

6 hours ago, arb said:

Claudio,

That is a beautiful Pickelhaube!!  Here is some information regarding its owner.

Andy

Rudolf Urtel  (06.08.1875-??)

The 1941 Berlin Adreßbuch shows him as an Ingenieur living in Lichterfelde at Salzunger Pfad 11

22.03.15  Hptm. b. Personenkraftwagen Park d. Festung Metz

27.01.08-1914    Leutn./Oberlt. d.R. d. Kraftfahr B.

[1908  Reserve Dienstaltersliste shows his profession as Ober Ingenieur in Berlin-Friedenau]

27.01.04-27.01.08  Leutn. d. Res. d. IR 94

all commissions were Reserve commissions

Hptm.   22-03-15

Oberlt.  18-02-13

Leutn.   27-01-04

 

 

Thanks a lot Andy! You made my  day... ????

6 hours ago, Dave Danner said:

He was the father of television pioneer Dr.-Ing. Rudolf Urtel. According to the younger Urtel's biography here, Urtel "mußte durch den frühen Tod seines Vaters sein Jura-Studium abbrechen und nahm 1928 eine Stelle im Telefunken-Röhrenvertrieb an". I can't find a date of death for the elder Urtel, but this indicates it was around 1928.

Yes, indeed interesting... I saw him googling on the net. I thought he might have be his son and now we are... ?????? There’s an Award entitled to his name, too! 
 

“Der Preis dient der Förderung exzellenter Leistungen dieser Nachwuchskräfte auf den Gebieten Fernsehen, Film und elektronische Medien.” 

5 hours ago, David M said:

I do think it is much rather a Fürstenkrone

At first I also thought this, but to me it seemed a too high nobility grade for such helmet... I haven’t found any Fürsten  in the Leib-Regiment. Could this helmet also be for cavalry? 

Dear Forumites,

I recently acquired a very nice Reserve's Pickelhaube with black eagle star and without Vaterlandsbandeau for Garde Kraftfahr-Bataillon (like also Garde-Pionier-Bataillon) of a subaltern officer apparently named Urtel (see inside the leather sweatband). It's a really nice untouched helmet in almost unused conditions.

Since this surname "URTEL" is rather uncommon in Germany, maybe the research on this officer could be easier I thought.

An entry of this officer can be found also in the Rangliste of 1913 on page 796. I also just found that a German auction house sold a document group of a driver with a signed original signature in his Militär-Führerschein of this elusive officer, then in 1915 commanding officer of Personenkraftwagenpark in Metz (back then still under German Empire in the Lorraine), see also picture of the group.

Can somebody add anything interesting to this officer, like date of birth and death, first name/s and his later career if he had any?

Thank you very much in advance for your most appreciated inputs and comments.

Claudio

For this helmet I though one of the von Prankh (Adelgeschlecht) could have pre-owned and worn this helmet. I noticed that a couple of them (see Bavarian branch of their family) served in the Leib-Regiment.  The crown look like the one of a Landgraf or or Graf... 

What do you think?

Claudio

Thank you so much, Glenn!!! ??

I thought that the Hanseatenkreuz not from Bremen but from Hamburg was... much more common and plus how could have been explained Major Trautmann's link to the much smaller Hansa free city of Bremen... 

Another identification and another name put to a face... Thanks again also from my brother's side, Glenn! ?

16 hours ago, Bayern said:

The man portrayed in the paint wears what seems to be the uniform of a field officer in the General Staff . carmine piping on the collar and front of the tunic,mattsilver buttons and the Double GS litzen on the collar . litzen of the so called Blumenmuster.

That’s why he must be him... ????

Hi Glenn!
 

you might have found him... it looks like him, from the face and the medal bar... ???????

4 hours ago, 1812 Overture said:

I also think this is the Lut Pod Jubilee Medal in Bavaria. Watching the front portrait of the character, it looks to the left and the officer has also served in Bavaria for 25 years. He has no reason not to win the Jubilee Medal.
I think the fourth trophy is Lufthansa Bremen.
PS, why doesn't your brother come to the forum?

You meant Hanseatenkreuz Bremen... not Lufthansa...

45 minutes ago, Daniel Krause said:

Goodness, Claudio...

Thats the normal jubilee medal which EVERY active Officer got...

The painter was not overly careful.

I am very sure, no bavarian would leave away his homeland jubilee medal but wear a foreign centenary medal.

 

Best,

Daniel

Thanks Daniel! ??

I thought about that, but as you rightly said it wasn’t really painted very well...

cheers 

Claudio 

31 minutes ago, spolei said:

Hello, third place won't be a foreign order like austrian. Possibly Jubiläumsmedaille bavaria.
At the 4th is a Hausorden of Hohenzollern, 5th a hanseatic award.

IMHO the third medal, although foreign, is a bravery medal... what else could that be with a red-white ribbon and a large gold-like medal?

Maybe this one https://www.ehrenzeichen-orden.de/deutsche-staaten/st-georgs-medaille-jubilaumsmedaille-1889.html? 

However in order to be in the exclusive Bavarian order of St. George, you had to prove that your lineage is noble since 8 generations... ?  In that case I think this officer he would have his "Familenwappen" (coat of arms) painted on the upper corner, wouldn't he?

Dear forumites,

My brother lately acquired a very nice high officer's portrait  in oil colours under glass (therefore the reflection on the picture, sorry!). which still has the  original frame.

As you can see this high officer is wearing a EK1 1914 and a medal bar composed by the following orders and medals:

1. Kingdom of Bavaria, BMVO3 mit Krone und Schwerter
2. Kingdom of Prussia, EK2 1914
3. KuK Austria-Hungary (?), goldene Tapferkeitsmedaille (?)
4. Free City of Hamburg (?), Hanseatenkreuz
5. Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, war cross 2nd class
6. Kingdom of Saxony, AO1X
7. Kingdom of Bavaria, DA 25 Jahre
8. Kingdom of Prussia, Zentenarmedaille
9. KuK Austria-Hungary, MVK3

Is an identification of this highly decorated officer possible?

Thank you in advance for your most appreciated inputs and comments.

Cordially,

Claudio

Dear forumites

I would like to show you a “Leiber” (K.B. Inf. Leib-Regt) Officer spiked helmet, purchased some years ago, with a crowned chypher “P” (Herzog/ducal crown https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herzogskrone or Landgraf/count crown  https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landgrafenkrone https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Can the original wearer of this spiked helmet be researched?

I guess there weren’t many officers with such high aristocratic title in that regiment... I noticed some notable aristocratic names beginning with P in that regiment, but I’m not so sure.

Thank you in advance for your valuable comments and inputs.

Best regards,

Claudio

Very nice indeed! ????

On 01/06/2020 at 15:30, David M said:

Hi Claudio

 

Where did you find these images? Is there a website?

Hi David,

Here’s the website:

https://www.medals.pl

cheers

Claudio

On 01/06/2020 at 17:35, laurentius said:

Swords take precedence. The peace-time MVO would either go behind the EK or behind the Anhalt Friedrichkreuz, both would be acceptable for a Bavarian. Hope this helps

My mistake.,,  you are right!  ;)

Hi Chris,

Since I cannot send you the image by PM, I'm posting here an image how it could have looked like.

Is that correct?

Cordially

C

3 hours ago, arb said:

Claudio,

That is a really nice photograph.  The notes on the back appear to have been written long after the fact and are a little confused.  Here are the highlights of Heinrich's short military career.  

Andy

Heinrich Gr. zu Rantzau  (03.06.1871-20.04.1912)

20.04.12            infolge einer Operation an Herzschwäche zu Berlin gestorben

22.03.07-20.04.12   k. als Milit. Attaché b.d. Gesandtschaft i. Bern

12.03.07-22.03.07   k.z. Dienstl. b. gr. Gen. St.

01.11.05—12.03.07   k.z. Dienstl. b. Gen. St. d. XIV. AK, d. Komdo ist einer Versetzung gleichzuachten

16.03.05-01.11.05   aggr. d. Gen. St., b. gr. Gen. St.

01.04.03-16.03.05   k.z. Dienstl. b. gr. Gen. St.

01.10.98-21.07.01   k.z. Kr. Akad.

16.04.92-01.10.98  Kompanie Offizer im Garde Füs. R.

16.04.92            Sek.Lt.

17.12.91            Port. Fähnr.

01.06.91            als Fahnenj. in Garde Füsilier R. eingetr.

 

Major     18-10-11

Hptm.     22-04-05

Oberlt.   14-09-00

Sek.Lt.   16-04-92

 

Vater:  Landtagsmarschall, Wirkl. Geh. Rat. m.d. Präd. Excellenz

Mutter: Karoline, geb. Gräfin von Reventlow a.d. H. Wittenberg

Gemählin:  Editha, geb. von Arenstedt

Quelle:   Eberhardt, Magnus von  "Offizier Stammliste des Garde Füsilier Regiments von 1826 bis 1918, nebst Liste der Offiziere der Beurlaubtenstandes (Reserve und Garde Füsiulier Landwehr Regiment) sowie der Sanitätsoffiziere und Zahlmeister" 529 S., Klasing; Berlin 1922  Seite 264

Thanks a lot Andy! That’s quite a lot of information... back in those times people died much younger... not even 41! 

Thanks! ?

I also read Major in Garde ??? (Grenadier) Militär Attaché in Bern, Schweiz.

Dear forumites,

I got this Garde Grenadier Officer with spike helmet's photo on a online auction in Switzerland for pea-nuts (CHF 3.- including shipping). I read Heinrich Graf zu Rantzau (I am not sure though), 1870-1912. I noticed that this family was noble and there were many personalities bearing the family name from 1500 onwards.

Could you provide more info on this subject? Thanks a lot in advance.

Cordially,

Claudio

Here a couple of examples...

Thanks Chris, thanks Glenn, I also think is rather Silver than Gold... The Gold ones  are for Generals à la Suite, Generalarzt and Artillery & Jäger Generals. I have seen on my books Bavarian Cavalry General helmets also in Silver.

BR

Claudio

Dear Forumites,

A question to the most knowledgeable: Kronprinz Rupprecht when he was wearing his General Helmet, the Helmet plates/emblems and chin-scale were in Golden or in Silver colour?

Here a couple of black and white pictures... I couldn't find any colour painting or photos of him with his Bavarian General Helmet.

Thanks in advance for your most appreciated comments.

Cordially,

Claudio