Dave Danner

Walter Rogge Kurt Fischer, Pour le Mérite on 4.11.17

Georg Schmidt Maj. von der Lochau I don't know his first name. He was a Hauptmann in IR 167, promoted Major on 27.1.15, and later commander of the Ersatz battalion of IR 83. He was placed z.D. on 12.3.18 and was named the Bezirkoffizier of Landwehrbezirk II Bochum.

Paul Weydt, Maj.a.D., later OTLaD

Another Wilhelm Braun: Braun, Dr. jur. et rer. pol. Wilhelm Gustav Albrecht Bernhard born 10 July 1895 in Karlsruhe, Baden Hptm. 1.8.33 Maj. 1.8.37 OTL 1.12.40 Oberst 1.6.42 Kdr. MG-Bataillon 4, 1.9.39-28.6.42 [probably since 1937] Kdr. Unterführer-Lehrgang (mot.) Wehrkreis III, 17.7.42-4.3.43 Kdr. Panzer-Grenadier Regiment 112, 5.3.43-15.8.43 Kdr. Grenadier-Ersatz-Regiment (mot.) 3, 8.9.43-30.11.44

That looks like three stars on the flag. The Syrian flag only had three stars, like Iraq's, from 1932-1958 and from 1961-1972. Do you think it's likely the slide is that old? If not then it's probably Iraqi.

One consideration regarding the EK: We have often said that the EK, while technically a Prussian award, was viewed as a quasi-German award through World War I. This of course reflects Prussia's role in creating Germany and the fact that from 1871 to 1918 the King of Prussia was also the German Emperor. But I wonder if there is also another psychological factor. Outside of maybe a brief period from its founding in early 1813 to the Battle of the Nations later that year when Napoleon lost his remaining German allies, I don't think there was a period where a German could get the Iron Cross for killing other Germans. This isn't the case for other state awards, of Prussia or any of the other German states, some of which predate 1813 and others which were awarded for the 1848-49 revolutions and the 1866 war, which pitted German against German. Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden, especially, might have seen the "simple" Iron Cross as a modest compromise. His father had sided with Prussia against his own people (including my great-grandfather) in 1848-49, and Friedrich I himself sided with Austria against Prussia in 1866, though somewhat reluctantly. At least with the Iron Cross he was only making a statement against the French.

What little I can add: Oswald was transferred from Glogau to IR 81 on 19 June 1914, gazetted in the 20.6.1914 edition of the MWB. According to Busche's Formationsgeschichte der deutschen Infanterie im Ersten Weltkrieg, Oswald commanded I./RIR 87. Regards

I fixed the spelling of the topic title and changed the tag.

I have a picture of him somewhere...

Maybe Scholz?

They are probably among the ones who turned it around on their medal bars so that Wilhelm's cipher was on the reverse. Also, if you had both the EK and the MVK, you might put the MVK buttenhole ribbon over the EK. Though, what they thought of Prussians as a people and what they thought of the EK might be two different stories. What are Bavarian attitudes toward Prussians like today? When I was in Potsdam in September 2007, I saw a local news broadcast on the opening of the Oktoberfest. The reporter had a good time making fun of the Bavarians and their funny accents, which I found amusing given how harsh his accent sounded.

I spoke (figuratively) too soon. I can add something: 1. Ldst.-Inf.-Btl. Essen VII/60 became IV./LdstIR 39 on 4.6.16. It later moved to LdstIR 38, becoming its III.Btl. I don't know the exact date, but probably around May 1917, when LdstIR 39 became a Württemberg regiment. That would put it in the 19th, then the 48th Landwehr-Divisions. So if there are unit histories for any of these, those might help. Of course, I have no idea if Freund was still with the battalion when these changes happened, but maybe a unit history would say.

According to the Ehrenrangliste, Ostertag died on 23.6.16 in Gent. Ch.d.Gen.St.d.Et.Insp. 4 is listed as his last position. He started the war as a battalion commander in GGR 2, so if someone has a regimental history, that might have more information. On 27 May 1915, he is shown as an OTL v.d. Armee, commanded to the Gesandtschaft im Haag (at least I think it's him; I don't see another OTL Ostertag). So the best I have is sometime after May 1915 and before June 1916. Freund was still listed commander of the Landsturm battalion on 18.9.15 when he received a Patent as Major. He is still a Major z.D. in the 1919 Dienstaltersliste, so the OTL was probably a retirement bump. That's all I can add.

Viktor Müller born 4.2.1898 in Dieuze, Lorraine Hptm. 1.11.33 Maj. 1.4.38 OTL 1.6.41 Oberst 1.1.43 Bavarian Army, Freikorps and Reichswehr, 26.4.16-31.10.23 Wehrmacht from 21.10.34: Chef 12./IR 104, 1.4.37-31.7.38 Chef 14./IR 104, 1.8.38-Mobilm. Kdr. I./IR 115, 26.8.39-14.9.41 Kdr. I./SchutzenR 126, 28.10.41-15.4.42 Führer-Reserve, 16.4.42-31.8.42 Fhr. PzGrenR 382, 1.9.42-10.11.42 Laz., then Führer-Reserve, 11.11.42-20.7.43 Kdr. PzGrenR 5, 21.7.43-14.1.44 Kdr. FeldjR (mot) 2, 15.1.44-15.9.44 Führer-Reserve, 15.9.44-9.12.44 Fhr. TrÜbPl Schwarzenborn, 10.12.44-4.3.45 Kdt. TrÜbPl Schwarzenborn, 5.3.45-Kriegsende

Alois Becker Hptm. on 1.10.38, Maj. on 1.3.42

Generalmajor Friedrich Heyl http://www.geocities.com/~orion47/WEHRMACHT/HEER/Generalmajor/HEYL_FRIEDRICH.html

char. Generalmajor Fritz Brüll. http://geocities.com/~orion47/WEHRMACHT/HEER/Generalmajor/BRUELL_FRIEDRICH.html

I think it is Beseler, not Befeler. That darned long s (ſ). Lothar Beseler, born 7.2.1908, Hptm., IR 22, on 1.3.38. Killed in action on 3.9.1939 in Poland as company commander, 7./IR 151.

It looks like Schaumburg-Lippe to me.

Here is a larger version of the ribbon bar. There is definitely a device on this one. I don't think it is the same ribbon as on his other Feldspange, either - the patterns don't really match well. With the round device, this may be the Slovak Bravery Medal.

Probably Hptm. (later Maj.) Joachim Mittermaier.

The Militär-Wochenblatt for the promotion dates. Gotha for Günther von Killisch-Horn's first name and birthdate. The Lundström/Krause book on Saxon duchy awards for Mühlenpfordt's first name, and Mühlenpfordt's dissertation for his exact birthdate.

#65 Hans Egbert Günther von Killisch-Horn, born 16.5.1870, Maj.d.R. on 27.1.17 #66 Franz Mühlenpfordt, born 1.2.1876, Hptm.d.R. on 24.1.16 Dewall and Ledebur both became generals.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Dieck If he got the EK2w, he got it late. I do not have him with it as of 1921.

Is it just me, or does the NCO second from the right look an awful lot like Adolf Galland? Like it could almost be his dad.