Looking for information on Bavarian general

[drspeck]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any information regarding the military career off this general?

- I hope to receive on short notice the matching ribbonbar of the medalbar in the photo, will post pictures when it arrives -

Regards,

Peter

[speedytop]

The name is v. Reck.

Uwe

[drspeck]

Thanks

That's why I couldn't find any info on him...

This is what I could find on the net;

As Kommandeur (Oberst); Konigliche Bayerische Infanterie Regiment 'Prinz Franz' Nr. 20 - from 28 oktober 1913 till ?

As Kommandeur (Generalmajor); 8. Konigliche Bayerische Infanterie Brigade - from 1 august 1916 till 30 september 1917

Anyone have more info or knows where I can find it? Any help appreciated

Regards,

Peter

The name is v. Reck.

Uwe

[Dave Danner]

Karl von Reck, born 19 February 1864 in München.

He commanded the 20.bay.IR until 31 July 1916. He then commanded the 8.bay.Inf.Brig. until 29 Sept. 1917. After that, he commanded the 39.Reserve-Division until demobilization on 9 December 1918.

He was promoted Oberst on 25 Oct. 1913 and Generalmajor on 17 January 1917. He was characterized as a Generalleutnant on 2 August 1920.

The medal bar is:

1. Bavarian Military Merit Order 4th Class with Crown (pre-war award)

2. Prussian Iron Cross 2nd Class (13.09.1914)

3. Anhalt Friedrich Cross (14.08.1915)

4. Bavarian 1905 Jubilee Medal for the Bavarian Army (pre-war award)

5. Anhalt Order of Albert the Bear, Knight 1st Class (pre-war award)

6. Princely Hohenzollern Honor Cross 2nd Class (pre-war award)

7. Prussian Order of the Red Eagle 4th Class (pre-war award)

8. Bavarian Long Service Cross for Officers (1st or 2nd Class depending on when the photo was taken; BDA1 on 02.05.1918)

9. Japanese Order of the Rising Sun (the Germans called it a Knight 1st Class, but I think the Japanese would call it a 5th Class) (pre-war award)

v. Reck also received the Military Merit Order 2nd Class with Swords and Star with Swords (the 2nd Class is around the neck), the Iron Cross 1st Class, and the Wound Badge in Black. He also received the Military Merit Order 3rd Class with Crown and Swords and the Military Merit Order Officer's Cross with Swords, but these were replaced by the 2nd Class (the 4th Class stayed on the medal bar because it was pre-war).

[drspeck]

Thanks for the info

Regards,

Peter

Karl von Reck, born 19 February 1864 in München.

He commanded the 20.bay.IR until 31 July 1916. He then commanded the 8.bay.Inf.Brig. until 29 Sept. 1917. After that, he commanded the 39.Reserve-Division until demobilization on 9 December 1918.

He was promoted Oberst on 25 Oct. 1913 and Generalmajor on 17 January 1917. He was characterized as a Generalleutnant on 2 August 1920.

The medal bar is:

1. Bavarian Military Merit Order 4th Class with Crown (pre-war award)

2. Prussian Iron Cross 2nd Class (13.09.1914)

3. Anhalt Friedrich Cross (14.08.1915)

4. Bavarian 1905 Jubilee Medal for the Bavarian Army (pre-war award)

5. Anhalt Order of Albert the Bear, Knight 1st Class (pre-war award)

6. Princely Hohenzollern Honor Cross 2nd Class (pre-war award)

7. Prussian Order of the Red Eagle 4th Class (pre-war award)

8. Bavarian Long Service Cross for Officers (1st or 2nd Class depending on when the photo was taken; BDA1 on 02.05.1918)

9. Japanese Order of the Rising Sun (the Germans called it a Knight 1st Class, but I think the Japanese would call it a 5th Class) (pre-war award)

v. Reck also received the Military Merit Order 2nd Class with Swords and Star with Swords (the 2nd Class is around the neck), the Iron Cross 1st Class, and the Wound Badge in Black. He also received the Military Merit Order 3rd Class with Crown and Swords and the Military Merit Order Officer's Cross with Swords, but these were replaced by the 2nd Class (the 4th Class stayed on the medal bar because it was pre-war).

[Daniel Krause]

Hi Peter,

please show us the reason for Your question

Greetings

Daniel

[drspeck]

Hi all,

Here's the reason, received today...

Matching ribbonbar with the medalbar in the photo....

Hi Peter,

please show us the reason for Your question

Greetings

Daniel

[drspeck]

and the back...

[ccj]

I would love to own that ribbon bar. It would display perfectly on my Bavarian Generals tunic...

[webr55]

Looks like I have his matching button hole ribbon bar:

 

Regards

Chris

[ccj]

I wonder what his Anhalt connection was. 

[webr55]

2 hours ago, ccj said:

I wonder what his Anhalt connection was. 

I don't know yet, might have been a personal connection. He got the Anhalt peacetime award between 1904 and 1908, as Hauptmann/Major in the Infanterie Leib-Regiment. 
By the way, does anyone know his death year?

[Dave Danner]

†23.6.1946 in Lindau in Bayern. He had no apparent connection, familial or otherwise, to Anhalt.

[webr55]

Thank you! 

Not sure if that says anything, but the Reck family originally came from a region close to Anhalt.

Edited March 16, 2020 by webr55

[Dave Danner]

The family originated in the western Harz region, around Osterode and Goslar, so closer to Hannover and Braunschweig than Anhalt. 

Karl was the son of Wilhelm v. Reck (1834-1901), a Bavarian Gendarmerie-Oberstleutnant. Wilhelm was the son of Karl (1801-1868), a Bavarian Oberst. Karl was the son of Johann Jakob Christian (1755-1813), a Bavarian Oberapellengerichts-Registrator. JJC was the son of Johann Gustav (1703-1786), a British and Braunschweig-Lüneburg Legationsrat in Regensburg. Johann Gustav was the son of Johann (1662-1736), a Hannoverian Gesandter in Regensburg. This was the connection between Hannover/Braunschweig and Bavaria. The Bavarian branch was also the source of the baronial line of Freiherrn v. Reck in Baden. A separate Hannoverian line remained around Hannover, Hameln and later Alfeld an der Leine.

No other Reck from any of these branches received the Friedrichkreuz, so it was not a family connection there. 

According to the Anhalt Court and State Handbook, Reck received the AB3a in 1906. According to the Bavarian Kriegsministerium's Verordnungsblatt, it was approved by the Prinzregent on 11.11.1906. Reck's RAO4 was approved on 14.12.1906.  

I would guess that Reck got the RAO4 and AB3a in 1906 as an ILR officer in Munich who probably was assigned to some sort of protocol duties. These duties often put an officer in a position to pick up various courtesy awards when dealing with visiting dignitaries.  He was then nominated for the Friedrichkreuz during the war simply because he was already a recipient of the AB3a and not because of any additional wartime connection (there was only one other 20.bay.IR recipient of the Friedrichkreuz, a Hoboist-Sergeant).