arb

Hans von Dewall (1866-1923)- Batl. Kom. in IR 74 at beginning of the war. He was the commander of the regiment from 06.09.14-21.04.18 and then went on to lead the 23. and 21. Inf. Brig. as the war ended

He went on the receive the "Charakter" as a Gen.Maj. in 1921 while commandant of the Munster Training area. He retired from the army in March 1922.

Andy

Chris,

have you got a name of an officer in the unit? With that, I can check ancestry.de for his record and we might be able to find out where they were.

Andy

It is a post card anyone of us could have written to a family memberin the early days of the war.

"I have received the telegram but not the package yet. No doubt it will come. Other than that, I am well. We will make it to the field during the week and we are all of good cheer. Have you received my cards from the trip? hopefully you have. Anyway, hugs and kisses to you, your Jean. Hugs and kisses for my dear child and the same for all the relatives and friends.

The sender was Unteroffiz. "Thapp?? I can't make out his name at the top or in the address line to his wife.

Andy

Chris,

the second was much harder to decipher, as you can see from the many holes. Perhaps someone with a sharper eye can make better sense of the letter. Nevertheless, a heartfelt expression of sympathy

Meine sehr geehrte Frau Schultze,

Als ich gestern die Verlustlisten durchlas erschreckt ich sehr über die grosse Zahl gefallener Kameraden unseres Regiments u. ich kann Ihnen versichern, das der Verlust Ihres lieben braven Mannes mir am nähsten ging. War er ?? derjenigen des Regts. dem ich immer ?? nahe gestanden habe u. dem ich über alles vertraute u. seinen mannhafte Natur ja ganz kannte u. ich auch am besten verstand. Es ist zu traurig daß gerade er daran glauben müßte ?? ?? ?? für Sie zu finden ist mir unmöglich. Das einige ?? ist, dass man sagen kann er starb als erster ?? Mann u. schneidiger todesmütiger (not sure of that) Offizier den Heldentod.

?? am 24. Okt. ehe wir Schulter am Schulter in das Gefecht marschierten, dachten wir zusammen an unsere lieben Frauen zu Hause u. er bat mich, falls etwas ?? sollte, Sie sofort zu benachrigtigen, ?? ist es leider nicht gegangen, da ich am 25. bereits verwundet wurde u. nichts mehr von ihm sah u. hörte.

Ich bin nun bald wieder Sorge?? u. werde zum dritten Mal ausziehen in den ?? auch mich ?? sobald wie möglich nähreres von ihm u. seinem Tode zu erfahren u. Ihnen dann mitzuteilen.

Gott gebe Ihnen Kraft die schweren Zeiten zu überwinden, mögen Sie an Ihren kleinen Söhnchen ?? all seine hervorragend Eigenschaften wieder finden.

In tieferen Schmerze Ihr sehr ergebener Fritz Graumann

Andy

Chris,

My attempt at the first letter (#7 and 8)

Hochverehrte gnädige Frau,

Ihr an Herrn General v. Wurmb gerichtetes Schreiben habe ich geöffnet, da der General erkrankt nach ?? zurück ist.

Es ist mir ein besondere Genugtuung, Ihnen sehr verehrte gnädige Frau, heute mitteilen zu können das die Verleihung des EK ganz ausnahmsweise nachträglich gestern erfolgt ist. Seien Sie meinen aufrichtigen Teilnahme bei ??. Ich persönlich habe Ihren Herrn Gemahl sehr geschätzt und bin am 23./9. eigen (??) zu ihm getritten ins Quartier um ihn gelegentlich seiner Genesung und Rückkehr willkommen zu heissen. Bei dieser Gelegenheit besprach ich auch mit ihm die Nichtverleihung des Eisernes Kreuzes und konnte ihm versichern, dass er bei erster Gelegenheit an der Reihe sei. Es wird Ihnen, auch später Ihrem Sohne, eine besondere Genugtuung sein, ein Urteil über die dienstliche Leistung Ihres Herrn Gemahls in Händen zu haben. Ich füge Ihnen daher eine Abschrift der Stellungnahme der Brigade zu dem Antrage auf Verleihung bei, allerdings unter der Voraussetzung dass kein weiterer Gebrauch gemacht wird, da dies die Dienstverschwiegenheit nicht zulässt.

Möchten Sie darin Trost finden, gnädige Frau, das Ihr Herr Gemahl hervorragend sein Pflicht getan. Mit dem Ausdruck meiner vorzüglichen Hochachtung bin ich Ihr ergebenster

Lotz

Hptm. u. Adjutant 59. IB

Dave,

You're a Mensch! Thanks very much. I'll add that info to my 1939 database!

Andy

I do not have the book, but I would appreciate it if you could show the page with this personal data-such as date and place of birth.

Thanks very much!

Andy

Glenn,

So, should it have been listed as the BM4b (without the crown)?

Andy

Rudolf Frhr. von Wechmar (26.11.1823-18.10.1881)

He was a Prussian officer who began his career in Gren. R. 6 in 1841. He held several General staff positions. In 1868 he left the Prussian army to take commander of the Baden Gren. R. 109 on 18. Nov. 1868. He was the "Führer" of the 1. Baden Inf. Brig. from 18.12.1870. When the Baden army became part of the Prussian army in 1871, he was back in the Prussian Army. 12.12.1873 Commander of the 21. Inf. Brig., 02. Mai. 1874 promoted Gen.Maj. 13.01.1880 commander of 11. Div. He retired on 10.09.1881. He died barely a month later.

He also had the PLM (awarded 19.01.1873) and EK1

Andy

Karsten,

He received permission to war the Tunisian award in mid-December 1888 (see MWB 1888 Spalte 2286). A Stabarzt d. Landwehr Dr. Hugo Kleist (*17.11.1842) of Berlin received the same award at the same time. Dr. Kleist also had the EK2w and PKrO4mSchww for 1866.

This is why these two men received the award-

http://books.google.de/books?id=4m4xAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=intitle:tunis+inauthor:kleist&hl=en&sa=X&ei=14kvUqqPF-Xh4APiyIHADw&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

For those who can't follow the link, they published a book in 1888 with the title: "Tunis und seine Umgebung. Ethnographische Skizzen." Tunis and its surroundings- ethnographic sketches.

He entered the 3. GRzF as an Einj. Freiw. on 01.04.1879, was released to the reserves on 07.07.1879. He reentered the army on 01.11.1880 in 2. GFAR. Leutn. 16.09.1881. 24.03.1890 transferred to FAR 34 and then into the Sch.Tr. f. DOA 10.12.1891.

Andy

Karsten,

In 1913 he was living in Leipzig as a Dr. med. He disappears after 1896- presumably he left the army and went to medical school. He was born 04.07.1860. When I get home from work, I'll check his earlier career for clues to the Tunesian award (if someone does not beat me to it!)

Andy

Taube,

Very nice photo!

I think it is Oskar von Xylander. I compared the photo in Biblio's 3rd volume of the series "Die Ritter des Ordens Pour le mérite des I. Weltkrieges", page 583 and they are the same man.

Andy

Interestingly enough, there was a Hptm. Ludwig Terberger in IR 158 in 1914. His awards in May 1914 were LDH4 SA3b. His date of rank as a Leutn. was 18.10.1897, so no centenary.

Perhaps the plot thickens??

Andy

Rick,

According to the 1979 "Anschriften Verzeichnis ehemaliger Kgl. Preuß. u. Kgl. Sächs. Kadetten" he died on 10.05.1977 in Bad Honnef (Frankenweg 1a)

Andy

Looks like "Grüning" to me. What is the rest of the stamp-- "Hauptmann u. Komp. Führer........ that might help.

Andy

Eckhardt,

A Vizefeldwebel Blechschmidt was promoted to Leutn. d.R. d. Inf. R. 95 (from Landwehr Bezirk Meiningen) on 28.07.1917. Unfortunately, the Militär Wochenblatt does not provide a first name. That said, I think this could certainly be your man.

One source indicates that a Feld Intendantur Sekretär Hermann Blechschmidt received the EK2, AEZ, EHsM, SMK.

So, what do we make of this??? Are you sure of the first name??

Andy

Rick,

That gentleman entered the saxon 2nd Gren. R. (Nr. 101 in 1867), so, he can be eliminated as well.

Andy

Paul,

I used the Militär Wochenblatt for 1864 and 1866 and the and Ordenslisten for 1848-1850, all contemporary sources that provide what I believe is as complete a list as possible for each data base.

Andy

Over the last several months, I have created three new data bases which list the awards of the various grades of the PRAO, PKrO and PHOvH with swords for the 1848/49, 1864 and 1866 wars. I have named the vast majority of these. While I realize that there may not be that many bars or photos of recipients of these awards, I want to ensure that the members are aware of the possibility to research items from the mid-19th century. In each case I tried to determine there last year of service to assist in figuring out who these officers were and their last published awards.

I myself am not a collector of bars or photos. I work on identifying the individuals behind the awards. With the help of the other Research Gnomes, I think we can open a new chapter in the history of awards.

So, don't be shy about asking. We'll do our best to assist.

Andy

Rick,

The 1904/05 DOA list Jakob's awards as BdZL3b HssP4b PrKr4 KSäA3c and OestFJ4. So, looks like the FJ knocks him out of contention.

Andy

I have a table of the WWII armored divisions, but it will not copy well into this posting. If you send me a PM with an e-mail address, I'll be happy to send it to you as a WORD document.

ndu

Georg Menkhaus, born 06.06.1893 in Iburg (Osnabruck), entered the Bavarian army as a recruit on 07.11.1914. There are numerous entries for him on ancestry. He too was infantry. It seems he survived the war.

Andy

Widtmann was born 18.07.1872 in Munich.

He was a cadet and graduated from the corps of cadets on 01.04.1890 and entered 1. IR. He went to the Kriegschule from 1891/92 and studied in "Lehrabteilung A." Priester attended the same years and studied in "Lehrabteilung D." On 01.10.1893 Widtmann was transferred to 6. IR, where he would have now met Priester, and we know he died in 1899.

Widtmann left the army on 25.06.1906.

In 1914 he was living in Berlin-Friedenau (at Hackerstr. 27, III) as a "Regierungs Sekretair" and upon mobilization, returned to Bavarian military service (there are four nice entries for him on ancestry.com). He was promoted to Hptm. on 05.11.1914.

He survived the war.

Andy

There were two Sek.Lts. in the Bavarian 6. Inf. R. by those names in 1895, Friedrich Priester and Heinrich Widtmann. Priester was promoted Sek.Lt. on 05.03.1892 and Widtmann on 28.05.1892. I am not sure of the significance of date yet.

On 27.01.1899 Priester transferred to the Schutztruppe for German East Africa. He died on 15.03.1899.

I'll keep digging to see what else might be available.

Andy

Rick,

I checked my copy of the IR 12 Stammliste, and he is not to be found!

Andy