Mike Dwyer

Some of you know I collect postcards of Imperial German royalty. I was looking at some of my cards today and I noticed that I have two where the dress uniform they are wearing in obviously not dunkleblau, it's something much lighter. Is this some type of feldgrau parade dress uniform or what?

Here are the two photos:

Wilhelm I, German Kaiser and King of Prussia

I collect mainly Imperial German royalty postcards, but occasionally something else catches my eye.

Here are two distinguished Masons I ran across....................

The Duke of Connaught

A close up of the medal itself, just to make it worse!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

As long as Wild Card is frying poor Matthijs' brain with that beautiful Henry the Lion commander's cross, I may as well post this photo of a grand cross that was part of a recent Herman Historica auction! It's beauty is beyond description!

Wasn't it from the Prussian habit of wearing only the EK2 ribbon in the button hole and the EK1 on the pocket and omitting all other orders and medals?

WHAT!

NO TAKERS to tell me the rank, or branch of Service ? Unbeliveable!! Incredible!!

Its not like I was expecting a reading from a crystal ball to tell me the guys name, address, service number, colour of his eyes, hair etc..etc.. and what he had for breakfast, dinner and tea

Kevin in Deva.

Sorry, Kevin, I saw this much earlier and didn't respond because I thought one of our more learned colleagues would.

I can tell you this much, it's for a haptmann (captain) and I believe green was the color for infantry. According to the web site I used to look this up, these type of shoulder straps were adopted by the Bundeswehr in 1962 and are still used today.

Hope that helps a little. It's about all the information I have.

The web site I used (and borrowed the picture from) is at http://www.uniforminsignia.net/

Here is a copy of the Eagle seal

That's the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Romania.

Dan,

This is a bit but the quote you have below your signature

Herr General, I see now I have notions of honor which are outdated.

Ahh they're not outdated! They're stored. With care and love, for better times.

Where does that come from?

Actually a female Freiherr is a Freiin.

"Baroness" as well as "Baron" were casually used in southern Germany... and here I suspect eez jus a Frainchy affectahsheeon.

Ooops, I remember that title now! However, I have seen Freifrau used as the title Baroness. I know Wikpedia is not the most reliable source sometimes, but it says this: The wife of a Freiherr is called Freifrau (German for "Free Lady"), a daughter of a Freiherr is called Freiin (short for Freiherrin). Is this incorrect?

Yup, announcing his engagement to Hildegard von Horn, daughter of the Commandant of Spandau, Generalmajor Carl von Horn and his wife Veronika n?e Baroness von Heyking.

The next is Epique Poesy, oh my, declaimed by the scribbled von Horn apparently AT the wedding.

Hey, Rick, I'm confused (as usual ). I thought a female baron in Germany was a Freifrau or Freifraulein. Why does this card say Baroness?

Don,

Yes, those are W?rttemberg officer's straps, you can tell by the red and black thread. I believe they are for a hauptmann in Grenadier-Regiment K?nig Karl (5. W?rttembergisches) Nr.123.

Don,

You've brought back some great memories, and made me really wish I could get back to Berlin again! I lived there as a teenager from August 1964 to August 1965 with my brother and his wife. He was stationed there with the US Army. Most of the photos taken in the former eastern zone I wouldn't have seen before, except for the Soviet War Memorial which I did take a guided bus tour to. Thank you for sharing.

You probably already know this, but with my extremely limited German, and the use of an on-line dictionary, I've managed to figure out that it says:

Consecration of the Flag 1984

Veterans and Fighters Association of Neukirche

I just looked at the German mounting section there http://www.worldmedals.co.uk/Rib/rem.htm and it says they no longer mount medals German court style!

One question guys, why do you suppose this never was put on a bar or somthing of the sort? Seems like he opened the package, wore it on his neck and then put it away forever?

Sal,

I could be mistaken, but since this is a neck decoration, I don't believe it would ever have been put on a bar. Lower grades were put on a bar, but I believe the neck decorations only appear on the neck, nowhere else.

(Oops, sorry about that mistake, I thought the ribbon looked like the long neck ribbon, but now I see that it isn't!)

There are lots of people here who can, I'm sure, give you an opinion on this helmet. I'm afraid I'm not one of them. If you'd like to meet up with a group of knowledgeable picklehaube fanatics, then try this forum http://www.pickelhaubes.com/

Hi All,

A German relative of me (my father's cousin) wrote for me about 2 months ago. He said that he has a surprise for me, and say that I wait the post man.

Few minutes ago I received a little packet, inside (as this cousin inform me) Carl Holler's EKII!!!

I needed to share the good news with you.

Otto

Otto,

That's wonderful!!!!

Not meaning to stray too far off the subject but, I've seen this term used often, charakterisiert, placed before an officers rank. What does this mean?

Excellent analysis of a single document!

I wonder if there is any connection between Oberk?chenmeister Graf von P?ckler and F?rst P?ckler ice cream?

Don't know if they're any relation, but I found two different F?rst P?ckler titles:

1. F?rst von P?ckler und Limpurg, a title of the Holy Roman Empire

2. (probably the more likely one) Herman Ludwig Heinrich F?rst von P?ckler-Muskau, military officer and famous landscape gardener.

Hey, chefs and lounge lizards are important too! Somebody has to keep all those royals happy! Remember the guy that was posted awhile back with the huge chest-full of medals and he was the station master of the Berlin train station?

Wow, what a service record, Garde du Corps, then palace kitchen master! That's exactly the type of guy I would have wanted to have been had I lived and served back then!

Why thank you, your majesty, yes, yes, I did make the creme brulee myslef, and, oh, thank you for the grand collar to the Exalted Order of the Myopic Eagle of Pottsylvania!

(Although I bet he wasn't a chef and did no cooking, he was just the administrator in charge of the kitchen!)

Hey Mike,

I also forgot to add..... I love the postcard you posted... what a great helmet pic !

The offer is still on the table if your ever up in the Orlando area !

Cheers

Mark

I do get down there occasionally on business about once a year or so, I may just give you a shout and take you up on your offer next time I'm in the area. But I probably couldn't carry enough kleenex with me 'cause I'd break down and cry over those beautiful uniforms you have!

Hey Mike......... Sorry about the auction...... but I think it was me that outbid you

Ernst I is about the only guy that I'll spend the $$ on for good postcards and CDVs...... But hey.. since we are both in Florida.... you can come by and visit it anytime you want !

Mark,

That's quite okay! I think it's much more important for it to live with your uniform and medals than to be in a binder at my place!!

Beautiful stuff!

I collect mostly postcards of royalty/nobility, in fact the photo you posted in item 3 was on eBay the other day and I tried to win it, but got outbid. I don't believe I have any from Saxe-Altenburg, but I could be mistaken. I can't afford the helmets, uniforms, medals, or swords, so I just collect photos and postcards!

I believe this postcard from Saxe-Meiningen is the only Saxon duchy that I have right now.

Hi Kevin,

This is the only place that I have photo posting privleges.

I can post it for you in the WAF DDR Forum, if you wish.