webr55

All that makes sense. My great-grandfather was a farmer, born 1886, and had been a reserve NCO in the field artillery in WW1. I thought he was a Vizewachtmeister dR, but this photo suggests he had only been an Unteroffizier. He was not recalled for WW2 or any Wehrmacht service. A reserve gathering is quite likely, but some apparently already had new shiny uniforms, while others simply pinned the new eagle on some old dress. The Oberfeldwebel in the center was my grandfather's brother, Erich Reich. He was definitely a Vizewachtmeister dR and was neither recalled for WW2. There is another photo of him probably taken on the same day:

Maybe some sort of early WH uniform, or am I just missing something?

Closeup of the uniform in question. BTW, this is one of my great-grandfathers. Rank seems to be Unterfeldwebel, what do you think? Thanks Chris

Gentlemen, this is a group photo taken probably around 1935/36. There are Wehrmacht NCOs sitting in the foreground and standing at the sides (some apparently with the older cap eagle, some with the new one). But the others, those with army caps, have me confused. Is that a Wehrmacht uniform, but without the WH eagle on the caps? Sorry about the bad quality of the picture. Chris

This is the back:

Great work! BTW, have you found Dr. Arthur Schleh somewhere? Chris

Without having any specific information on Wechsler: In those days, "?konom" did not necessarily mean economist, but most often someone who was in an agricultural profession. There were titles like "?konomierat" - an official in agriculture.

This is a truly fascinating thread! Chris

Poor Chinese dragon under his feet!

I thought this would be the proper place for a picture of the (Crusade style) monument erected for Graf Waldersee in Hannover, right across the street from where he lived:

This one:

That's the Lippe War Honor Cross for Heroic Deeds.

Some more: Lippe War Honor Cross for Heroic Deeds Lippe pinback Honor Cross with Swords (a post-WW1 'dynastic' award) Lippe War Merit Cross Schaumburg-Lippe Cross for Loyal Service Austrian WW1 Commemorative Medal Sudeten Medal Olympic Decoration (Medal or Decoration 2nd class) SA-Treffen Braunschweig 1931 badge Some of these can be seen on the photo of his ribbon bar below:

Some of these may be good, but some look suspicious: - 5th row: This one is a put-together fake. The combination and precedence are totally off. - bottom row: Suspicious combination. Too many Third Reich awards: police, party, Olympics, Social Welfare, West Wall and KVK. Theoretically possible, but suspicious. At least the ones in row #3 and #4 have suspicious combinations as well. And - the constructions are the same as the bottom row and others. Which I'm afraid casts serious doubt on the whole group of bars. Chris

That's a very important information you got! Sometime, somehow, these rolls will get transcribed.

I would be interested in this, too. Did you write to the archive in Wolfenbüttel? I guess they will reply that they don't have them. Neil O'Connor did not find any, but I don't know how deep he was digging.

Good work, Rick!

And a painting that shows him with one of his fossils:

... and on an excursion in 1943:

As promised, here is Dr. Rühle von Lilienstern at work:

New information on Dr. Rühle von Lilienstern! I have found a small publication for the 50th anniversary of his death ("In Memoriam Hugo Rühle von Lilienstern", 1996). According to this book, Rühle was recalled in WW2 as Stabsarzt and director of the military hospital in Erfurt, later in Paris. He was discharged for health reasons as Oberstabsarzt in 1943 and died as a Soviet POW in 1946. In the same book, his son writes that Rühle was wounded in WW1 and got several high decorations, among them the Red Eagle Order. However, his son was 91 at the time of writing and so probably mixed things up. There are photos in the book (however none in uniform), I will post some when I get to my scanner.

According to the Hof- und Staatshandbuch Bayern 1902, this can only be Dr. Balthasar Ritter von Daller (1835-1911) He was the director of the Lyzeum (Lycealrektor) in Freising, which can be compared to a college. Daller was also papal domestic prelate, "erzbischöflicher geistlicher Rat" and a Bavarian politician. He got the St. Michael 4th cl in 1899 and the Bavarian Crown Order (which made him Ritter von) in 1901, so the pic was probably taken on that occasion. Daller got his Dr. in theology from the University of Munich (LMU) in 1861.

Very nice! I would think #8 is a faded Red Cross/Volkspflege, and #9 looks like it could be a faded Bavarian Voluntary War Aid Cross. Of course, red cross awards do not necessarily indicate a doctor, but in this case, with the accumulation of several ones - maybe a reserve doctor?

I'm not sure about #1, but #3 has most probably been spiced up. Look at the way the ring shows.

Wow! The bar of a Jewish Hofrat! Who can identify all those other awards?