GreyC

I took time and effort to answer your question and scanned the article of the 1890s Brockhaus for all to read (thanks much to Utgardloki for the translation) to facilitate a valid answer. So if you are not happy with my answer you have the Brockhaus article I provided to give you the answer. That´s all from my side. GreyC

Cool, thanks Bayern! Schönen Sonntag! GreyC

Hi P.F., thank you very much! GreyC

Hi, I got this photo at a fair. I first thought that he was a member of St. John, but because he wears the Order of the Holy Grave of Jerusalem (if I am correct) he ought to be catholic. So he is probably a high ranking member of the Order of Malta. I am not sure if he is German or Austrian. Can anybody identify him by any chance? Thank you! GreyC

Hi Utgardloki, thanks for the translation. To answer your question: yes and no ? Of course, if a sovereign was Chef of a regiment he had strong ties to it. So sometimes the regiments/units became Leibgarde also. But Leibregimenter were only few, whereas for example, the Prussian Garde grew to become it´s own (Garde)Korps with around at least 30.000 troops. GreyC

No response yet from arb. For all of you still interested and able to read Fraktur German here the exolanation of the Brockhaus, Germany´s equivalent to the Encyclopedia Britannica (from a 1890s edition). There is an entry to Leibregiment that has this lemma/ cross reference to Leibtruppen. GreyC

Nice additions! GreyC

The IR 115 has a long history of being called Leibregiment. It has this name since 1806 when the Großherzogin in question wasn´t even born yet. The title Großerzogin was an additional honor-titel first to honor the then wife of the Großherzog (1897). After their divorce 1901 the regiment retained the title Großherzogin, but from 1902 (not 1914 to my knowledge) this meant the Großherzog´s mother. So the regiment retained not only the younger title Großherzogin, but the more senior title Leibregiment, as well since 1806. And why should a Garde-Regiment not be a Leibregiment also? The same is true with the Prussian 1. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß, as far as I know. GreyC

No. Leibregiment is not the same as Leibgarde. Leibregimenter got the name, because the sovereign of a state was the regiment´s chief. With that came the right to collect the money that was generated through the regiment (goes back to 17th/18th century). It is not a nickname, either, It´s a title of honour. GreyC

Tolle Sachen, Alex! GreyC

Hi Roman, very nice. With regard to Lippe I only have this photo of the other principality, Schaumburg-Lippe. It´s a private photo that shows Prinz Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe on his tricycle in the year of 1911, 5 years old. GreyC

Hi, I read Heinrich Schwenold. A name you find in Bavaria once in a while. No guesswork necessary. GreyC

I like the Raspe photo! GreyC

Nice one! GreyC

Hi Dave, thanks for the interesting info. GreyC

Fine photo, Andy! GreyC

Here´s an Offiziers-Aspiranten Lehrgang at Sennelager in September of 1918. GreyC

Hi, though I have difficulties deciphering all, I´ll give you what I can make out so far: 1.) Vati/father Givet 1914 2.) Vati (Hauptmann); Betr[iebs] Ing[enieur] [=operations engineer] ??ampel; ??? Bmstr [Betriebsmeister/head of operations] Hoffmann; Amtsgehilfe [clerk] Betriebsamt Givet 1914/15 (Belgien) 3.) Betriebsamt Givet 1914/15 4.) Dein Schwager Will z.[ur] Z.[eit] Bukarest 1917 5.) Rumänien 1917 GreyC

Yes. An Artillerie-Regiment is divided into (2) Abteilungen which are subdivided into Batterien. 1st Batterie is part of 1st Abt. IR´s did not have Batterien. My guess is, because there was no FuArt 50 it seemed superflous to write FAR 50 as it was the only option. GreyC

Hi, as far as i know, there was no FuAR 50. The FeldAR 50 was founded in 1899 and from Karlsruhe. The IR 50 was from Posen. GreyC

Hi, like the medal a lot. Here a photo from the ship from my collection. GreyC

Hi, could he have gotten the Chinese medal during the events surrounding the Boxeraufstand in 1900? Maybe not as a soldier but on diplomatic mission? GreyC

Thanks Laurentius, I attach a photo of a braunschweiger Förster who earned EKII and EKI as well as the braunschweiger Kriegsverdienstkreuz II and I. Klasse. The latter was only awarded since 20.März 1918 by Herzog Ernst August. The photo was taken in 1925. I like it because of the symmetry. GreyC

Quite an impressive display, there, Alan. I have seen photos on which soldiers wore two different crosses besides the EKI. I wonder if there were also soldiers with more than that? If so, probably Generals and higher. GreyC

Well, I am not so sure about that. If he wasn´t in the German Luftstreitkräfte from the get go, he might have been enlisted in an infantry regiment from Hamburg, got wounded, was declared unfit for infantry service at the front and switched to the FA33. This happened quite often. However upon checking the German loss-list there was no candidate that seemed likely. There was one Droth from Lübeck who got wounded... I think it is more likely he got the Hanseatenkreuz for helping out some unit of Hamburg origin with his service. GreyC