eBay split group: WW1 picture postcards

[Dave Danner]

OK, I gave some time and thought to starting this topic, and now it goes.

Here are two eBay auctions from the same seller:

1. WWI Photo Studio German Officer 4er Medal Clip

2. WWI Photo Studio German Officer Medal EK 1 & EK 2

Auction #1 features a nice studio photo of an officer with a really nice medal bar - Brunswick Order of Henry the Lion, Centenary Medal, Saxon Albert Order and Swedish Order of the Sword. Text on the back indicates the picture postard was sent in 1915.

Auction #2 features a nice studio photo of an officer with an Iron Cross 1st Class and the buttonhole ribbon for the EK2, and possibly another ribbon below that (if so, likely a Brunswick War Merit Cross). Text on the back indicates the picture postard was sent in 1916.

There is a rather striking similarity in the photos, not the least because they are the same man, Hauptmann von Frobel, a company commander in Braunschweigisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 92.

That the seller is splitting them up is, to me, tragic and an insult to history. I know it isn't quite in the same category as splitting up medal groups, but keeping these together seems far more valuable than splitting them up. One of our forum members was a bidder initially, but is out of the bidding. The person who currently has the high bid on Auction #1 seems intent on keeping it. I tried contacting him through eBay's message system to alert him to the other photo, in the hopes that he would seek to keep the two together, but received no response. For all I know, he just wants a pretty medal photo and doesn't care about the history and thinks I'm a shill for the seller.

Anyway, having given him time to at least make a bid on the other photo, and seeing nothing, I am starting this thread to alert our little corners of the Imperial collector community. Perhaps one of us will have the interest and the wherewithal to act to keep the photos together, if other bidders do not. Heck, one of us might have Frobel's medals.

I'm putting this on both GMIC and WAF to hit as much of the online Imperial collector community as I can.

[Stogieman]

Unfortunately, eBay has a long history of people ripping apart photo albums for profit.... The stories I could tell you!

[Mike Dwyer]

Well, I normally only collect postcards and photos of royalty and generals, and my finances are a bit limited right now, but in an effort to attempt to keep these two photos together I've made a bid on both of them.

We'll see what happens.

[Guest Rick Research]

At least if enough people save the images renamed for the original wearer's name, in 2 hours or 35 years when somebody DOES surface (ain't this internet thang a hoot?) with documents or medal bar, his "lost" face will be available.

[Gerd Becker]

Well, whoever bay_herald is, he is currently the highest bidder on both Postcards. Lets hope, he gets them.

[Mike Dwyer]

Well, whoever bay_herald is, he is currently the highest bidder on both Postcards. Lets hope, he gets them.

That would be me.

[Gerd Becker]

That would be me.

Excellent, Good Luck, Mike

[Mike Dwyer]

Well, I just won both of these cards on eBay!

Now, could someone possibly give me more information about Hauptmann von Frobel? If I'm going to be keeping his photos, I'd love to know more about him.

[Glenn J]

Mike,

The officer in question is Major Hans von Frobel. He spent his entire pre-war career in I.R. 92. Promoted to Major on 20 September 1918 (O2o), he survived the war.

Regards

Glenn

[Mike Dwyer]

Mike,

The officer in question is Major Hans von Frobel. He spent his entire pre-war career in I.R. 92. Promoted to Major on 20 September 1918 (O2o), he survived the war.

Regards

Glenn

Thanks, Glenn! It's nice to know a little more about him than just his last name!

[Glenn J]

Mike,

in 1914 Hauptmann v. Frobel was commanding 7./I.R.92

Promotions:

Sekondelieutenant/Leutnant: 7.3.96 V

Oberleutnant: 20.3.06 H2h

Hauptmann: 1.10.12 K10k

He married Elisabeth v. Schwartzkoppen on 15 March 1906.

Regards

Glenn

[Dave Danner]

The Deutsches Historisches Museum Berlin has an online living history project. One of the World War One pages includes several letters from a young reserve lieutenant, Lt.d.R. Leopold von Stutterheim (the page misspells it as Sutterheim). Although a reservist with 3.Garde-Feldartillerie-Regiment, as a Braunschweiger, when the war started he was assigned to IR 92. He was killed in action on 22 August 1914. The last item on the webpage is a letter from Hauptmann von Frobel to Stutterheim's mother.

In der Nacht vom 21. Auf den 22. August waren wir f?r wenige Stunden in dem Dorfe Bouillet untergebracht. Morgens um 2 Uhr am 22. 8. traten wir den Vormarsch an, um bald die Sombre zu ?berschreiten. Nicht lange nachdem wir den Flu? ?berschritten hatten, kamen wir in ein Dorf, wie wir sp?ter erfuhren, Roselies. Als die Kompanien des Bataillons in Marschkolonnen im Dorfe waren - die Spitze hatte das Dorf schon fast durchschritten -, erhielten wir pl?tzlich rasendes Feuer aus allen H?usern, G?rten, Hecken und wo sonst sich eine Gelegenheit f?r den Feind bot. Es herrschte vollkommene Dunkelheit, so da? man immer nur das Aufblitzen der feindlichen Sch?sse sah. Ich ordnete an, da? sich die Kompagnie in dem freien Raum zwischen den H?usern hinlegen sollte. Hier lagen wir etwa eineinhalb Stunden, immerfort vom Feind beschossen. Erfolg hatte der Feind hierbei so gut wie gar nicht. Ich selbst erhielt einen leichten Streifschu? und mu?te mich auf wenige Minuten von der Kompagnie entfernen. Wir warteten nun sehns?chtig das Anbrechen des Tageslichts ab, um dann endlich gegen den Feind vorgehen zu k?nnen. Als es endlich langsam hell wurde, erhielt die Kompagnie Feuer aus einem einsam gelegenen wei?en Hause und bekam den Befehl vorzugehen. Ich schickte den 3. Zug dagegen vor. Inzwischen hatten sich auf dem auf der H?he halbrechts vor uns liegenden Walde Franzosen entwickelt und nahmen das Feuer gegen den Ort auf. Ich entwickelte den Zug Ihres Herrn Sohnes, der, zun?chst gedeckt hinter einer Hecke liegend, das Feuer erwiderte. Im Verein mit anderen Kompagnien und dem gegen das wei?e Haus angesetzten Zug wurde nun der Angriff gegen die auf der H?he liegenden Franzosen angesetzt. Unter Benutzung der zahllosen Hecken, die das Gel?nde durchzogen, arbeiteten sich die Sch?tzen bis an einen kleinen, vor uns liegenden Steilabfall heran. Hier fanden sie vollkommene Deckung, konnten aber selbst im Augenblicke nicht schie?en. Ihr Herr Sohn, der inmitten seiner Leute in voller Deckung lag, richtete sich einen Augenblick etwas auf, um ?ber den niedrigen Steilabfall hinwegsehen zu k?nnen und dabei nach dem Feinde Ausschau zu halten. In dem Augenblick, den er dazu ben?tigte, traf in das feindliche Gescho?. Die Kugel traf ihn in den Hals und gewi? die Schlagader. Ihr Herr Sohn sagte in dem Augenblick: "Gr??en Sie meine guten Eltern". Dann sank er in sich zusammen und war sofort tot.

http://www.dhm.de/lemo/forum/kollektives_g.../042/index.html

[Daniel Cole]

I used to have a copy of the regimental history of IR 92. I seem to recall a photo of von Stutterheim in there and listing him as having been killed.

Wish I still had it to check out.

Dan

[Mike Dwyer]

Okay, I received the two postcards yesterday. Somehow I missed the fact that both cards had been written on the back. I could be mistaken, but I think the writing is a note from Hans von Frobel himself. I'd like to ask those of you who are much more talented than I to translate the writings from the two cards for me.

First the front side of the card dated 1915:

Edited December 5, 2006 by Mike Dwyer

[Mike Dwyer]

Now the note on the back of the card:

[Mike Dwyer]

Front of the card dated 1916

[Mike Dwyer]

The back of the 1916 card

[Ulsterman]

2nd one:

My beloved war comrade Mr. Lt. Otto Rost, in fond rememberance, etc. etc. Hauptman von Frobel. date

I am glad you got them.

First one says basically the same thing.

Edited December 5, 2006 by Ulsterman

[Mike Dwyer]

2nd one:

My beloved war comrade Mr. Lt. Otto Rost, in fond rememberance, etc. etc. Hauptman von Frobel. date

I am glad you got them.

First one says basically the same thing.

Thank you, Ulsterman!

[Guest Rick Research]

Nice portraits! Congratulations on keeping them together.

Rost must have been a young wartime Lt dR. I don't find a regular or a pre-war reservist with IR 92 ties.

[Deruelle]

Hi,

Von Frobel recieved before the war

Brunswick knight cross 2nc class

Centenray medal from Prussia

Knight cross Albert from Saxe

In the RL 1914, nothing about the fourth award (it seems to be the Sweden knight cross). Perhaps he received it after may 1914 and August 1914.

Very nice photo

regards

Christophe

[Mike Dwyer]

Hi,

Von Frobel recieved before the war

Brunswick knight cross 2nc class

Centenray medal from Prussia

Knight cross Albert from Saxe

In the RL 1914, nothing about the fourth award (it seems to be the Sweden knight cross). Perhaps he received it after may 1914 and August 1914.

Very nice photo

regards

Christophe

Thank you very much, Christophe. Yes, they are very nice photos. He looks like he was a very striking man.

[Guest Rick Research]

Yes, von Frobel's Knight 1st Class of the Swedish Sword Order was gazetted in the Milit?r-Wochenblatt of 25 June 1914. It's in Willi Geile's volume of all such awards, published by Michael Autengruber in 1997.

[Guest Brian von Etzel]

I agree, quite the dashing gentleman.

[Mike Dwyer]

Yes, von Frobel's Knight 1st Class of the Swedish Sword Order was gazetted in the Milit?r-Wochenblatt of 25 June 1914. It's in Willi Geile's volume of all such awards, published by Michael Autengruber in 1997.

Rick,

Any idea how a German officer would get a medal from neutral Sweden in 1914?