David M

Hello Gentlemen! I was wondering if anyone of you has access to this book by Arnhard Graf Klenau: Die Verleihungen des preu?ischen Roten Adler Ordens in der ersten und zweiten Klasse von 1810 bis 1854 In my research for biographical data on the officers of the kurhessian army, I have an bunch of people decorated with this order and was wondering what kind of details the book holds on them Hope to hear from you David M

I hoped one of the members here would have had a copy of the book: Erdient und Verdient! - Die Orden, milit?rischen Ehrenzeichen und Kriegs-Denkm?nzen Seiner Majest?t des Deutschen Kaisers und K?nigs von Preu?en. Wilhelm I Offenbach, PHV-Verlag, 1999. Nachdruck der Ausgabe Berlin 1875 As I understands it lists the orders and decorations of Wilhelm I., and the kurhessian House Order as well, hopefully with an award-date. David

A question I have always like to ask collectors of helmets: does it actuallt fit?

Well if he is 70, I hope to look as good asd he does when I am that age!!!!!!

Couldn't it be that the Czar was the regimental inhaber of one of the regiments this guy belonged to? Or would that be a silly reason for being awarded a foreign decoration? I must say the bulgarian decorations are really beautiful!! I really like the type of crown and cross they used!

Its bulgarian (as states the crown on the weapon crest on your first image) secondly, and I am not into buylgarian orders at all, I thinks it has something to do wuth an order of Alexander? At least that's what I read in the bold letters (just comparing a bit with the letters of the name of grimm translated in german underneath. But than again, just a wild guess.........

I am always fascinated by people trying to destroy historical context in order to make a few bugs more

As I saw a very succefull thread on the British and Commonwealth forum, I hope next to the stories we already know from the members of this forum , others will come along in this thread My personal connection to soldiers in WWI is the son of the brother of my grandfathers grandfather (as my grandfathers grandfather himself was already in a naturalized Dutch citizen by that time. Wilhelm Albert Karl August M?ldner , geboren Berlin 7.11.1887, Ritter des Eisernen Kreuzes I. Klasse und II. Klasse (Preussen), Seefliegerabzeichen (Preussen) (24.9.1915), 22.8.1914 Diensteintritt im Freiwillige Marine Flieger Korps, 7.1915 Obermatrose, II. Seeflieger-Abteilung, dann Flugmaat, 1.1916 I. Seeflieger-Abteilung (Station Varna, Bulgarien) und II. Seeflieger-Abteilung, 4.7.1916 Vizeflugmeister, 24.5.1917 Leutnant der Reserve der Matrosenartillerie, 15.9.1917 II. Adjudant der Stab der I. Seeflieger-Abteilung (Kiel-Holtenau), 17.4.1918 zur Verf?gung der Kommandeur der Flieger des Marine Korps Flandern (Br?gge, Belgien), 6.5.1918 zur Verf?gung der Marine Flugchef (Berlin), 21.1.1920 ausser Dienst, dann Kaufmann in Berlin, seit 1926 die Gesch?fte seiner Vater v?llig ?bernommen, gestorben Berlin 1942. Wilhelms father, who was an uncle of my grandfathers father, was a Berlin paper-factorer. Of him I do have a photo and In memoriam No photo yet, sadly but I will visit Freiburg sometime, as I heard there is the Kriegstagebuch of one of Wilhelm's units. David M.

Wooo you guys really do have the sources!!! I would only wish I had such a very extensive library and collection!!! ....but well I am just a 22 your old poor student.... Great data and info David!! Thanks David

Hi Rick Thanks for the digg up!! Well I guess keeping the horse-bag wasn't a very honourable thing to do. Subsequently, these types would not have been holding awards like the HHOX? I expect same goes for ammunition colonne and field-bakery?I can imagine it to be far more efficient to bake your own bread and so on, so why bother David

Hi Rick and David! Thanks. So as I understand it, they were part of the Train-Abteilungen. Does this also mean that they were under the command of the Train-bataillons? David M

Hello Gentlemen! I came accross the term Pferde-Depot and find it quite interesting. However I dont get it: how many horses where in a depot? what was the purpose of having them in a depot anyway? was a depot attached to a regiment/corps? what kind and how many officers were commanding a pferde-depot? Hope my questions are not very impossible Thanks DavidM

Hi Glenn! I checked the overall catalogue of the dutch libraries for this title....no luck

Woooow Glenn that's great....what kind of sources did you use for this? Maybe I am able to find a hard copy in my library! Thanks again, so much!! David M

Although replying to myself, here is the complete overview of Louis'account Angaben ?ber meine milit?rische T?tigkeit im Weltkriege Ich r?ckte als Adjutant der 4. Garde-Infanterie-Brigade (Regimenter Franz und Augusta ) ins Feld. Mein Kommandeur war Generalmajor von Gontard . Die Brigade erhielt ihre Feuertaufe in dem schweren Gefecht bei Auvelais a.d. Sambre am 21.-22.8.1914. In den letzten Augusttagen k?mpfte die Brigade im Verbande des Gardekorps in der gro?en Schlacht bei St. Quentin , die Brigade speziell bei La Val?e. Es folgte die schweren K?mpfe in den ersten Septembertagen die zur Schlacht an der Marne f?hrten. Am 7. September wurde ich neben meinem Kommandeur auf der gro?en Strasse nach Normee durch Granatsplitter am Hinterkopf verwundet, konnte aber nach Anlegung eines Notverbandes noch bis zum Nachmittags meinen Dienst versehen. Dann wurde ich bei der Division verbunden und da die Verwundung doch schlimmer war, als ich im Eifer des Gefechts gemerkt hatte, des Abends im Auto des Divisions-Kommandeurs nach Epernay gebracht. Unterwegs traf ich durch Zufall meinen treuen Burschen Riepenhof , der mich von da hin begleitete. In Epernay blieb ich 2 Tage, und hier erfuhren wir die traurige Nachricht vom R?ckzuge des Westheeres. Von Epernay wurden wir nach Reims gebracht und hier ware ich beinahe in franz?sische Gefangenschaft geraten. Es gelang mir aber, mit verschiedenen Offizieren des Gardecorps in mehreren Autos kurz vor der Besetzung durch die Franzosen nach Laon zu entkommen. Von dort kehrte ich wieder an die Front zur?ck und traf meine Brigade n?rdlich Reims. Am Tage meiner R?ckkehr (13.9.) erhielt ich von meinem Divisions-Kommandeur das E.K.2. Die Heilung meiner Kopfwunde nahm doch mehrere Wochen in Anspruch, da das liegen in harten und feuchten Unterst?nden sich als besonders sch?dlich erwies. Ich blieb Brigade-Adjutant bis Weihnachten 1914. Dann erfolgte meiner Versetzung zu einem neu aufzustellenden Reserve-Infanterie Regiment, R.I.R. 261 in D?beritz, dem ich als Kompanie-F?hrer zugeteilt wurde. Nach 4 w?chiger Ausbildung r?ckten wir Anfang Februar ins Feld und zwar nach dem Osten. Als F?hrer der 6. Kompanie, Reserve-Infanterie Regiment 261 machte ich hier die Winterschlacht in Masuren und die Verfolgung bis zum Bobr mit. Hier wurde mein bisheriger Bataillons-F?hrer, Hauptmann von Gr?ter , fr?her 2. Garde-Regiment, neben mir schwer verwundet und ich ?bernahm das Bataillon, das ich bis Ende August 1915 f?hrte. Zun?chst in den Stellungsk?mpfen bei Augustowo und Kalwarja, anschlie?end in den Angriffsk?mpfen an der Schlawanta und den K?mpfen um Kowno. Im Gefecht an der Jessja erhielt ich das E.K.1 (19.7.1915). W?hrend der Verfolgung von Kowno auf Wilna erkrankte ich an Lungenkatarrh und wurde zun?chst nach K?nigsberg geschickt, wo ich bei meinem Onkel Wyneken verblieb. Nach kurzer Erholungszeit traf mich hier meine Versetzung in den Generalstab und gleichzeitige Kommandierung zum A.O.K. 5, der Kronprinzen Armee. Am 25.9.1915 traf ich an der Westfront im Hauptquartier des Kronprinzen ein. Chef des Kronprinzen war damals mein alter Kommandeur vom 4. Garde-Regiment z.F., Generalmajor Schmidt von Knobelsdorf , dem ich letzten Endes meine Versetzung in den Generalstab zu verdanken hatte. Kaisersgeburtstag 1916 wurde ich in den Generalstab der Armee versetzt und am 4.5.1916 unter Belassung der Uniform des Generalstabes der Armee zum pers?nlichen Adjutanten des Kronprinzen des Deutschen Reiches und von Preussen ernannt. In dieser Stellung verblieb ich bis zum Ende des Krieges und den traurigen Zusammenbruch am 9. November 1918. Am 13. November 1918 sah sich der Kronprinz veranlasst auf holl?ndisches Gebiet ?berzutreten. Seitdem lebe ich mit dem Kronprinzen in freiwilliger Verbannung auf der Insel Wieringen. Meinen Abschied aus den preu?ischen Milit?rdiensten bei dem ?bertritt nach Holland erhielt ich durch Verf?gung des Kriegsministers vom 26. November 1918. ------- Unfortunately, there are some mistakes and flauds, so was the Hauptmann Gr?ter actually a Major and the CP did not transfer to Holland the 13th buth the 12th of November. These kind of mikstakes however, are common with Louis M?ldner. In later correspondence he refers to Major Edgar von Hellermann, as Hauptmann Hellermann and to Leutnant Freiherr Bottlemberg genannt von Schirp as Leutnant von Bottenberg. But than again....he was hid on the head by that shell....right Furthermore I would like to know something more on the actions he describes on the Eastern Front during his service. Although I did some research, I have not been able to find details on actions such as the Battle at Schlawanta and the Verfolgung von Kowno auf Wilna or the Verfolgung bis zum Bobr. I serached sites like stahlgewitter, with no succes. Would you have any suggestions as were to look for such informations? Basically I am just looking for a short account of what happened and wether or not it was favourable to the Central Powers. Thanks for any help, David M.

Hello gentlemen! The officer I have been asking questions about several times, Louis M?ldner von M?lnheim, wrote a short account on his services during WWI. He writes he was wounded "auf der grossen Strasse nach Norm?e" at the 7th of September 1914. He was taken to hospital in Epernay, two days later to a hospital at Reims. He did not stay at Reims very long, because he and some other wounded Gardeofficers had to flee in several cars, because the French army re-occupied Reims. My questions are: Is there a description to be found about the actions at or closeby Norm?e on the 7th of September? As I do not know anything about the german medical corps, were there specific Lazarettes in Epernay and Reims at this time? At which date was Reims retaken by the French troops? (M?ldner does not mention the dat in his account, but it should be between 7.9. and 13.9.1914. Hope you could help me out, or redirect me to another source! Thanks David M.

Mike!! That's fantastic!! NB von M?ller lived from 1875-1976!!! he descendants now live in Brazil, as I remember correctly!

That's great both of you!! I like the clos-up of M?ller!!! He is mentioned time and again in the account Louis made on the exile of the CP, as M?ller went up and down to Berlin and Oels. To finally have a clear image of him is great!!! Regards David

Hi Mike! That would be awesome! Thanks David

That's great Glenn! Interesting to see that he actually died of the wound inflicted when Louis had to take over command. Regards, David M.

Hi guys! I am looking for someone who might have a copy of: Schwerin, C.v. und Schmidt, K.: Reserve-Infanter Regiment 261 (Garde Kriegsformation) in Ost und West, 128 S. Berlin, 1923. Especially interested in Hauptmann Friedrich Freiherr von Diepenbroick-Gr?ter, Bataillonschef during the Masuren-Schlacht and the Verfolgung bis zum Bobr and his previous and afterward career. As well as mention of Louis M?ldner von M?lnheim, Compagniechef in the 6th Company of this Regiment from Dezember 1914-August 1915. Thanks very much for any replies! David M

Hi Glenn, Well yeah that would have been easier I guess (so stupid of me, I completely forgot, you told me you were going there for the Stammliste....)anyway, If you have the title of the book you used, I am sure I can work out something at a German library.... Thanks David

Hi Glenn!!! Well that is a great found! Otto von M?ller became the CP's trustee, next to Louis von M?ldner. The two adjudanten worked together during the exile and the Otto von M?ller, who was born in 1875 lived to 1976(!!) any idea if he would appear on one of the Stammliste of the 1 GRzF (if such a thing exists) to see what his NCO career was like? Again many thanks for you copy you send me privately from the Stammliste with georgs details on it! it contained some very interesting new elements!! BTW, I take it all the promotions of Otto were in the 1GRzF? Thanks again David

Hi guys, this photo was taken and made into a postcard, any idea what kind of uniforms the people are wearing? Thanks DM whoo I just realise what a bad photo this is, I will try and upgrade it soon

Well, I tried, but was wrong....really thought he quite resembled Boroevic... I'll just go and shut up now