Dave Danner

One more HOH3X recipient who did not survive the war. Hemmerling, Friedrich Karl Heinrich *29.11.1879 in Berlin, gef. 1.8.1918 bei Koekuit, Bixschoote 12.2.15 Lt.d.L.-Inf. I (IV Berlin) im Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 225 Regierungslandmesser bei der Kgl. Eisenbahndirektion Berlin HOH3X am 8.7.1918.

According to a June 1944 list of artillery officers, Karl Wehber from JRzP 6 and IR 449 was a Major z.V. (RDA 1.6.41) and Stogas of the LXXXI. Armeekorps, being replaced by Hptm.d.R. Wilfried Frhr. v. Reitzenstein. I don't know any other assignments, but given his WW2 role he likely had additional decorations besides the HOH3X and likely the HH (he was a Hamburg native). The same list indicates that HOH3X-recipient Karl Bäsch was "mit der Führung beauftragt" of Heeres-Flakartillerie-Brigade 501 on 5.1.1945. Bäsch, born on 12.1.1890, received Baden's Militär-Karl-Friedrich-Verdienstorden on 15.9.1917 as a Lt.d.R. in RFAR 52 and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 16.11.1943 as a Maj.d.R. (RDA 1.8.42) in Heeres-Flak-Artillerie-Abteilung 275, so quite a few rather high decorations.

The Rufname of Hauptmann Grebel from IR 84 was Otto: Grebel, Moritz Franz Otto *13.7.1876 in Berlin There is a family tree on Ancestry which gives his date and place of death as †26.7.1951 in Bonn, but does not identify its sources. Grebel is also listed as an Oberst a.D., so if the information is correct, he may have been a z.V. officer in World War 2. Grebel commanded the I. Bataillon of RIR 90 at Verdun; besides the HOH3X he also had the MMV1&2.

Another Pionier officer: Schaub, Wilhelm Abel Carl Fürchtegott *24.02.1895 in Eschwege †20.12.1959 in Münster i.W. Lt., Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 11, OLt.a.D. He had two brothers, Georg and Karl, who were killed as Leutnants der Reserve. Both were also in PB 11.

The later Generalleutnant Rudolf Schulze:

Just another ribbon bar example - Generalmajor Walther Hoßfeld. Two things of note, though. First is another example of period mistakes in wear. The ÖM3K is treated as a foreign decoration and placed last after the Schutzwallehrenzeichen, when by then-current regulations it should have been treated as a Landesorden and placed with the other German state awards. And the HOH3X, as a Landesorden, should come after the Ostmedaille. Second is the presence of the exceedingly rare Silberne Spange to the Großherzoglich Hessisches Allgemeines Ehrenzeichen "Für Tapferkeit".

General der Artillerie Johann Sinnhuber

General der Infanterie Albrecht Schubert

Generalmajor Paul Herrmann (1892-1974)

Generalmajor Wilhelm von Henning:

• 21.12.1914 1914 Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse • 02.02.1915 Großherzoglich Badischer Orden vom Zähringer Löwen, Ritterkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern • 26.01.1918 1914 Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse • 03.07.1915 Königlich Sächsischer Albrechts-Orden, Ritterkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern • 27.01.1916 Königlich Sächsischer Verdienst-Orden, Ritterkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern • 20.09.1918 Allerhöchster Anerkennungsurkunde S.M. des Königs von Sachsen • 14.01.1935 Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer • 02.10.1936 Wehrmacht (Heer) Dienstauszeichnung 4. bis 1. Klasse • 30.01.1941 Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern • 30.08.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" • 01.09.1943 Kriegsverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse mit Schwertern • 18.03.1943 1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuze 2. Klasse

I hid the standing desk post as it appears to be spam. The bar is post-1916. as the König-Ludwig-Kreuz was first awarded that year. I agree that the lack of an Iron Cross is an issue if it were a WW1-combatant bar. It is most likely a retired officer who was an 1870-71 veteran recalled for service in the Heimat in WW1. Possible service in the 21.IR and/or 8.IR to explain the Mecklenburg and Baden orders. The Großherzog of Baden became Chef of 8.IR in 1896. It's possible the MVO ribbon is wrong, and should be the peacetime version.

Generalmajor Wilhelm Heider with a nice buttonhole HOH3X. You can also see his MMV1 and just barely make out his MStMV1.

I posted this on AHF, but in case anyone here did not see it there, here is Generalmajor Heinz Furbach wearing a very minimalist ribbon bar with just his EK2Sp and HOH3X:

Hahn is a rather common name. No reason to believe any of them are related. Also, the 5th ribbon is not the Albrechts-Orden. Johannes Hahn was a Leutnant in IR 103, whose Chef was Großherzog Friedrich II. He received the Ritterkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern of the Großherzoglich Badischer Orden vom Zähringer Löwen on 2.2.1915. For the Landesorden, the ribbon bar precedence appears to be by award date, with the SA3bX followed by the BZ3bX and the SV3bX.

It's not in his Rangliste entry, but he is in the list of Prussian ÖM3K recipients, along with his brothers Justin amd Gottfried and a cousin, Wilhelm, from GGR 4.

Kurt von Obernitz was an E-Offizier. He was an Oberst (E) and Kommandeur WBK Eberswalde in the 12.10.1937 Stellenbesetzung, but is not in the 10.11.1938 Stellenbesetzung, so he was probably retired on age grounds (he turned 60 in 1938). Judging by the KVK ribbon, he was recalled in WW2, probably as an Oberst z.V. The only oddity in the photo is that his Feldspange is missing the ÖM3K.

He was the great-grandson of Wilhelm von Humboldt.

Yes, Justin was his brother. Kurt was transferred from Husaren-Regiment Nr. 4 to Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 9 on 1.10.1913. During World War I, he was a Bataillons-Kommandeur in Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 221. After the war he was in the 6. Reiter-Regiment and the 14. Reiter-Regiment.

It depends on his career path and education. Typically, a university student would do his Einjährig-Freiwilliger year after the first few semesters of educations, so age 22 would fit. So he could have been an Einjährig-Freiwilliger in 1911-12, then after his annual exercises been commissioned in 1914 or so. Glenn might be able to find his promotion date, since he's more familiar with the Militär-Wochenblatt.

The Kurt Albrecht born in 1889 in Dahme was wounded as a Lt.d.R. in IR 19 in early 1915. The third ribbon is the Austro-Hungarian Militärverdienstkreuz 3. Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration 3. Klasse, which he received as a Lt.d.R. in IR 329. The second ribbon might be Hessen or Oldenburg. The colors of the ribbons tend to wash out in black & white photos.

Generalmajor Hans Horn.

Hugo Hermann Schilling *29.3.1884 in Bergstedt, Kreis Stormarn Stand: Amtsgerichtsaktuar, corrected to Amtsgerichssekretär Religion: evangelisch He was single (ledig), later changed to married Entered service on 1.4.1907 as an Einjährig-Freiwilliger in the 3. Kompanie of the I. Seebataillon. Prussian Verdienstkreuz für Kriegshilfe awarded on 20.12.1917. The cover has him as an Unteroffizier, changed to Feldwebel.

Based on the size of the cross, I'd say Oldenburg is more likely than Braunschweig. Not enough detail to confirm Hamburg. Honestly, the detail is fuzzy, but that looks like three overlapping medals at the end. Too fuzzy to be certain, or to tell which medals they are.

The last one looks like the statute ribbon for the Bulgarian Military Merit Order.