webr55

His signature on the following page (I bet he signed all copies):

And another piece of Besser escapes oblivion - from the days of Victorian globalization: As a young Leutnant, he went or was sent to the US -- to the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. Not only that - he wrote a book about it: "Sechs Wochen in Nord-Amerika", printed (presumably financed by himself) in Berlin in 1877. I managed to get a copy of the book - it is not particularly interesting, written in a plain and sober style, depicting where he went and what he did. This is the cover page:

now that was fast! Good work!

hmmmm very interesting, never heard about that. Wonder where they got that from. It is however true that he was an arty officer.

I just learnt that the famous painter Franz Marc (of the artist circle "Der Blaue Reiter") was KIA as an (apparently Bavarian) officer on 4th March 1916 near Verdun (born 1880). I have a source that says he was promoted to Leutnant der Landwehr on 13th October 1915, most probably in a Bavarian Artillery Regiment. Are there any other sources to back up this info? Thanks Chris

Very nice indeed! Are those eagles both gold? Chris

A great new find! Somehow I remember a small bar someone had -- years ago, on WAF - with an Adolf Friedrich Cross.

MAYBE Neufeld knew the difference - but he never mentions it. He's just talking of the "Knight's Cross" and 99% who read it must think of the RKEK. If he knew, and since he collaborated with the filmmakers, he should have stopped them from showing von Braun with the Knight's Cross of the IRON CROSS!! The film's title btw is "Der Raketenmann" by Peter Claridge and Dirk Kämper.

Ahh! The error is not originally the filmmakers'. I traced it back to Michael Neufeld of the Smithsonian who wrote a biography on von Braun in 2007 and who collaborated with the filmmakers. In his book, he only speaks of the "Knight's Cross". No mention that it is the RKKVK. So even his biographer didn't get it right!

To me, it looks like the nice-looking ÖM3K has been squeezed in later. An "enhanced" bar.

Backside. A Hungarian, yes, with Hungarian "Anschluss" medals from 1940/41.

This one is currently on ebay, a completely different case, different seller. I think it might have been ok once --- but to my mind, the ?M3K might have been added later. Supposed to be an officer candidate in 1917/18, but still got the officer decoration. Possible, but look at the relatively new ribbon... I'm not sure about this one.

This film was not meant as fiction, but as a documentary on von Braun's life! (They interviewed people like Buzz Aldrin and several others from the NASA.) But what does this say about the accuracy of the filmmakers' other research, if they cannot get von Braun's awards right? At least one look at this picture could have been expected:

How stupid and ignorant can you get? A new film has been made by German TV on Wernher von Braun, I'm watching it right now. And there is a scene in it, where von Braun gets the "Knight's Cross" - and the filmmakers are too stupid to recognize that it is the "Knight's Cross of the War Merit Cross".... .... you won't believe it.... they show a scene with von Braun wearing the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross around his neck. Orwell ... or what is it? Ignorance of history... where will this all end up?

second pic:

Here's another one from ebay: An Austrian Lw Beamter with awards.

How wonderful to see this work being saved! I'll send the money right now.

This must be Generalmajor Wilhelm Kaspar David Buchholz (1855-1921), seniority 18.4.1913 G, who went zD on 20.5.1914 as Cdr of 37. Feldartillerie-Brigade in Allenstein.

Btw, here is a close-up of the Meiningen bar that was provided by the seller...

A wonderful thing --- now being able to reject bars as fantasy - that would not be completely impossible - by looking through the list and finding no possible wearers. A giant leap for the gnome profession!

Generalmajor Hartwig von Platen (1878-1938):

I love when threads are picked up like this years later! :beer:

Giesen is wearing the Hungarian Order of Merit, both as pinback and as neck cross. His HHOX (double buttonhole ribbons!) for him as Lt dR was gazetted 9.11.1918 (!).

Oberst Gerhard Giesen (1890-1945), Cdr GrenReg 676, also got the RK posthumously:

Ah ok, I was unaware of that old thread!