Dave Danner

Johannes Beissel was commissioned in RIR 206 and killed with RIR 93. The Hanseatenkreuz is probably Hamburg. The Rosenbaum from PB 4 was Franz: *25.01.1888 in Hamburg, †31.08.1970 ebenda 28.09.14-02.02.15 Zugführer 3. Feldkomp. PB 4 02.02.15-04.02.17 Zugführer 5. Feldkomp. PB 4 04.02.17-29.09.18 Komp.Führer 5. Feldkomp. PB 4, 2-mal schwer verwundet HOH3X, AK, HH, VAs

The ribbon bar should be: EK2Sp-HOH3X-WM3-BZ3bXE-HH-ÖM3K-FEK-WRM-WLDA2-WLDA4-KO4-WF3b

The name is Felix Connemann, *15.9.1875, char. Kapt.z.S.a.D.

The Lt.d.R. Fiebelkorn from Armee-Flugpark 7 whose HOH3X was awarded by AKO on 1.11.1918 and recorded by the Abteilung IIa of AOK 7 is almost certainly Eduard Kurt Georg Fiebelkorn, *7.4.1894 in Berlin. His EK1 was also recorded by the Abteilung IIa of AOK 7 in its "25. Nachweisung über verliehene Eiserne Kreuze 1. und 2. Klasse" for the period 1.8.17-31.8.17. At the time, he was a Lt.d.R. (Charlottenburg) of Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 10, commanded to Flieger-Abteilung (Artillerie) Nr. 260. I've no idea if he was a Flugzeugführer or Beobachter. The Militär-Wochenblatt gives his commissioning date as 27.1.16 and Meldeamt as "(V Berlin)", so the Meldeamt either changed or one of sources made a mistake.

Gaede also received the Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz (HH).

Sudeten Medal.

Seems likely, though I can't say for certain. People did change units. But since he's wearing the actual medals, the photo was probably taken to commemorate their awards, so likely taken right around the time of award and thus likely the same unit.

The only "78" recipient I know of is Georg Brehme, born in Möhrenbach, Amt Gehren, Fürstentum Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. He received the SEK3X as a Leutnant der Landwehr in LIR 78. The only other 78er was from FAR 78, but an artillery officer would not have a spiked Pickelhaube. BTW, Gerhard Jordan's SEK3X was awarded as a Hptm.d.L. and commander of the 5. Art.Mun.Kol. des XI.Armeekorps. He was Domänenpächter of the Fürstliche Schwarzburgische Domäne Griesheim.

It's not Hans Hasse. His known decorations are: 10.09.1913 KO4 30.09.1914 EK2 27.07.1915 EK1 04.06.1918 HOH3X 03.11.1914 ÖM3K xx.12.1915 ÖEK3K 18.01.1917 ÖL3K 24.11.1916 BMV4X He entered the army on 1.4.1897, so no Centenary Medal.

Assuming it's Etienne de Kruijff, who was awarded the MG3 on 6.3.1901, it should be a Knight of the Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw, which replaced an earlier-awarded Officer of the Orde van Oranje-Nassau. It appears the Netherlands Lion was returned in 1947, but I can't read Dutch well enough to decipher all the handwritten comments.

Hans Christian Schulze received the Lübecksches Hanseatenkreuz on 30.8.1916 as a Leutnant in IR 163.

Prof.Dr. Alfred Zimmermann is either an error or a later peacetime Hausorden from the former ruling house. Zimmermann was a Privatdozent and professor in Halle from 1912 to 1920. University records show him with the EK2, RKM3 and BZ3bX. A Baden native, he received the BZ3bX on 13.12.1917 as an AA d.L. I, Feldlazarett Nr. 287.

Hptm.d.R. Waldschmidt from FAR 94 is Johann Carl Otto, *22.6.1870 in Wetzlar, †1.7.1956 ebenda. He was a Regierungsbaumeister and later a Kreisbaurat in Schlawe. He was a Hptm.d.R. (Schlawe) of the 2.GFAR. Like Schmidt-Hern above, he became a Batterie-Führer in RFAR 67 (4. Batterie) in January 1915 and led the battery through the fighting in Galicia and Russia in 1915. I have no idea when he went to FAR 94. His known decorations are the HOH3X, EK1&2, LD1 and ÖM3K. With the Wetzlar connection, I assume he was related to the active officer Richard Waldschmidt from FAR 15. The Lt.d.R. of FAR 15 killed in August 1914 was also Otto Waldschmidt, born in Wetzlar. So maybe the two FAR 15 officers were brothers and the other Otto a cousin? Since I am mentioning RFAR 67 officers, I will also add that Richard Blume, the Hauptmann/Major from the Bekleidungsamt of the VI. Armeekorps, was commander of the I. Abteilung of RFAR 67 from January 1915 until 23.5.1915, when he returned to the Bekleidungsamt. He also received the ÖM3K for his service at Gorlice.

Schmidt-Hern from FAR 74 is Werner, *23.1.1875 in Mülhausen in Elsaß. He was wounded in 1914 as Fhr. 3./FAR 74. In January 1915, he took his battery to RFAR 67 where it became 5./RFAR 67. He was wounded again in 1915. He does not appear in the regimental history after that point, so I don't know where he went afterwards. As an RFAR 67 officer in the Gorlice-Tarnow offensive, he also received the ÖM3K.

AR2 is the Saxon way of abbreviating the Albrechts-Orden, Ritterkreuz 2. Klasse; same as SA3b in the system used in most Prussian, Marine and Reichswehr sources. And yes, "mS" would be "mit Schwertern." Similarly, AC2 is the SA2b, AR1 the SA3a, and VR2 the SV3b. AO is the Offizierkreuz (SA3).

Hauptmann der Reserve Baum from Reserve-Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 14 is Wilhelm, *9.5.1877 in Danzig. He received the EK1 in December 1917.

IR 88 was transferred to Trier in late 1939, but not everyone who was in theater during the Sitzkrieg received the medal. Unfortunately, the German Army was bad about listing this award. It was not considered a war decoration, so it was not listed in officer Beurteilungen during the war. He was wounded on 10.11.1914, so yes to the VAs.

He went to several Gymnasien (Meiningen, Mainz, Ilfeld), receiving his Reifeprüfung in Ostern 1909 and entering the GFR as a Fahnenjunker on 15.2.1909.

The list is somewhat hard to follow as the order is a bit random. Here is what I have for wartime awards, sorted by the level of the state (kingdom, grand duchy, duchy, principality, free city, then foreign states) and alphabetically within each category. The award dates are given where known. "VOB" refers to the date of publication in the Verordnungsblatt des Königlich bayerischen Kriegsministeriums, generally for those awards where the actual award date is unknown. There are also minor discrepancies in some of the award dates in different sources. • Königlich Bayerischer Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden, Großkreuz (26.8.1914) • Königlich Bayerischer Militär-Verdienstorden, Schwertern zum Großkreuz (10.12.1917) • Königlich Preußisches Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (16.10.1914) • Königlich Preußisches Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (16.10.1914) • Königlich Preußischer Orden "Pour le mérite" (22.8.1915) • Königlich Preußischer Orden "Pour le mérite", Eichenlaube dazu (20.12.1916) • Königlich Preußischer Hausorden von Hohenzollern, Schwertern zum Großkomturkreuz (23.12.1917) • Königlich Preußischer Hausorden von Hohenzollern, Stern zum Großkomturkreuz mit Schwertern (23.3.1918) • Königlich Sächsischer Militär-St. Heinrichs-Orden, Ritterkreuz (23.11.1914) • Königlich Sächsischer Militär-St. Heinrichs-Orden, Kommandeur 2. Klasse (9.6.1915, VOB 21.8.1915) • Königlich Sächsischer Militär-St. Heinrichs-Orden, Kommandeur 1. Klasse (4.1.1917) • Königlich Sächsischer Militär-St. Heinrichs-Orden, Großkreuz (7.5.1918) • Königlich Württembergischer Militärverdienstorden, Großkreuz (2.12.1914) • Großherzoglich Badischer Militär-Karl-Friedrich-Verdienstorden, Großkreuz (12.1.1915) • Großherzoglich Hessisches Allgemeines Ehrenzeichen "Für Tapferkeit" (VOB 21.8.1915) • Großherzoglich Mecklenburg-Schwerinsches Militärverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse (VOB 21.8.1915) • Großherzoglich Mecklenburg-Schwerinsches Militärverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse (VOB 21.8.1915) • Großherzoglich Sächsischer Hausorden der Wachsamkeit oder vom Weißen Falken, Großkreuz mit Schwertern (1917) • Herzoglich Anhaltischer Orden Albrecht des Bären, Großkreuz mit Schwertern (VOB 21.8.1915) • Herzoglich Anhaltisches Friedrichkreuz (VOB 21.8.1915) • Herzoglich Braunschweigisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse (VOB 21.8.1915) • Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden, Schwertern zum Großkreuz (2.4.1915) • Herzoglich Sachsen-Meiningsches Ehrenkreuz für Verdienst im Kriege (29.9.1915) • Fürstlich Hohenzollernscher Hausorden, Schwertern zum Ehrenkreuz 1. Klasse (20.1.1915, Kgl. preuß. nachträgliche Genehmigung am 24.4.1917) • Fürstlich Lippisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz (7.6.1915) • Fürstlich Lippisches Kriegsehrenkreuz für heldenmütige Tat (7.6.1915) • Fürstlich Lippischer Hausorden des Ehrenkreuzes, Großkreuz mit Schwertern (13.12.1917) • Bremisches Hanseatenkreuz (9.11.1915) • Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz (19.10.1915) • Lübecksches Hanseatenkreuz (2.11.1915) • K.u.k. Österreich-Ungarisches Militärverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration 1. Klasse (VOB 6.6.1915) • K.u.k. Österreich-Ungarisches Große Militärverdienstmedaille (22.8.1917) • Großherrlich Osmanische Kriegsmedaille ("Eiserner Halbmond") (VOB 26.2.1916) • Großherrlich Osmanische Silberne Imtiaz-Medaille mit Säbeln (VOB 26.2.1916) • Großherrlich Osmanische Goldene Imtiaz-Medaille mit Säbeln (VOB 26.2.1916) I do not know of an award of swords to Rupprecht's prewar WK1 or OV1mKette.

Other known award dates: 31.01.1918 Königlich Preußischer Hausorden von Hohenzollern, Ritterkreuz mit Schwertern 26.06.1940 1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuze 2. Klasse 25.06.1941 1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuze 1. Klasse 08.11.1941 Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber 10.01.1942 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold 20.08.1942 Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen 07.09.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" He did not have the Wehrmacht Dienstauszeichnung, as he was a reserve officer. From where do you have him receiving the Deutsches Schutzwallehrenzeichen? He is not wearing it in the photo above, which appears to date from 1942 after the award of the DKiG but before the award of the Ostmedaille.

The Rufname is "Johann Albert" Known awards: 21.07.1914 Großherzoglich Mecklenburgischer Greifenorden, Ritterkreuz 01.10.1914 1914 Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse 16.09.1915 Herzoglich Sachsen-Meiningsches Ehrenkreuz für Verdienst im Kriege 20.07.1916 1914 Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse 12.06.1917 Königlich Bulgarischer Alexanderorden, Ritterkreuz [mit Schwertern] xx.xx.1917 Großherrlich Osmanische Kriegsmedaille ("Eiserner Halbmond") 03.06.1918 Verwundetenabzeichen in schwarz 01.01.1935 Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer 02.10.1936 Wehrmacht (Heer) Dienstauszeichnung 4. bis 2. Klasse 28.05.1940 1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuze 2. Klasse 17.06.1940 1939 Spange zum Eisernen Kreuze 1. Klasse 30.01.1942 Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern Inexplicably, he is in the list of ÖM3K recipients as a Hptm.i.G., Heeresgruppe Kiew, but it is not included in his file, nor in the Stammliste of the GFR. He also is not wearing it on the enlarged version of the Feldspange below. Note also that his file does not list swords to his BA5, nor are there any on the ribbon, but as a wartime award to a serving officer, it seems like there should have been swords.

From his Personalakte: "gem. Schreiben d. I.R. 29 v. 24.6.38 Rufn.: 'Johann Albert'" The Schreiben below. He may have gone by "Hans Albert" for a while, but reverted to his official birth name. His birth certificate has "Johann Albert Hermann Gotthilf".

For the war decorations: Rupprecht also received swords to his HEK1 (Fürstlich Hohenzollernsches Ehrenkreuz 1. Klasse mit Schwertern).

It's not Koenemann. He was a former IR 112 officer and had the Zähringen Lion and Baden's Regierungsjubiläumsmedaille. Also, a correction to Daniel's list: Koenemann was not Otto, but Erwin Dietrich Egon, *3.5.1866 in Berlin, †18.7.1935 in Nördlingen. Ottilie, Schiemann, Szillinsky and Wittmann can also be ruled out by other decorations. I am not 100% certain, but I believe that Roeder is Karl v. Roeder (1873-1945), the later Generalmajor z.V., who was a Maj.z.D. attached to the stellv. Generalstab der Armee in 1918. If so, he can also be ruled out by other decorations.

The OLt.d.R.a.D. Becker in FAR 21 who received the HOH3X on 6.7.1918, gazetted in the MWB on 3.9.1918, was Leopold. He also received the ÖM3K. According to Schlachten des Weltkrieges, he led 2./FAR 21 at Isonzo where it was attached to an Austro-Hungarian formation. I am not 100% certain, but I believe he is Dr.jur. Leopold Richard Becker, *8.8.1880 in Breslau, who was "schwer verwundet" in mid-1918 (Verlustliste v. 28.6.18) as an Oberleutnant. His promotion to Dr.jur. was on 31.7.1906 from the Universität Breslau and he was a Rechtsanwalt in Breslau and Neumarkt in Schlesien. I am also not 100% certain, but I believe this makes him the Lt.d.R. in FAR 6 with a Patent of 19.2.10, separated in 1912/13 and promoted to OLt.d.R.a.D. on 5.12.15 while with the Artillerie-Munitions-Kolonnen of the VI. Armeekorps.