"Herzog von Calabrien," May 1916

[Guest Rick Research]

I am baffled. Stymied, even.

On the Rolls of the Principality of Hohenzollern's World War One Honor Crosses with Swords is a First Class in May 1916 logged off in its entirety as to

"His R.H. the Duke of Calabria."

Uhhhhhn. Calabria is in ITALY. Italy had just declared war on Germany. I can find NO SUCH PERSON.

Not in the Italian Royal family, among all the Royal offspring who bore Ducal titles.

Not in the Hohenzollern family, assuming this was a stray in-law rattling around multi-nationally with no particular "home loyalty."

Not in German army Rank Lists.

Not in the Online Gotha.

Nor, for that matter, in an actual 1917 edition of the Almanach de Gotha.

Now I have never had any luck whatsoever at googling...

but can somebody, anybody tell me who--in 1916 and on the GERMAN side-- this could POSSIBLY have BEEN???

Rick

[Glenn J]

Rick,

the Inhaber of the Bavarian 6. Feld-Artillerie-Regiment Prinz Ferdinand von Bourbon, Herzog von Calabrien sounds like a contender.

Regards

Glenn

[Hendrik]

Hello Rick,

Found this on what could be "your man" :

Ferdinando Pio Maria, Duke of Calabria, Prince of the Two Sicilies (Duca di Calabria, Principe delle Due Sicilie)

born July 25, 1869, Rome, Papal States (now Italy)

died January 7, 1960, Lindau, Bavaria, Germany

son of Prince Alfonso of the Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta, and of his wife, Princess Antonia of the Two Sicilies;

Grand Master of the Constantinian Order of Saint George and of the (Sicilian) Order of Saint Januarius, Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Knight of the (Spanish) Order of the Golden Fleece (from 1897), of the (Bavarian) Order of Saint Hubert, and of the (Italian) Order of the Annunciata, Grand Cross of the (Spanish) Order of Charles III

Source : http://www.jacobite.ca/genealogy.htm

Hope this helps,

Hendrik

[Mike Dwyer]

Rick,

That's the man! The current Duke of Calabria is the son of the HRH Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Castro, who is the current head of the royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He is one of the people I spoke about in another thread about current heads of non-reigning houses still awarding house orders. The Duke of Castro still awards the Order of Contantinian St. George. Here's a link to the royal house's web site which also includes information about the orders he still heads: http://www.realcasadiborbone.it/uk/presentazione/index.htm

[deptfordboy]

That's interesting, I recently got back from holidaying in Lindau, Germany where your man died.

The plethora of HUGE turn of the C20th mansions on the lake shores there, most of which had wrought-iron gates with crests of one form or another, would fit in perfectly with the image of this island on the Bodensee being a suitable location for this aristo's twilight years.

Gilbert

Edited August 21, 2006 by deptfordboy

[Guest Rick Research]

Woooooo-oooooooo! I could NOT find that guy! GIANT "indexing" mystery resolved--

Many thanks guys! Yipppppeeeeeeeee.

[Glenn J]

Rick,

His Royal Highness, Prinz Ferdinand von Bourbon, Herzog von Calabrien was appointed as an Oberst ? la suite of the Royal Bavarian Army with a Patent of 27 May 1915.

Regards

Glenn

[Guest Rick Research]

Apparently a GHQ Lounge Lizard.

I wonder "why" he ended up as Inhaber of that particular Regiment given his seemingly extraordinary Nonentitude.....