Rommel's boss

[ccj]

Is this Major Sproesser or Stroesser?

Does anyone have a better photo of this man? I've love to see more detail of his medals bar and uniform.

[Glenn J]

Is this Major Sproesser or Stroesser?

Does anyone have a better photo of this man? I've love to see more detail of his medals bar and uniform.

Hi Charles,

yes, that is the then Major (later char. Generalmajor) Theodor Sproesser 10.9.70 - 8.2.1933

Regards

Glenn

[Glenn J]

Here is a shot of him as a Vorl?ufiger Reichswehr Oberstleutnant and Commandant of Glatz in 1921.

[ccj]

Hi Charles,

yes, that is the then Major (later char. Generalmajor) Theodor Sproesser 10.9.70 - 8.2.1933

Regards

Glenn

Glenn,

Thank you, a very nice photo. Sproesser had a nice order bar.

[ccj]

Glenn,

Thank you, a very nice photo. Sproesser had a nice order bar.

What are medals 6, 8, and 9?

[Glenn J]

Here are Oberst Sproesser's awards as listed in the 1924 Reichsheer Rangliste.

Regards

Glenn

[ccj]

Here are Oberst Sproesser's awards as listed in the 1924 Reichsheer Rangliste.

Regards

Glenn

Can you translate? I'm not fluent.

[Mike Dwyer]

Charles,

Well, I was going to try and answer your question, but my meager references are very inadequate. All I have to look up the symbols and abbreviations is the 1914 Rank List and a list of common abbrevaitions that Rick Research posted a few years ago. Unfortunately, I can't find the BM4XmKr or the WM3 listed on any of those documents, so I don't know what they are.

The ones I think I got figuered out are:

1. Prussia: Pour le Merite

2. Prussia: Knights Cross with Swords, Royal Hohenzollern House Order

3. Prussia: Iron Cross 1st Class

4. Prussia: Wound Badge (not sure which type)

5. BM4XmKr (no idea)

6. WM3 (no idea)

7. W?rttemberg: Honor Cross with Swords, Order of the W?rttemberg Crown

8. W?rttemberg: Knights Cross 3rd Class, Friedrichs Order

9. W?rttemberg: Dienstauszeichnung 1st Class (service medal?)

10. Austria: Order of the Iron Crown 3rd Class

11. Austria: Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with War Decoration

I could be off a bit on some of those and again I apologize for not being able to find 5 or 6.

[Claudio]

5. BM4XmKr (no idea)

6. WM3 (no idea)

The BM4XmKr is the Bayrischer Milit?rverdienstorden 4. Klasse mit Krone und Schwertern (7th place order on his bar) and the the WM3 is the W?rttemberg'scher Milit?rverdienstorden (2nd place on his bar). Rommel also got the WM3.

Ciao,

Claudio

[Mike Dwyer]

The BM4XmKr is the Bayrischer Milit?rverdienstorden 4. Klasse mit Krone und Schwertern (7th place order on his bar) and the the WM3 is the W?rttemberg'scher Milit?rverdienstorden (2nd place on his bar). Rommel also got the WM3.

Ciao,

Claudio

Thanks, Claudio. The reason I didn't see the MVO in the 1914 rank list is it is kind of indented under the Order of St. Michael and it didn't catch my eye like the rest, I though it was just another variation of the St. Michael Order.

I didn't catch the W?rttemberg'scher Milit?rverdienstorden because it's listed as the WMV not as the WM.