Dave Danner

Schönau-Wehr, Eberhard Adolf Rudolf Johann Freiherr von *04.04.1877 auf Wehr, Großherzogtum Baden †23.01.1965 in Freiburg im Breisgau Mitherr auf Wehr, Schwörstadt und Wieladingen Hofmarschall der Großherzogin Hilda von Baden 07.03.1896 char. Portepée-Fähnrich im Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 113 18.10.1896 Portepée-Fähnrich 20.07.1897 Sekondelieutenant 09.07.1900 in das 4. Ostasiatische Infanterie-Regiment versetzt (China-Expedition) 06.06.1901 in das 2. Ostasiatische Infanterie-Regiment versetzt 04.08.1902 in das Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 113 wieder angestellt 20.07.1907 Oberleutnant 27.01.1913 Hauptmann xx.xx.1914 leicht verwundet als Chef der 12./IR 113 16.05.1920 Waffenoffizier (Infanterie) beim Wehrkreiskommando V 01.10.1920 im 14. Infanterie-Regiment bzw. 14. (badischen) Infanterie-Regiment xx.xx.1921 Major xx.xx.1922 RDA als Major vom 18.05.1920 (18) erhalten xx.xx.192x verabschiedet (zw. Mai 1926 und Mai 1927 Ranglisten) xx.xx.1935 Oberst (E) mit RDA vom 01.10.1929 01.11.1935 Kommandeur des Wehrbezirks Tübingen (laut Stellenbesetzung) I am not sure of the promotion date to Major. It was between the 01.10.1920 and 01.10.1921 Reichsheer Stellenbesetzungen. New Reichsheer RDAs were assigned around September 1922, I believe. He's in the 12.10.1937 Stellenbesetzung, but not in the 1938 Stellenbesetzung, so he was retired between those. He was an Oberst z.V. in 1940, according to the HPA personnel file of one of his sons. Ritter des Großherzoglich Badischen Militär-Karl-Friedrich-Verdienstordens (BV3) Ritter des Königlich Preußischen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern (HOH3X) - plus about a dozen more decorations and campaign, commemorative and service medals

Otto Glenk was a Leutnant der Reserve in Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 49. Karl Glenk, born 8.12.1886, was the Leutnant der Landwehr-Pioniere I (22.6.1916) in the 1. Landwehr-Pionier-Kompanie des XIII. Armeekorps. He received the WsM in 1915 and the WF3bX on 20.1.1917.

Schöhneit, Heinrich Christian Wilhelm *15.11.1890 in Altona (Ottensen) *11.02.1884 in Ahrensburg Leutnant, Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 78, 05.10.16 Oberleutnant, Hauptmann a.D. He was an Oberstleutnant in World War II, but I have not seen his file, so I don't have any further details.

Notwithstanding this, awards continued to be made. Possibly because they were Imperial to the bone, many officers did not really care what a bunch of politicians in Weimar thought of their traditions. And awards continued to be made with official sanction. The Reichswehr stopped accepting new recommendations for war awards around 1920, but continued to process existing recommendations, and there was still an exception for returning prisoners of war. For Prussia, this was limited to general awards (e.g., EK1&2, Verdienstkreuz für Kriegshilfe, Rote-Kreuz-Medaille, Dienstauszeichnung), rather than knightly orders associated with the old monarchy, like the House Order of Hohenzollern. But other states had different practices. Saxony: the Heeresabwicklungsamt Sachsen processed award recommendations for Saxon war decorations, including knightly orders. For example, Erich von Loßnitzer was awarded his Militär-St.-Heinrichs-Orden on 21.1.1920. Like Fritsch, Hptm.d.R. Ernst Seydel, Hptm.d.R. Walter Eichler, and OLt. Heinrich Gerlach were awarded the SA3aX on 18.6.1920. On the same date, the SA3bX was awarded to Lt.d.R. Rudolf Berger, Lt.d.L. Rudolf Böhmer, Lt.d.R. Wolfgang von Boetticher and Lt.d.R. Alfred Johnson, and the Verdienstkreuz mit Schwertern was awarded to Proviantamtsinspektor Richard Engst. From the Schutztruppe für Kamerun, Lt.d.L. Johannes Gläser and Lt.d.R. Richard Wolf received the SA3bX on 1.9.1920 and Stabsveterinär Dr. Ernst Artur Gottschalk received the SA3aX on 19.10.1920. Bavaria: The Heeresabwicklungsamt Bayern announced that it would stop processing Vorschläge for most military decorations on 31.5.1920, with 30.6.1920 being the Abschlußtermin for the Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden and the Militär-Sanitäts-Orden. Only prisoners of war returning after those dates could still be considered for awards, and then the proposal had to be made within 2 months after their return. Awards were still being gazetted in the Verordnungsblatt in December 1920. These included the Militär-Verdienstorden, the Militär-Verdienstkreuz, the Tapferkeitsmedaillen and the Verdienstkreuz für freiwilligen Krenkenpflege. Württemberg I am not sure about. The Heeresabwicklungsamt Württemberg did have an office for Ordensangelegenheiten. I have seen some post-war award recommendations denied, but I do know of post-war awards. For exampe, the later-Generalmajor Hermann Harttmann from the Schutztruppe für Kamerun was awarded the WM3 in January 1920, although he had been nominated in 1917. Mecklenburg-Schwerin continued to award the Militärverdienstkreuz into the 1920s. The last known award of the Mecklenburg-Strelitzsches Kreuz für Auszeichnung im Kriege was in January 1924. Awards of the Friedrich-August-Kreuz were made by the Oldenburg Militärkanzlei through at least 1920. I have seen mid-1920s correspondence in a Wehrmacht personnel file from the former Flügeladjutant to the Großherzog regretting that no one was left to approve an award, but telling the officer in question he should consider himself as having earned the award. The Sachsen-Weimar Hausorden der Wachsamkeit oder vom Weißen Falken was awarded with swords into 1920. As a Hausorden, technically it could still be awarded even after that point, although without any official sanction. The final award of the Schaumburg-Lippisches Kreuz für Treue Dienste 1914 was made in 1923. The final official awards of the Lippisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz were made in 1922 and the last award of the Kriegsehrenkreuze für heldenmütige Tat was made in 1921. Since it was a Hausorden, the Ehrenkreuz continued to be awarded, even with swords after that point. Several Wehrmacht officers had late awards of Kriegsverdienstkreuz and Ehrenkreuz mit Schwertern, although in most cases these were backdated to November 1918. The Bremisches Hanseatenkreuz was awarded into 1923. The Haumburgisches Hanseatenkreuz was awarded into at least 1922. The Lübecksches Hanseatenkreuz was awarded into 1921. The Saxon duchies are an odd case. Awards of the Ernestinischer Hausorden with swords continued to be made into the 1930s at least, and the Reichswehr's and Wehrmacht's attitude toward them varied from time to time. Other awards of war decorations were also made after the war. Major a.D. Heinrich von Hanstein, for example, was awarded the Carl-Eduard-Kriegskreuz and the EH3aX in 1928. Anhalt and Schwarzburg stopped processing awards with the abdications in November 1918. Other stated I am less certain about. I have not come across any post-1918 awards from Baden, Hessen or Braunschweig, but I cannot say for certain there were none.

It was a colonial award.

Regarding Ottos, the Lt.d.R. Otto from Jäger-Regiment Nr. 4 who received the HOH3X on 16.8.1918 would be from JB 11, RJB 5 or RJB 6. The RJB 5 history has an award list, so it can be excluded, so that leaves JB 11 and RJB 6. I can't find a Lt.d.R. Otto in RJB 6, but I also don't have a battalion history. The JB 11 Otto, however, is the most likely candidate: Otto, Adolf Gerichtsreferendar, 18.8.1922 Dr.jur. (Gießen), in 1931 Rechtsanwalt in Schmalkalden Lt.d.R. d. JB 11, Bataillons-Adjutant SMK, ÖM3K Dr. Otto was the author of the battalion history, Kriegstagebuch des Kurhessischen Jägerbataillons Nr. 11, 1914-1918.

There are a bunch of Schmidts who received the HOH3X late in the war whose first names are unknown. The only Ernst Schmidt I can find connected to Lüdenscheid is Ernst August Schmidt, *28.3.1889, Rektor & Volksschullehrer in Lüdenscheid. I do not know where he was born, so I haven't found him in any casualty lists which might allow us to connect him to a unit. I do have a name for one of the late-war Schmidts: Schmidt, Anton, *6.1.1893 in Paderborn, HOH3X on 30.10.1918 as a Lt.d.R. in IR 369. He was wounded on 24.10.1914 as a Kriegsfreiwilliger in IR 158, and twice wounded (1916 and 1918) as a Lt.d.R. in IR 369. Further on HOH3X- and Ritterkreuzträger Gustav Hertz: you can also add to his awards the Krimschild, the Commander Cross with Swords of the Order of the Star of Romania on the Ribbon for Military Virtue (Rum3XT), and presumably the Romanian Crusade Against Communism Medal.

Regarding Hptm. Walter Liegener from IR 18/RIR 18, he was born in 1878 in Pleß and died of a heart attack in 1940 in St. Brieuc while serving as Kommandant of Feldkommandantur 808 (V). More biographical information here: https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=265223 He entered service on 17.3.1897, so he had the Centenarmedaille, and he retired on 31.12.1922, so he almost certainly also had the Dienstauszeichnungskreuz für Offiziere.

It still does not fully answer my question, but it does give me something to talk to Andreas about the next time I see him. The medal bar is perfectly consistent with Fritsch's known awards from published sources, but it does not address the recently discovered 1920 SA3aX award. The SA3aX is a higher award than the SA3aXaR, so why he chose not to wear it is curious. Maybe he just decided to keep wearing the lower, but rarer, award. Maybe, given the post-war situation in Dresden, he never received the cross and never thought to just acquire one himself from a jeweler. Maybe he decided he did not deserve the award, since the Schutztruppe for DSWA did not accomplish much, unlike the Schutztruppe for DOA, although he does wear the EK2 given for the same service. Who knows? Oh well.

He received the Ritterkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern for the Herero war. When he left active duty in 1914 as a Rittmeister, he was given the retirement award of the Ritterkreuz 1. Klasse. Since he had a lower grade of the order with swords, his Ritterkreuz 1. Klasse was with swords on the ring. This was normal procedure in German states when one received a higher grade of an award without swords but had previously received a lower grade with swords. It does not actually make sense for Saxony since that kingdom, unlike Prussia, allowed the wear of two grades of the order at the same time. The award of the Ritterkreuz 1. Klasse with swords was one of the many retroactive awards made to Schutztruppe officers after they returned from captivity. Similarly, Fritsch's Iron Cross 2nd Class was a post-war award, made on 20.10.1919. Technically, since the monarchy was no more, there was no one who could not tell Fritsch not to wear all three classes, but with exceptions people still tended to follow the old regulations. I just don't know if even the old regulations would have allowed for wear of all three.

Hello fellow forumites, Alexander Freiherr von Fritsch was a Saxon cavalry officer in UR 18 who had previously served in the Schutztruppe für Deutsch Südwestafrika. He was placed z.D. on 20.4.1914 and was the owner of a farm in SWA when World War I started. He subsequently served again with the Schutztruppe during the brief fighting there in 1914/15. Fritsch had previously received the Albrechts-Orden, Ritterkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern (SA3bX), while serving with the Schutztruppe. When he was placed z.D. in 1914, he was decorated with the Ritterkreuz 1. Klasse mit Schwertern am Ringe (SA3aXaR). On 18.6.1920, he was decorated with the Ritterkreuz 1. Klasse mit Schwertern (SA3aX). As far as I know, there was no such grade of the Albrechts-Orden as "Ritterkreuz 1. Klasse mit Schwertern und Schwertern am Ringe", so my question is, would he have returned the SA3aXaR when he received the SA3aX, or would he have been able to wear all three Albrechts-Orden crosses?

Hans-Joachim Gravenstein. A few things of note: there is a ribbon after the Hamburg Hanseatenkreuz and before the Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer. By the placement, it should be a WW1 Landesorden, but no other state award appears in his Personalakte other than the HOH3X, ÖM3K and HH. Also, the precedence is messed up since he put the Ostmedaille after the Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer. Finally, the last ribbon does not appear in his Personalakte. I believe it is the Deutsches Schutzwallehrenzeichen, which is often missing from Personalakten, since his command was in Koblenz in 1939 and moved to the Westwall on mobilization.

17.9.1918

It is Nikolaus. Adolf was apparently not a front officer. Nikolaus was wounded in 1915 as Adjutant of I./RIR 30. 1903 Einjährig-Freiwilliger im IR 30 27.01.06 Leutnant d.R. (I Essen) 16.02.15 OLt.d.R., z.Zt. im RIR 30 19.05.17 Hptm.d.R. 27.12.18 entlassen Adolf's promotions: 21.07.06 Leutnant d.R. 22.05.15 OLt.d.R., z.Zt. beim Kriegsgefangenenlager Gießen 12.08.18 Hptm.d.R., z.Zt. beim Ers./IR 65

A Hauptmann Freiherr von Schade was gazetted with the HOH3X in September 1917. Unfortunately, there were two such Hauptleute, and I have no idea which was the HOH3X recipient. Max was a general staff officer, so he seems like the best bet, but Hermann was an infantry combat officer, so he can't be ruled out. 1. Schade, Albert Carl Fritz Max Freiherr von, *07.05.1886 in Münster in Westfalen, gefallen 21.01.1945 in Ratibor. 27.02.1904 aus der Hauptkadettenanstalt als Fähnrich dem Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 13 überwiesen 27.01.1905 Leutnant mit Patent vom 22.06.1903 (5) 01.11.1911 zur Kriegsakademie kommandiert 19.06.1912 Oberleutnant (J21) xx.08.1914 ins Feld als Führer der M.G.-Kompanie des Infanterie-Regiments Nr. 13 24.08.1914 verwundet 12.10.1914 zum Regiment zurück 28.11.1914 Hauptmann (Vv) xx.xx.1916 im Generalstabe des VI. Reservekorps xx.xx.1918 im Generalstabe der 11. Reserve-Division 16.05.1920 im Generalstabe des Reichswehr-Gruppenkommandos 2 (laut Stellenbesetzung) 01.10.1920 im Generalstabe des Gruppenkommandos 2 (laut Stellenbesetzung) 01.10.1921 im Infanterie-Regiment 15, kommandiert zum Generalstabe des Gruppenkommandos 2 (laut Stellenbesetzung) 30.11.1922 ausgeschieden - A char. Major i.G. a.D., he was a Prokurist in Ratibor and later Hamburg, and was reactivated as a Generalstabsoffizier der Reserve. 20.01.1941 Führerreserve OKH, kommandiert zum Generalkommando des VIII. Armeekorps 16.03.1941 Ia der 305. Infanterie-Division 27.12.1941 Ia der 246. Infanterie-Division 16.01.1943 Führerreserve OKH 12.02.1943 Chef des Stabes des Kommandanten des rückw. Armee-Gebiets 582 01.04.1943 Oberst i.G. d.R. 25.08.1943 Führerreserve OKH xx.xx.1945 Führer einer Kampfgruppe Known decorations: 24.07.1915 Herzoglich Sachsen-Meiningsches Ehrenkreuz für Verdienst im Kriege 20.12.1941 Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern 12.03.1942 1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuze 2. Klasse 03.08.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" 05.08.1942 1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuze 1. Klasse 2. Schade, Hermann Carl Freiherr von, *03.10.1888 in Münster in Westfalen, † 21.11.2009 in Hamburg 14.03.1907 aus der Hauptkadettenanstalt als Leutnant, vorläufig ohne Patent, dem Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 13 überwiesen 14.06.1907 Patent als Leutnant (Vv) 01.10.1912 Adjutant des I. Bataillons 03.09.1914 Regiments-Adjutant 24.12.1914 Oberleutnant 05.10.1916 Hauptmann (N4n) 30.08.1919 zur Disposition gestellt, Hauptmann a.D. 13.09.1938 SS-Brigadeführer Hermann's SS personnel file lists the EK1 and "Landesorden", among other later awards. Since the HOH3X is a Landesorden, he can't be ruled out on that alone. The third of the three brothers Freiherr von Schade was Carl Alfred, *18.09.1887 in Münster in Westfalen, †12.05.1955 in Wiesbaden. He was an Oberleutnant (5.9.1914) in the Schutztruppe für Deutsch-Südwestafrika, and was wounded and taken prisoner in March 1915. He was not promoted to Hauptmann until 1919 (backdated to 18.9.1915), so he can be ruled out for the HOH3X. He received a Charakter bump to Major which is not shown in the Ehrenrangliste. Other than the basic awards he would have had as a ST SWA officer (EK2, wound badge, Elefant), the only known award for Carl is the Rettungsmedaille am Bande, which he received on 23.4.1926.

Winkler is Hermann Richard, *15.8.1870 in Mettkau, Neumarkt in Schlesien; Hauptmann d.R. (Schweidnitz) des Infanterie-Regiments Nr. 51; HOH3X, LD1, VAs, ÖM3K

Since I was going through bios of officers on the same roll that Woller was on, I added a bio of the rather well-decorated Erich Wollmar here: https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=264809 Three Prussian, three Anhalt and three Sachsen-Altenburg decorations.

Daniel, for some reason I thought I already sent you a bio for Woller, the Lt. in IR 46. See here: https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=154554&p=2410504#p2410504

He is in the list, misspelled as "Berckemeyer". Berkemeyer is correct, according to the Militär-Wochenblatt, the Militär-Kabinett and the Prussian Verlustlisten. Born 9.3.1891 in Burgsteinfurt, he is listed by the University as missing in action and "für tot erklärt 1.11.1918". However, according to the Ehrenmal, the Lt.d.R. killed on 1.11.1918 was from LGR 109. Rudolf Berkemeyer was a Kriegsfreiwilliger in IR 47 and served in IR 118 and RIR 118. He was wounded 5 times and is not listed as "vermißt" in any Verlustliste. Nor is there any Lt. Berckemeyer/Berkemeyer listed as "vermißt" in a November 1918 Verlustliste or later. Therefore, I cannot say for certain if he died in 1918 or not. Berkemeyer received the HOH3X on 26.1.1918. He also received the Rettungsmedaille am Bande on 16.9.1918.

Adolf Davids' Personalakte was complete through to the end of 1919. He had the EK2 (25.9.14), EK1 (3.10.16), VAs (27.5.18), BZ3bXE (19.8.15) and the Baden Regierungsjubiläumsmedaille (1902). No HOH3X. The other active Hauptmann Davids was: Davids, Heinrich Julius Kurt *06.10.1874 in Bederkesa bei Cuxhaven, Lehe, †03.07.1956 in Karlsruhe - Hauptmann (1.10.1912), Platzmajor in Rastatt (Uniform IR 16), Bataillons-Kommandeur im RIR 34, Major am 15.7.1918, 1921 Polizeimajor in Saarbrücken, Major a.D. - Cent, BZ3bXE

Quiring doesn't show up on any list I've seen. He was a Lt.d.R. in FAR 54. The Zeitschrift für das Berg-, Hütten- und Salinenwesen only lists his EK1 & 2 and the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz. His EK1 was reported in the 1916 edition of the Zeitschrift. If he did get the HOH3X, it was a very late-war one. I'm not sure about Thoennissen. Zinke didn't list his sources. If Thoennissen has an HPA file in the archives, I have not seen it. Christophe, here are a few: Rühle von Lilienstern - 18.9.1918 Rüdiger - 18.9.1918 Watzdorf - 8.11.1918

Going by the date of award, I would think Walther Haase was the Lt.d.R. in RIR 32. Otto Haase is, as Daniel says, odd. The Personalbogen says he was promoted to Lt.d.R. on 14.5.1915. The two Lts.d.R. on that date were in the LehrIR (Berlin) and RIR 34 (Hannover). I would assume Otto was the LehrIR one, since he was a student in Berlin in August 1914 and is unconnected to Hannover. Hans-Henning von der Osten was promoted to Leutnant on 29.11.1917, so a 1917 award as the Deutsche Biographie entry states would be highly unlikely.

Nelson is in an April 3 post in this thread: https://gmic.co.uk/topic/20668-house-order-of-hohenzollern-info-needed/page/50/#comment-711843 Büttner is Siegfried: https://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/buttner.php

Daniel, I don't think it is Busse. As far as I know, he did not have the SMK or the AK. He also had both the RM and the ABsM, so there should be two non-wartime round medals but I only see the one. My best guess is Theodor Kretzschmer. Based on his rank in WW1, I think the BT3b in his Reichsheer rank list entry is wrong, and it should be a BT4b. The Albrecht des Bären is the only problem. He does not have it in the 1914 Prussian Army rank list, nor in the Reichsheer rank lists. The Albrecht des Bären is a house order, however, and could have been awarded at any time in the 1920s or 1930s. It would not have had official status, but we have many examples of Wehrmacht officers wearing other 1920s/1930s-era house orders, from the former rulers of Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha and Lippe-Detmold, for example. I'd also note that in the photograph it appears to be a non-swords award, which does not fit its placement after the HOH3X among his wartime awards. Below is the only picture of Kretzschmer I could find.

Given the relative rarity of non-swords awards, even on the "Beamtenband", compared to awards with swords, I agree it's likely the Bavarian MVO had its swords removed.