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    Djedj

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    Everything posted by Djedj

    1. Greetings gentlemen, I just got hold of my copy of this great CD, and must say I'm thrilled with it ! This wonderful list featuring the given names of the recipients (capital information !), I could at last make sense of the information I found re. a Hussar Lieutenant named v. Rothkirch u. Trach : there were two of them (both got the EK2), brothers Graf Dorotheus and Graf Friedrich Leopold : Plus I got to learn that Friedrich Leopold acted as Ordonnanz-Offizier b. General-Kommando der 8.Armee-Korps - which I had absolutely no clue of ! What a great CD - many thanks Glenn ! Salutations, Jerome
    2. MANY THANKS Paul, Richard and Ulsterman ! (I hope the objectives of the Primrose League, whatever they may have been, won't create with the other distinguished gentlemen featured in this thread ...) Cheers ! Jerome
    3. Just a couple notes about this letter and the letter and the Brevet mentionned : The letter is dated February 10th, 1817 - which does not mean that Dufour was made on Officier de la L?gion d'Honneur at or even near that date. As a matter of fact, the March 26th 1816 Ordonnance reorganizing the L?gion d'Honneur stated that the former Brevets/Letters/Nominations etc... were unvalided, and that a new ranking list was to be devised, with new Brevets to be established and sent : As for the 20 Francs, they are not to be paid but retained on his pay. As a matter of fact, the L?gion d'Honneur carried pay. For illustration's purpose, an Officier in 1802 was allowed 1000 francs a year. In the 1816 Ordonnance, the only reference states that the actual amount is in some cases to be proposed by the Grand Chancellor : A May 1st 1817 letter from McDonald sheds some interesting light on those issues : A few excerpts: "The officiers who have only received the 300 Francs instalment have 200 francs to receive for their situation to be the same as that of the L?gionnaires" (The l?gionnaires had received payment for the first six-month of 1814, and an instalment for 1815, nothing having as of yet to be paid for 1817) Overall McDonald expects them to be paid up to 50% of the former rate. Another exctract is of specific relevance : "The new diplomas having only been sent to a small number of members, the number under which they were inscribed in the former general list, must, once again, be recalled on the 'extraits de revue' or 'certificats de vie' (...)" Cheers ! Jerome
    4. Bonjour, Here's a commanding Scottish gentleman - is he wearing Masonic medals ? (Pray excuse the ignorance of the uninitiated...) Medals detail ; any idea what they could be ? Sporran details : Cheers ! Jerome
    5. Hi Gentlemen, A good reason why I wouldn't find refrences indeed ! Thanks, Jerome
    6. Evening gents., I've had this for some time - don't know what it is ; I've seen the like on the old PLM website, stating it was some Freikorps badge/award of some kind ? The skull has some Braunschweig flavour to itself ; Regimental stuff ? It is quite base metal ; width is 50mm. ; no maker's mark : As you can see, it is quite curved and the skull is thick : Opinions welcome ! Cheers, Jerome
    7. What a life indeed ! Dr. MacDonald was still in Zanzibar when WWI broke out : (from ??Zanzibar Affairs, 1914-1933?? By Richard Hayes Crofton) "The Pegasus affair happened on Sunday the 20th of September 1914. Pegasus had drawn fires and was cleaning her boilers and repairing machinery. Konigsberg must have come up between 4 and 5 a.m. The Indian lighthouse keepers at Chumbe near which Konigsberg made her base of operations, saw her and knew it was she. They had only to pull a string to set off a terrific alarm signal, but fear prevailed and they did nothing. If they had sounded the alarm, it is quite likely Konigsberg would have turned tail and gone 'hell for leather'. Alternatively Pegasus only required twenty minutes to raise steam. As it was, the ship's company knew nothing until the firing began. The third shot found her out and a great many more afterwards. Konigsberg began at 9000 yards and then closed to 7000. Pegasus was helplessly anchored broadside on with guns, three of which were condemned four years ago on the China Station, and even so, with only a flat projectory range of a thousand yards. The engagement began a little before 5.30 am and was over in twenty minutes. I was staying at the English Club at the time and was roused from my slumbers by the sound of shells screaming overhead. I first ran upstairs to the verandah overlooking the sea. From there I could see nothing but could hear the shots whistling past in front of me. I then ran down to the verandah of the main building, from which I could through the Club telescope watch the firing and movements of Konigsberg. Pegasus was out of sight round the point. She answered for a short time and then became silent?I could not understand why. Konigsberg did not wait long after she disabled her foe but, throwing overboard dozens of shell cases, which we feared at first were mines, and firing three parting shots in the direction of the Mission at Mbweni, where possibly she thought there were guns guarding the entrance? turned round and went off at full speed to the south. Khalifa, one of the Government steamers, had up to that night, been doing patrol work to the south of the Island, covering Chumbe. For some reason she did not go out that night, her duty being taken by a small steam tug. The latter did not see the enemy until she was close up to her. She then fired a shot or two but promptly had a shot put through her boiler which fatally burnt the native in the engine room but harmed no one else. The rest took to the water. Konigsberg offered the Officer in command, Lt. C.J.Charlewood, R.N.R., a life belt, which however he refused and swam a mile ashore. The other Government Steamer, Cupid, had gone to Dar-es-Salaam and a rumour was for some time current that she had been sent to the bottom. Later in the forenoon she appeared to the south and came steaming in past Chumbe, somewhat to our consternation as we watched from the verandah of the Residency, because Konigsberg kept sending messages by wireless all the morning warning Khalifa against the southern entrance which she said was dangerous. This was another instance of decent behaviour on the part of Konigsberg. I have mentioned the life-belt incident and I may add that, close as it was, not a single shot touched the town. Pegasus after the engagement, with bodies, portions of bodies and blood, was a veritable shambles. She lay some hundreds of yards out in the stream. Shore boats were promptly despatched and two doctors went off on their own initiative. The ship?s doctor had in the meantime done his work with great finesse and by the application of tourniquets, saved many lives. The wounded were taken in to the European Hospital- luckily on the front-where first aid was rendered. Dr. Macdonald deserves the greatest credit for his organization. He had been through the bombardment in 1896 and had made all preparations. By 11 am first aid had been rendered and most of the cases were then passed on to the Native Hospital, to the Native Hospital, which had been cleared in no time of native cases. There were nine doctors at work and they responded like Trojans to the call. They did not get through until 10 pm and then of course all the operations had not been done. The two wounded officers stood no chance: one had to have both legs off and the other, one. The twenty four men killed in action were buried that afternoon on Grave Island, all in one large grave. The seven who had died from wounds on shore were laid to rest in the European Cemetary at Mnazi Mmoja. The bodies were sewn up in canvas covered with a Union Jack,and carried on stretchers shoulder high by their comrades, the European community following in procession. Between fifty and sixty more were wounded and between six and ten have since died. Altogether the casualties amounted to about forty per cent of the ship?s complement. How anyone escaped under the awful fire it is difficult to understand. Of course the most marvellous tales of escape are recounted. They tried to beach Pegasus but the tide was unfavourable and she sank in shallow water during the morning. Her masts are visible now at low tide. "
    8. Bonsoir, Re. Philomel, From The Times, August 26, 1896 : Latest Intelligence. Death Of The Sultan Of Zanzibar. ZANZIBAR, Aug. 25. The Sultan died at 11 o'clock to-day. The situation is critical. Khalid, who has seized the palace, has 1,200 armed men and has proclaimed himself Sultan. Her Majesty's ships Philomel, Sparrow, and Thrush are here, and 150 men have been landed..-Our correspondant. ZANZIBAR, Aug. 25. The Sultan of Zanzibar, Hamid bin Thwain bin Said, died to-day. He was about 40 years of age and ascended the Throne in 1893. [The above appeared in our Second Edition of yesterday.] LATER. When the Sultan's death became known, Said Khalid immediately took posession of the Palace and proclaimed himself Sultan. he has 700 armed askaris with him and is now barricading the Palace. Her Majesty's cruiser Philomel and the gunboats Thrush and Sparrow have landed men at the Custom-house and are now awaiting orders from the Foreign Office how to act. All the ladies have been lodged at the British Consulate as trouble is feared.-Reuter." Trouble rightly feared - with the following bombardment ! Cheers, Jerome
    9. Pleasure Enzo ! Good to know the Order's there - and that there's documentation as well ! As for life in Zanzibar - interestingly one of the Palace of the Sultan, right in the middle of Stone Town, was called "Beit-al-Ajaib" or the "House of Wonders" : built in 1883, it owed its name ot the fact that it is supposed to be the first Austral African House to feature electricity, running water and an elevator ! Extracted from : http://www.zanzibarhistory.org/table_of_contents.htm (where more views are to be found) Cheers, Jerome
    10. Good evening, Fascinating stuff - bringing back wonderful memories of Zanzibar, Stone Town, the dhows... The death of George Allardice Macdonald was reported by the University of Edinburgh Journal : GEORGE ALLARDICE MACDONALD, MB, CM 1893 : at Gutach-Breisgau, Germany, 13th October 1960, October 1960, aged 91. Dr MacDonald was born in the West Indies, and after graduating in Edinburgh spent a large part of his medical career abroad, first in Zanzibar and later in the British West Indies. Some of these fantastic decorations were duly gazetted in the London Gazette : Whitehall, August.25, 1897. THE Queen has been pleased to give and grant unto each of the undermentioned Officials of the Zanzibar Government, Her Majesty's Royal licence and authority that he may accept and wear the Insignia of the Order appearing against his name, conferred, upon him by His Highness the Sultan of Zanzibar in recognition of his services while actually and entirely employed beyond Her Majesty's Dominions in His Highness's service:? (...) Order of Hamondieh of the Fourth Class.- (...) George Allardyce Macdonald, Zanzibar Government Medical Officer in charge of Hospital during the bombardment. (*sic* re. the "Allardyce" spelling) Whitehall, July 12, 1906. The KING has been pleased to give and grant unto the undermentioned Gentlemen His Majesty's Royal licence and authority to accept and wear the Insignia of the 'First, Second, Third or Fourth Class of the Order of El Aliyeh (as stated against their respective names), which Decorations have been conferred upon them by His Highness the Sultan of Zanzibar in recognition of valuable services rendered by them to His Highness:? (...) Third Class. George Allardice MacDonald, Esq., M.B., C.M. Whitehall, June 21, 1907. The KING has been pleased to give and grant unto George Allardice MacDonald, Esq., M.B., C.M., His Majesty's Royal licence and authority that he may accept and wear the Insignia of the Third Class of the Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar, conferred upon him by His Highness the Sultan of Zanzibar, in recognition of valuable services rendered by him. Whitehall, July 29, 1908. The KING has been pleased to give and grant unto the undermentioned Gentlemen His Majesty 's Royal licence and authority to accept and wear Decorations (as stated against theirrespective names) which have been conferred upon them by His Highness the Sultan of Zanzibar, in recognition of valuable services rendered by them : ? (...) Insignia of the Second Class of the Order of "El Aliyeh" George Allardice MacDonald, Esq., M.B., C.M Whitehall, October 21, 1908. The KING has been pleased to give and grant unto George Allardice MacDonald, Esq., M.B., C.M., His Majesty's Royal licence and authority to accept and wear the Insignia of a Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy, conferred upon him by His Majesty the King of Italy, in recognition of valuable services rendered by him. Yep, last is the "bad" news : there's (at least ?) an Order of the Crown missing. Many thanks for sharing those beauties ! Jerome
    11. Bonsoir Chris, Great stuff ! Here's what it reads : "Excellent soldat, a soutenu le moral de ses camarades pendant une violente contre-attaque ennemie pendant 5 heures avec une mitrailleuse ennemie. D?cor? de la M?daille Militaire. Sign? G?n?ral G?rard. Citation ? la Division. No.89 23-5-15. Excellent soldier, supported the morale of his comrades during a violent ennemy counter-attack for 5 hours with an ennemy machine-gun. (...) Excellent soldat, a fait preuve de sang-froid et d'?nergie, a tenu l'attaque avec tous ses camarades de son escouade et sauv? le Commandant du 72e d'Infanterie qui ?tait entre les lignes fran?aises et ennemies. Sign?, G?n?ral G?rard Citation ordre du R?giment No.96 13-11-16 4e Zouaves. Excellent soldier, showed cold-blood and energy, checked the attack with all his comrades from his squad and saved the Commanding-Officer of the 72nd Infantry Regiment who was between the French lines and the ennemy lines (...) Chef d'?quipe des Grenadiers s'est particuli?rement distingu? pendant les journ?es du 24 au 26 octobre 1916. Le Lieutenant Colonel Commandant le 4e Zouaves Michaud." Team leader of the Grenadiers, particularly distinguished himself during the days from the 24 to the 26th October 1916 (...) Meilleures salutations, J?r?me
    12. Hi gents, Well it happens that there are a few companies out there who make a living selling scanned copies of Army Lists. Like : <a href="http://youroldbooksandmaps.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://youroldbooksandmaps.co.uk/</a> I'd contact them re. digital copyrights - something they must have studied thoroughly. I agree he cannot copyright the original material - but he can copyright his work - i.e. his scans ! The general idea should be : - The original material is free of right (copyright lapsed) - Scanning them creates a copyright on the scans. - If someone finds the copyright-free material (another copy of the book), they can do whatever they want with it. - However the scans themselves are yours and they can't be used commercially without your consent. More here : http://www.mda.org.uk/cdigi.htm I'm not sure you could prevent someone from re-typing all the lists and commercialize that (but it's such a pain that I doubt anyone will). Practically, the difficulty is to prove that the scan is yours (nothing looks like an old scanned page as well as another scanned page). Or rather, to show they're yours to prevent someone from appropriating your scans to commercialize them. So I'd recommend a watermark of sort on each page - a bit tedious when hundreds of pages are there, but that's the only practical way to deter piracy. Go for it - there's potential here ! Cheers, Jerome
    13. WAOW, Fantastic stuff ! I'm definitely joining the ranks of those who'd buy a CD copy Cheers, Jerome
    14. Bonjour Messieurs, It took them some to get decided, but these old gents decided to go to a place that reminds them of when they were young, rather than reminding them they were old. So Uwe Speedytop, I'll PM you for your address - that they're eager to reach ! Thanks for your comments gents - especially Ulsterman. Btw, are you referring ("Unidentified Hussar Colonel") to this gentleman ? He's been a puzzle for a while ! I gave the Hussar General a go on the forum a while ago ; sadly the Medals don't show out good enough for positive Id. - and I seem to remember the PLM was rather thought to be a Johanniter of some sort. Cheers ! Jerome
    15. No stats here, but I'd mention that "Spichern" is the German name, and "Spicheren" the French one. (sorry can't say which dialect "Speichern" comes from, though I've seen it used as well). So I guess it's a question of point of view here ? And a great viewpont it must have been from the Spicheren Highs... : "Spicherer H?hen von Stiering aus gesehen" (1871) Salutations, Jerome
    16. Bonjour Hundtorget, Very nice group ! A few comments : I agree with Kev, the medal is actually a "Jeton". They were widely used during Imperial times as mementoes of events, postings, showing which military academy you came from, etc. I don't know exactly what exact official character they carried, but they were widely worn in uniform ; see example from my photo collection here : http://www.hussards-photos.com/Russie/Russ...DV_Discours.htm As for your jeton, you'll notice that it bears the mark of a regiment (the "8F") and a mark of rank (the vertical stripes). From what I understand, the rank would be that of a Colonel. As for the regiment shown on both jeton and shoulder board, it is most likely the 8th Finland Rifle Regiment, stationned in Viborg in 1914 (belonging to the 2nd Finland Rifle Brigade). See example of Rifle Regiment shoulder boards here : http://www.xenophon-mil.org/rusarmy/shenk/shenk13hs.htm So if I get it right, the man in the photograph likely was Colonel of the 8th Finland Rifle Regiment, who'd have given jetons to his old comrade-in-arms as a reminder of their war time service. A wonderful group indeed ! Salutations, Jerome
    17. Ahaaaaaa, so it's post WWI. Here's an extract from the "Trait? de Droit Colonial", written by Pierre Dareste and published in 1931 : "Il n'existe pas de marine coloniale, formant la contre-partie de l'arm?e coloniale. Mais la marine de l'Etat poss?de aux colonies des services, des ?tablissements, des points d'appui, et des unit?s navales qui concourent ? la d?fense et qui sont plac?es sous l'autorit? de commandants". Roughly translating as : "There is no Colonial Navy, forming the equivalent of the Colonial Army. But the Navy of the State holds in the colonies services, establishments, outposts, and naval units that participate in the defense and are placed under the authority of commandants". Still in the 30s, the "colonial" theme was quite fashionable, and the "Marine Coloniale" term may well have been used and abused - and there was definitely much talk in the late 30s of actually establishing one. I'm quite out of my depth here, and can't contribute much further I'm afraid. Cheers, Jerome
    18. Hi Roeland, Your answer has me perplexed, as I'm not aware of the existence of a French "Marine Coloniale". French Colonial Troops consisted mainly in "Infanterie de Marine" (equivalent of "Marines" in US terms), and later "Artillerie de Marine". This uniform is neither. As far as I know, from the mid-XIXth Century on, the "Marine Fran?aise" (French Navy) didn't have a specific Colonial branch (it itself depending from the "Minist?re de la Marine et des Colonies"), as the Dutch had for example. I'd think it looks much like a Navy uniform ? Where did the "Marine Coloniale" term come to you from ? Jerome
    19. Bonsoir Uwe and Ulsterman, Two good cases indeed ! Let's see if anyone else comes forward - I'll consult these elderly gents tomorrow, to ask them where they're rather retire. Cheers, Jerome
    20. Bonsoir, Mmmh not really my province, but this should not belong to a "Colonial officer" - rather to a French Navy one. The detail of the embroideries is not great on your photos, but their saw-like framing was typical of navigating officers. Being the Full Dress uniform, it should have shoulder boards indeed ; have a look there for pictorial references : http://www.military-photos.com/cvaisseaux.htm Cheers, Jerome
    21. Bonjour, Introducing some Veterans of the 1848 Schleswig war - as pictured in 1908, I guess for the 60th Birthday of the formation of the provisory government in the Duchy. : A close up on some grumpy old men with their medals - I guess Veteran Associations stuff ? The back of the Cabinet Card features a menu - and a somewhat emphatic poem. Now this Cabinet Card came to me through a lot ; though I appreciate the document, it's not my collecting at all. So, to keep with the Season's Spirit, if anyone has a special interest in that campaign/medals/grumpy old men, I'll be happy to send it over to add to your collection (as in "for free"). Just please let it be known why you'd be interested, so that, in the (unlikely?) event a few of you are interested, I can chose the best retiring place for those old warriors ! Cheers, Jerome
    22. Bonjour, Here's an extract from the very official "Annuaire Militaire de l'Arm?e Fran?aise" from 1905 ; You'll find the then Lieutenant Waddell listed (lower right corner) among the officers of the 2e R?giment Etranger (Note that there were only 2 Foreign Regiments at the time). He had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant (make that "First Lieutenant" in British terms) on April 25th 1902 - likely after spending the usual two years with the rank of "Sous-Lieutenant" ("2d Lieutenant"). You'll notice the mention "? titre ?tranger". Waddell was mentioned in a book called "American Fighters in the Foreign Legion, 1914-1918", by Paul Ayres Rockewell, published in 1930 by the Houghton Mifflin company (I don't have the book) ; an extract, as provided by Google Books: P.178: "The Legion lost many men during all this fighting. My battalion chief, Commandant James Waddell, a New Zealander with fourteen years' service and a fine record in the Legion, was one of the few officers to come out of the fighting alive." P.179 : "During the attack on the Boyau du Chancelier, Commandant Waddell wanted to send a message to the company of Captain Do-Hu-Vi, which was held up in an open field by an intense machine-gun fire. The first liaison agent was killed, and a second one and a third wounded. The order must be delivered.. The Legionnaire Morel offers to carry it. He managed to get through the storm of bullets and arrived at the company, to find Captain Do-Hu-Vi killed, and Lieutenant ....., the second in command, grievously wounded by a bullet in the stomach. Morel bandaged the wound, then with a small shovel dug a shallow boyau across the exposed field to a shell-pit ten metres away, and carefully dragged the wounded officer over into the shelter. He installed ... as comfortably as possible, made his way back to Waddell's post of commandment and reported on the situation. At nightfall Morel guided stretcher-bearers across the battle- swept field to where the Lieutenant lay, and saw him safely on the way to the hospital." Good luck with your research ! Cheers, Jerome
    23. Superb portrait - very expressive ! As an illustration, here are two CDVs showing Strassburg "Am dritten Tage nach der Capitulation !". That makes it November 14th, 1870 ; you can see the Cathedral to the right of the first one - maybe Frommel was inside when the photo was shot ? (From the "Ansichten des Kriegschauplatzes" series, by Friedr. Bruckmann's Verlag, M?nchen & Berlin ; these are #16 and 20). Cheers, Jerome
    24. Hi Chris, A little bio. is available here : http://www.google.fr/books?id=5bA5AAAAMAAJ...burg&pgis=1 No mentions of decorations, but some interesting details. The "Biographisches Jahrbuch und deutscher Nekrolog" mentions the non-combattant EKII : Frommel, D. Emil, K?niglich Preussischer Oberkonsistorialrath und Hofprediger, geboren am 5. Januar 1828 zu Karlsruhe im Grossherzogthume Baden, entstammte einer K?nstlerfamilie und war trotz seiner vorstehend genannten Titel und W?rden ein rechter und echter Soldatenpastor. Aus einem Hause hervorgegangen, in dem neben der Malerei, welche der Vater, der Galleriedirektor war, betrieb, auch Musik und Wissenschaft eine verst?ndnissvolle Pflege fanden, von seiner Mutter mit tiefem religi?sen Gef?hle ausgestattet, ward er im Jahre 1850 nach vollendeten Universit?tsstudien Vikarius zu Altlussheim, einem zwischen Heidelberg und Speier am Rheine belegenen Dorfe. Hier stand der junge, hochgebildete und ?sthetisch veranlagte, religi?s geweckte Professorensohn einem alten stockrationalistisch gesinnten Landpfarrer zur Seite und sandig erschien ihm vielfach die geistliche Berufsarbeit, welche er zu verrichten hatte, aber sie schuf ihm Verst?ndniss f?r die Herzen einfacher Menschen und legte den Grund zu der edelen Volksth?mlich- keit, welche sp?ter den gefeierten Redner auszeichnete. Hier verheiratete er sich im Jahre 1853 mit Amalie Bahr, der ihn ?berlebenden Mutter von zwei S?hnen und drei T?chtern. Auch in Karlsruhe, wohin er 1859 als Vikarius und Stadtpfarrer ?bersiedelte, ward ihm das Leben durch seine freigeistigen Amtsbr?der vielfach schwer gemacht, doch seine Kirche war bald, trotz der dem Besuche seiner Predigten anfangs wenig g?nstigen Nachmittagsstunde, ?berf?llt. Indessen dankte er Gott, als nach zehn Jahren ein Ruf der lutherischen Gemeinde zu Barmen im Wupperthale an ihn erging und bis 1869 hat er hier eine h?chst segensreiche Wirksamkeit entfaltet, ein arbeitsvolles, ihm jedoch sehr zusagendes Leben gef?hrt. Als er einen Kirchenbau beantragte, wurden ihm nicht nur die Gelder bereitwillig zur Verf?gung gestellt, sondern es wurde ihm auch die Ausf?hrung ?bertragen, denn, wie ?berall wohin er kam, eroberte er die Herzen im Sturme. Da erfolgte seine Berufung als Garnisonprediger nach Berlin, zu welcher K?nig Wilhelm's I. Tochter, die Grossherzogin Louise von Baden, die Anregung gegeben hatte. Nurz?gernd sagte er zu, aber es geschah Alles, um ihm den Vorschlag annehmbar erscheinen zu lassen, auch die Probepredigt blieb ihm erspart. "Der K?nig kaufte die Katze im Sack", sagte F. selbst hinterher. ? Kaum hatte er sich eingelebt, so kam der Krieg gegen Frankreich. Seine Stellung h?tte ihn bestimmt zur?ckzubleiben, aber er drang in den Feldprobst Thielen, ihn hinauszusenden und bald stand er mit der Garde-Landwehr-Division vor Strassburg. Als Feld-Divisionsprediger bei der Armeeabteilung des Generals von Werder hat er sodann den Krieg im S?dosten von Frankreich mitgemacht und mit dem Eisernen Kreuze 2. Klasse am weissen Bande geschm?ckt ist er nach Friedensschlusse heimgekehrt. Volle f?nfundzwanzig Jahre hat er alsdann noch seines Amtes als Garnisonpfarrer von Berlin gewaltet und, als er ging, trauerte eine grosse Gemeinde, die weit ?ber den ihm angewiesenen Sprengel hinaus ihm zugewachsen war, denn, wer ihn einmal kennen gelernt hatte, wollte in Verbindung mit ihm treten oder bleiben. Einen h?heren Wirkungskreis verschmahte er. Als nach des Feldprobst Thielen Tode Kaiser Wilhelm I. ihn zu dessen Nachfolger zu machen gedachte, lehnte F. ab: "Lassen Euere Majestat mich bei meinen blauen Jungens, ich tauge nicht f?r den gr?nen Tisch", bat er und in der That hasste er die Akten und die Arbeiten des Gesch?ftszimmers. ? Dagegen liebte er eine andere Art von schreibender Th?tigkeit. Es war die, welche ihn zu einem der beliebtesten und gelesensten Volksschriftsteller der Gegenwart gemacht hat, und eine grosse Zahl von B?chern ist aus ihr hervorgegangen. Die Geschichten, die er erz?hlt, die Begebenheiten, von denen er berichtet, die Pers?nlichkeiten, welche er schildert, sind meist sehr einfacher Art, aber was er schreibt, ?bt einen eigenartigen Reiz. Jedem Gegenstande, jeder Gegend, jedem Menschen oder Thiere weiss er besondere Seiten abzugewinnen und mit Meisterhand zeichnet seine Feder Alles, womit sie sich besch?ftigt; F. wirkt nicht nur unterhaltend, sondern auch veredelend und l?uternd, bildend und erhebend. Sein grosser G?nner war Raiser Wilhelm I., welcher ihn vielfach in seinem pers?nlichen Verkehr zog und ihn w?hrend seiner sp?teren Lebensjahre sechszehn Sommer hindurch mit nach Wildbad-Gastein nahm, wenn er dort die B?der gebrauchte, und das Vertrauen, welches Jener ?f?r den F. in seinem Herzen ein ganz besonderes K?mmerchen hatte?, ihm schenkte, ging auf dessen Grosssohn ?ber, so dass Kaiser Wilhelm II., nachdem R?cksicht auf fortgeschrittenes Lebensalter und angegriffene Gesundheit F. veranlasst hatten zu Ostern 1896 in den Ruhestand zu treten, diesen seinen ?lteren S?hnen, welche nach Pl?n in Holstein gesandt wurden, um mit den Z?glingen des dortigen Kadettenhauses erzogen zu werden, und sich gleichzeitig auf die Konfirmation vorzubereiten hatten, als ihren Religionslehrer mitgab. Aber nicht lange war ihm verg?nnt, als solcher zu wirken. Schon am 9. November 1896 ist er dort an einem inneren Leiden, welches ihn bereits zum R?cktritte von Amte bewogen hatte, gestorben. Ritterlich, freim?thig Hochstehenden gegen?ber, leutselig und freundlich gegen den gemeinen Mann, voll sprudelnden Humors ?bei schlechtem Wetter?, voll herzlicher Theilnahme bei Kranken und Traurigen ? so kennzeichnet ihn in dem unten genannten Nachrufe sein Nachfolger, der Garnisonprediger Goens. Ein Kranz auf Emil Frommel's (irab von Feldprobst D. Richter, Berlin 1897. ? Nachruf im Milit?r-Wochenblatte Nr. 1Ol, Berlin 1896. B. Poten. Cheers, Jerome
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