Generalleutnant Johann Meister (1862-1943)

[Deruelle]

Hi everybody,

I have received a photo of Major Johann Meister (later Generalleutnant) who served in China and Africa. He was a well decorated officer.

As a Saxon officer he received for his duty in Africa the St Heinrich knight cross. Only one other man received the same medal for duty in China - Oberleutnant Lukas Kirsten-.

Here are all medals and orders Meister received during his carreer :

Commander cross 2^nd class of St Henry, 20 March 1916,

Knight cross of St Henry, 24 October 1905,

Commander cross 2^nd class with swords of Merit Order of Saxe, 18 June 1915,

Knight cross 1^st class with swords of Merit Order of Saxe, 7 January 1905,

Commander cross 1^st class with swords of Albert of Saxe, 15 November 1917,

Commander cross 2^nd class with swords of Albert of Saxe, 31 October 1914,

Commander cross 2^nd class with swords on ring of Albert of Saxe, 23 May 1914,

Officer’s cross with swords on ring of Albert of Saxe, 13 September 1912

Knight cross 1^st class with swords of Albert of Saxe, 16 November 1901,

Long service medal, 1906

Cross 2^nd class with swords and ribbon with 2 black and 3 white band of Red Eagle of Prussia, 2 December 1916,

Cross 3^rd class with swords and ribbon with 3 black and white band of Red Eagle of Prussia, 17 August 1905

Swords of cross 4^th class of Red Eagle of Prussia, 28 May 1901,

Cross 4^th class of Red Eagle of Prussia, 27 January 1901,

Cross 2^nd class with swords on ring of Crown Order of Prussia, 19 September 1912,

Cross 3^rd class with swords of Crown Order of Prussia, 3 November 1904,

Cross 4^th class of Crown Order of Prussia, 1888

Order Pour le Mérite, 2 November 1905,

Iron cross 1^st class, 1914-1918

Iron cross 2^nd class, 1914-1918

Commanders cross of honour with swords of Princely of Hohenzollern, 2 May 1918,

Commander cross 2^nd class of Princely of Hohenzollern, 11 February 1911,

Cross 3^rd class with swords of Military Merit of Bavaria, 1906,

China medal with claps, 1902

SDWA medal with claps, 1907

Knight cross 1^st class of Zähringen Lion of Bade, 1^st July 1909

Cross of officer of Military Merit of Bavaria, 24 June 1911,

Cross of officer with swords of Henry of Lion of Brunswick, 8 May 1909,

Cross 2^nd class of Lippe Detmold, 14 December 1910,

Commander cross 2^nd class of Order of Griffon of Mecklemburg-Schwerin, 30 October 1909

Knight cross with swords of Iron Crown of Austria, 1901,

Cross of officer of Cross of Honour of Reuß, 16 September 1909,

Commander cross 2^nd class of Saxe Ernestine House, 11 February 1901,

Cross of Honour of the Crown of Wurttemberg, 16 September 1909,

Knight cross with swords and lion of the Crown of Wurttemberg, 26 April 1906,

Hanseatic cross of Hamburg, 14-18,

Hindenburg cross.

Here is a photo of him after he received the Pour le Mérite

Christophe

[Deruelle]

An old german review has made a special one to Colonie. In the cover we can find the medal bar of Generalleutnant Meister

This medal bar belonged to Sibentritt till his death. It was sold by Kube years ago. Here is the photo of the medal bar from the review.

It is interresting to note that the Bavarian medal has no swords on it and the knight cross with swords and lions of the Crown Order of Wurttemberg has the blue ribbon. Can someone see in the Wurttemberg Statuts to see when the blue ribbon has been replaced by the red amarante and black ribbon.

I can't find photo of General Meister showing his St Henry commander cross, so if someone can post the picture it will be nice.

Christophe

[Claudio]

Hi Christophe,

I am sure that that bar was sold on a Auction (A. Thies) in 2006 (if I remember correctly) and fetched quite an a good price; the combination is quite unique, though! A huge medal bar.

ciao,

Claudio

[saschaw]

It is interresting to note that (...) the knight cross with swords and lions of the Crown Order of Wurttemberg has the blue ribbon. Can someone see in the Wurttemberg Statuts to see when the blue ribbon has been replaced by the red amarante and black ribbon.

This blue ribbon was never the proper one for this order. It's a mistake, they probably confused it with the Prussian Kronenorden or the Württemberg Friedrich's order.

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

Please also note the special ribbon to the RAO 3rd Class w. swords (with an additional white stripe - a very rare case) on the general's photo. For some reason the ribbon bar has the "standard" Kriegsband instead.

[M Hunter]

An impressive array of awards for sure. Great photo Christophe.

Best wishes

Matt

[sachsensammler]

Here is the "Verleihungsbegründung" for the St. Henry Knight from the book "Der Königlich Sächsische Militär-St. Heinrichs-Orden 1736-1918 - Ein Ehrenblatt der sächsischen Armee" from 1937:

[sachsensammler]

and for the Commander part one:

[sachsensammler]

and part two:

[Deruelle]

Hi everybody,

This morning I have received the photo of Generalleutnant Meister showing his Pour le Mérite and the commander cross of St Henry.

Christophe