Mike Dwyer

I know absolutely nothing about lanyards, but I'm confused, why would a Prussian lanyard have black, white, and red threads, Prussia's colors were black and white. Black, white and red were the Imperial colors which I would think would only be used by the navy or colonial troops.

More really great photos, Otto! He must have been a truly nice fellow (since he seems to love dogs!! )

Stephen,

I was just doing some checking on the Internet and I found the name Hugo Ritter von Landwehr-Wehrheim on a Wikipedia article (all written in German which I'm not that great at) about Hals. It appears he owned the schloss there???? The part of the article related to him states:

Am 1. Februar 1887 ?bernahm Hugo Ritter von Landwehr-Wehrheim das Gut und das Schloss, der in diesem Jahr als kaiserlicher Oberst in den Ruhestand trat. Er starb noch im gleichen Jahr in Marienbad. Sein Nachfolger war sein Sohn Franz Ritter von Landwehr-Wehrheim. Zusammen mit seinen beiden Adoptivt?chtern wurde er nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg nach Pappenheim (Bayern) vertrieben, wo der letzte Gutsherr von Hals am 2. August 1949 starb.

I know Wikipedia is not considered the best source by some, but at least this has the last name you mentioned. The article further states that Hugo Ritter von Landwehr-Wehrheim left the schloss to his son, Franz Ritter von Landwehr-Wehrheim.

The full article is at http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal%C5%BEe

Thanks Mike,

Actually surfing the net I found out a little about the award and that it was not favoured by the Third Reich, even to the point of stopping the career of certain individuals if they continued to wear their award on their uniform.

If I remember correctly the thread was on the Axis History site....Members of the Johanniter Order

/IAn

Thanks, Ian, a very interesting list!

Glenn,

Not meaning to hijack the topic, but wasn't the Johanniter Order a bit out of favor during the Third Reich? Wasn't it kind of politically incorrect for von Schlieben to be wearing the white cross on his Wehrmacht uniform? I know others did this too, I've seen photos, but I remember reading somewhere that the Order had some very hard times under Hitler. I would think it could cause problems for a career military officer.

One more question though, what exactly is the Ehrenritter of the Johanniter-Orden and is there any way of finding out the date of this award?

again,

Ian

Ian,

It literally translates as Honour Knight of the Order of Saint John. This is a German, Protestant, branch of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem (commonly called the Knights of Malta). You have your own version there in the UK known as the Venerable Order of Saint John in the British Isles, they also run the St. John Ambulance Corps. The Johnitter Order still exists today and HRH Dr. Oskar Prinz von Pruessen is the current Herrenmeister. They have a great website (all in German) located at http://www.johanniter.de/org/orden/deindex.htm

Gentlemen,

I looking for help in respect of an officer of the Imperial Austrian officer Oberst Joseph Traxler von Schrollheim Uhlanen-Regiment Kaiser Franz Joseph. The gentleman in question is a my wife's great grand father. We have very little to go on a photo which I will post later and that's about it.

I found a website, located at http://www.austro-hungarian-army.co.uk/regcomm79.htm, that lists Austro-Hungrian Army regimental commanders from the year 1879. The list shows the commander of 6. Uhlanen-Regiment Kaiser Franz Joseph being Oberst Joseph Traxler von Schrollheim. That's about all I could find.

Well, I'm no expert, but I'll take a stab at it. Since there's no lace around his collar I'd say his rank is Gefreiter (corporal). I'm having a problem with his regiment though. You say it appears to be a 10 on his epaulette (I can't really tell) and that he's a Wurrtemberger. My problem is lack of knowledge, I don't know if the unit numbers on the shoulder straps were from the army numbering system or if they used the state's numbers. There is the 10. W?rttembergisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr.180, but I thought they would have a 180 on their shoulder straps, not a 10, but I'm probably wrong so this may be the regiment you're seeking. I can't find a number 10 unit of any other type in the Wurrtemberg army, so that's probably going to be the right one. I'd wait until someone more skilled than I am gives a second opinion though!

Wonderful photos and postcards Robert!

Dolf,

Here is a drawing of the neck cross of St. Michael of the Wing. Unfortunately it's done as a Microsoft Word document and not a picture, so I can't post it as a photo.

Knight__St_Michael_of_the_Wing.doc

Very nice collection, Dolf!

I noticed you have the order of Villa Vicosa there too. The head of the royal house of Portugal, HRH Dom Duarte, Duke of Braganza still awards that order. I have two friends here in the states who are knight commanders of Villa Vicosa.

AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! My eyes, my eyes!!!!

I just can't believe it!

Some jewels from Columbia Lodge (no. 4682) which meets in Acassuso, Buenos Aires, Argentine Republic, but received its warrant from the United Grand Lodge of England in 1924. It must have been quite a wealthy Lodge as the Past Master's and Treasurer's jewels are made of 9ct gold.

I find it rather odd that all three of these jewels have a popular version of the United States eagle on them. This particular eagle was widely used in older times and not so much today.

Beautiful medals, Solomon!

Otto,

Absolutely fantastic!

It is truly wonderful that you can have these documents belonging to your ancestor.

No, no, everyone knows that dragoon's used canaries. Hussars were well known for their love of parrots. They were known to ride into battle with them sitting on their shoulders!

How stupid of me! Of course you're absolutely right! I must have been thinking of the Russian hussars who were known for using canaries!

Eh, all those swishy Zorro swords look alike to me! So what earthly USE is the superfluous EXTRA guard supposed to be?

Perches for the regimental canaries?

Regimental Finches! Hussars used canaries!

As an add-on, we (in Canada) do not have a mess dress either except our commisioned officers (Inspector and above).

As for Canadian police mess dress, there must be some exception (or at least was) because around 1991 I attended the annual meeting of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers (ASLET) in Mobile, AL. There are also members from other countries too, not just the US. At the big banquet on the last night there was a sergeant from some Canadian police agency that was sitting at the table next to mine and he was wearing a blue mess dress uniform.

Rick

...Prince Moritz is wearing the tunic of a Kurassier officer... and the Kurassiers degen has a cross guard that is raised above the claim shell and is shaped like a "T" with the knuckle bow attaching at the halfway point on one side.

You're absolutely right! That's why I originally said in my original post that it looked like a rapier, it was that cross T that brought that to mind.

Does anyone know what sort of uniform they would have been worn on (mess dress, fighting gear etc.), in which period they were used and if German or Austrian?

Thanks

Tony

Hi, again,

I did notice that I didn't say anything about the last part of your question! I believe these were worn for parade dress on the pre-war blue uniform. I know there were plans for a feldgrau peacetime uniform and it may have had a parade version with these too (I don't really know). My guess would be pre-1914. (Oops! I now see that GlennJ and Chip have addressed that issue too!!!)

The first set (with the dark blue material) is for a medical officer, I believe they're Prussian (the thin line on the silver braid trim is hard to see, but it appears to be black).

The second set I also think are Prussian. I think they're for a hauptman (captain) in Infanterie-Regiment von Coubi?re (2. Posensches) Nr.19.

I'm not one of the experts here, so you may want to wait for some more opinions!

Well, that's what happens when you take to long to type up your entry! I was busy checking on-line references and then when I post, one of the more knowlegeable folks here has beat me to it!

I've seen photos of lots of German military swords and they all seem to follow a fairly common pattern. I was looking through evilBay today at some German royalty/military postcards and I saw this one of Prince Moritz zu Schaumburg-Lippe. The sword he's wearing looks almost like an old rapier and doesn't look like any of the German military swords I'm used to seeing.

Mike - a lovely jewel, watch and fob.

Both - you were both fortunate that your fathers were Masons and had that extra bond between you.

When my blindfold was removed, all those years ago, I only recognised my Proposer and Seconder!

My late father and I joined my Blue Lodge at the same time and went through all three degrees together. When we received the Master's degree they did him first so that when it came time to raise me and they removed the blindfold, he was the one standing there to do it. I ended up going through the chairs and became Master in 1982, he served as chaplain for 5 years, including my year as Master. I feel myself very fortunate to have shared that experience with him.

I also own my maternal grandfather's Masonic ring and my maternal great-grandfather's Masonic lapel pin.

According to

http://www.btinternet.com/~allan_raymond/P...oyal_Family.htm

there's rather a flock of Prussians left.

You're right Ed, it's a rather prolific family! We were, of course, mainly concerned with living members who were actually alive while the German Empire still existed.

Georg Wilhelm was in fact one of the two remaining grandchildren of the Emperor. The last one, if still alive would be Prince Wilhelm-Karl, a son of Prinz Oskar.

Regards

David

According to the source I used for Prince Georg Wilhelm you are correct, Prince Wilhelm Karl is still living.