Which Wedel is Which?

[Dave Danner]

No cool documents or ribbon/medal bars, just idle curiousity/historical interest:

There appear to have been a bunch of von Wedels who served in World War I, many of whom have very similar names, served in similar places or were from or otherwise connected with the same places.

Leaving aside General der Kavallerie z.D. Karl F?rst von Wedel, an older veteran serving as a Generaladjutant, four von Wedels reached general's rank during or upon the conclusion of the war:

• Generalleutnant Hasso Sebastian Georg von Wedel (26.5.1859-31.1.1935)
• Generalmajor Hans Otto von Wedel (1861-1929)
• Generalmajor Hasso Otto von Wedel (1863-1940)
• Generalmajor Hermann Heinrich Achaz von Wedel (1862-1928)

Genlt. Hasso Sebastian Georg von Wedel was apparently the Oberst who in 1914 commanded Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3 and who commanded 5. Infanterie-Division from September 1916 to either July or August 1918. Since Oberst Torsten Graf von Posadowsky-Wehner, who had previously been Chief of the General Staff of the I. Reserve-Korps at the Battle of Tannenberg, was KIA in command of Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3 on 7 October 1914, Hasso Sebastian von Wedel must have handed over command of the regiment sometime before then. Hasso Sebastian von Wedel received the Pour le M?rite on 27 August 1917 and the Oakleaves on 24 November 1917 as commander of 5. Infanterie-Division.

The three Generalmajore von Wedel are these guys, but I can only guess which is which:

• ____ von Wedel, in 1914 an Oberstleutnant (date of rank 1.10.13 Pp) and chief of staff of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 150. On mobilization, he took command of Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 18. His last wartime command was 78. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade.
• ____ von Wedel, in 1914 an Oberstleutnant (date of rank 1.10.13 R4r) and commandant of the Kadettenhaus in K?slin. He took command of Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 209 on its formation in October 1914. His last wartime command was 82. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade.
• ____ von Wedel, in 1914 an Oberstleutnant (date of rank 22.3.14 Cc) and commandant of the Unteroffizierschule in Wei?enfels. His last wartime command was Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 59. He wore the uniform of Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3 (not to be confused with regular Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3).

In addition to these, we also have Oberst z.D. ____ von Wedel, the commander of Landwehrbezirk Wetzlar, and from reactivated Obersten a.D., Oberst a.D. Eduard von Wedel, also with the Bezirkskommando Wetzlar and also formerly of Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3, and Oberst a.D. Hasso von Wedel (yet another Hasso), formerly of the Hauptkadettenanstalt. Oberst a.D. Hasso von Wedel, according to the Ehren-Rangliste, commanded "LdstB Belgard". This was either 1. Landsturm-Infanterie-Bataillon Belgard (II/2), raised on mobilization with Etappe Armee-Abteilung C and assigned to the garrison in Metz, or 2. Landsturm-Infanterie-Bataillon Belgard (II/15), originally raised in September 1914 as a Landsturm-Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon and converted to an Ldst.I.B. in November.

Somewhere in the middle of all of this is this: from 1 February 1915 to 11 January 1917, the regimental commander of Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 223 was an Oberst ____ von Wedel. It can't be Hasso Sebastian because he was already a Generalmajor and a division commander during part of that period. I suppose it could have been any of the three in the middle or even one of the older Weztlarer colonels (RIR 223 was a Kurhessisch-Nassauisch regiment, and Wetzlar was in Hessen-Nassau).

OK, I've babbled on about as far as I can. If anyone has anything to add, please do.

[VtwinVince]

Hey, and don't forget the aviators, Hasso von Wedel and Erich-Ruediger von Wedel. My uncle was a good friend of Hasso, as they both served together in JG 3 on the Channel in 1940. Hasso was shot down and taken POW during the BoB, as the highest-ranking Luftwaffe fighter pilot to be captured (Oberstleutnant). He was later repatriated from Bowmanville, and apparently was killed in the fighting for Berlin.

[Glenn J]

Dave,

tricky

Hans Otto von Wedel, in 1914 an Oberstleutnant (date of rank 1.10.13 Pp) and chief of staff of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 150. On mobilization, he took command of Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 18. His last wartime command was 78. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade.

Hermann von Wedel, in 1914 an Oberstleutnant (date of rank 1.10.13 R4r) and commandant of the Kadettenhaus in K?slin. He took command of Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 209 on its formation in October 1914. His last wartime command was 82. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade.

Hasso von Wedel, in 1914 an Oberstleutnant (date of rank 22.3.14 Cc) and commandant of the Unteroffizierschule in Wei?enfels. His last wartime command was Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 59. He wore the uniform of Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3 (not to be confused with regular Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3).

I will have to look at the others later.

Regards

Glenn

[Glenn J]

Dave,

In addition to these, we also have Oberst z.D. ____ von Wedel, the commander of Landwehrbezirk Wetzlar, and from reactivated Obersten a.D., Oberst a.D. Eduard von Wedel, also with the Bezirkskommando Wetzlar and also formerly of Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3,

These are both the same guy. I think a double entry in the Ehrenrangliste.

Regards

Glenn

[Dave Danner]

Dave,

These are both the same guy. I think a double entry in the Ehrenrangliste.

Regards

Glenn

Well I guess that makes sense, though it makes me wonder how many other double entries there might be. It's bad enough with the officers missing from the book.

Thanks for all the help.

[freiherr]

This was from RIR 66 Regimental History.

Of the three men Glenn gave more information on, I suppose we can rule out Hermann Heinrich Achaz ObstLt 01.10.13 R4r because Wegner had him as Kmdr of RIR 209 as of 00.10.14 (not that Wegner was flawless)

That leaves Hans Otto and Hasso Otto?

Cheers

Elwyn

[freiherr]

http://genwiki.genealogy.net/RIR_66

It's Hasso Otto

Elwyn

[freiherr]

You can find all three listed as Obst in the 1918 DAL.

Hans Otto 27.01.16 M

Hermann Heinrich Achaz 06.06.16

Hasso Otto 27.01.17 C

 

To fill in the blanks for Hans Otto, he was

Stab IR 150 before the War

LIR 18 08.14

RIR 233 01.02.15 - 11.01.17

78 Res Inf Brig 26.08.17 - 08.01.18

Elwyn

Edited July 28, 2019 by freiherr