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    Posted

    Does anyone have photos of any of the following officers that served in German South West Africa and decorations they received.

    Feldwebel Sinnreich

    Polizeisergeant Otten

    Oberleutnant G. Bullrich

    Dr. Hannemann

    Oberleutnant Hans von Oelhafen

    Oblt. Horn

    Lt. Edgar Schultz

    Sanitatssergeant Schoch

    Also Hauptman George Gene' that served in Tsingtau

    Also Lt. Schniewindt that served in Kamerun.

    Posted

    very interesting! Why are you looking for them, if I can ask....

    ...do you have some items of the post guys?

    Unfortunately I do not have any photo of those.

    Best wishes

    Karsten

    Posted

    Karsten,

    Yes I have items of the post guys .Really would like to get photo's and more info on them like decorations awarded .Whilst there is some info in the rank lists it is precious little.

    Posted

    Very interesting.

    Hope you can wait.....

    because now I´m far away of my sources and will come back home in october.

    Best wishes

    Posted

    I have a bronze reiter presented by the officers corps to Lt Horn in 1912 when he left the Schutztruppe in GSWA .Picture attached.

    I really would like to find a photo of Lt Horn and other info.

    Posted

    Oberleutnant Horn saw service in GSWA from 1909 t0 1912 in Kommando der Schutzruppe Windhuk .He was in the Reiter Abteilung 3 Kompagnie Reitende Batterie. (Mounted troops 3. Comp.Mounted battery).His rank date was 11.09.1907 which was when he was promoted to Oberleutnant (Full leut.)He was originally promoted to Lt. (Second Leut.) 27.1.1898 when he was stationed at in the West Prussian Pioneer Batalloin Nr.17 in Stettin.

    It appears he was transferred from this Batt. to the Landwehr Berlin District (Bezirk) IV Pioneer Div. in 1909 then to Landwehr District (Bezirk) II Cologne in the same year and must have volunteered for service in GSWA also in 1909 9 He appears in the Rank List for GSWA in 1909).

    The only decoration I know of is the Landwehrdienstkreuz 2nd Class awarded in 1909.

    Posted

    That is fantastic indeed!!!!!

    My best DSWA item is the doc group to von Hadeln....

    http://www.kaiserscross.com/40029/150601.html

    He actually took part in an "invasion" of the Union :-)

    Posted

    Your man is Ernst Horn (*13.9.1876 †00.10.1925). At the beginning of the war he was a company commander in Gren. R. 6. He departed the Sch.Tr. f. DSWA on 31.05.1912 and was attached for training to the "Landesaufnahme" (surveying section of the General staff) the next day, 01.06.1912. He was promoted captain and attached to the Reichs Kolonialamt on 01.10.1912. On 27.01.1914 he was transferred to GR 6 as a company commander.

    Andy

    Posted

    Andy ,

    That is some great research .Where did you get the info.

    In my research I found him in the 1912 Rank List still attached to DSWA as a ObLt.Then I could not trace him any further .

    Following your information I have found a Hptm. Horn (promotion date 01.10.1912) attached Oberschlesisches Inf Regt 63 and it is noted that he is serving at Reichskolonialamt.Then as you said in the 1914 rank list he is in GR6 and it is noted in I.R. 63 that he was transferred tho GR6.

    I had no way of finding the thread from DSWA to GR6 .I would not have known his promotion date.

    Posted

    Andy ,

    That is some great research .Where did you get the info.

    In my research I found him in the 1912 Rank List still attached to DSWA as a ObLt.Then I could not trace him any further .

    Following your information I have found a Hptm. Horn (promotion date 01.10.1912) attached Oberschlesisches Inf Regt 63 and it is noted that he is serving at Reichskolonialamt.Then as you said in the 1914 rank list he is in GR6 and it is noted in I.R. 63 that he was transferred tho GR6.

    I had no way of finding the thread from DSWA to GR6 .I would not have known his promotion date.

    With the right sources, tracing a career is not that difficult. After more than 18 years of collecting information (and, more importantly, books), I have a good handle on the vast majority of first names for the Prussians as well as dates and places of birth. The Militär Wochenblatt are absolutely indespensible for finding exact dates of transfers. etc. Also, when one learns how to read a Rangliste, many things become much easier to follow. At the end of each regiment's listing in the Rangliste is a small paragraph in fine print which details the transfers, retirements, etc within that regiment since the publication of the last Rangliste. This helps immensely as one tries to follow an officer's movements within the army. It takes time, but in the end it's worth the effort.

    I can not over emphasize the absolute requirement of assembling as comprehensive a library as possible. It's cliché to say that knowledge is power. However, without significant resources or access to such resources, the type of research demonstrated here is simply not possible.

    With the help of the internet and great fora such as this, other can enjoy the benefits of the research a few of us conduct for the sheer joy of wrestling seemingly nameless, long dead Prussians from obscurity.

    Andy

    Posted

    Andy,

    Do I presume you are in Germany?

    Thanks again.I have assembled quite a library also over many years as I have been an avid collector since I was very young in the 70,s.I have most of the Prussian rank lists from 1898 through to 1914/1918.

    The Militar Wochenblad I do not have .

    Do you have the Deutshes Kolonialblatt as that is an indespensible reference for the kolonies .I have had access to it through libraries when I visited Namibia.

    Are you able to assist me with the other officers I need info on. I have nothing at all so far on Sinnreich and Otten. I have a note to look on pages 634 to 637 for Otten on the Deutsches Kolonialblatt of 1906 but cannot get to one.

    This would be most appreciated .

    I would love to stay in touch with you and perhaps we could email?

    Posted (edited)

    Unfortaunately, I no longer live in Germany, but in the US.

    I've sent you a PM with my email address. We can continue the conversation via e-mail if you care to.

    Andy

    Edited by arb
    Posted

    After Andy's input I reran my research on Oblt Horn .

    Oberleutnant Horn saw service in GSWA from 1909 t0 1912 in Kommando der Schutzruppe Windhuk .He was in the Reiter Abteilung 3 Kompagnie Reitende Batterie. (Mounted troops 3. Comp.Mounted battery).His rank date was 11.09.1907 which was when he was promoted to Oberleutnant (Full leut.)He was originally promoted to Lt. (Second Leut.) 20.07.1897.

    His last regt of service before being transferred to GSWA was with Infantry Regt 63 .

    He departed from GSWa on 31.05.1912 as per Andy's research above .

    His last rank was Major a.D when retired out of Grenadier Regt 6 probably 1918 .

    He passe away on 9/10/1925

    Have not found any decorations/awards .!Must have had the Colonial Service decoration however with bar 1909-1912 and some WW1 awards.

    Posted

    Chris,

    That is some research you have there !You must have some diary or book on him and the events.

    Hi,

    Was just lucky to find the raid to SA in a couple of books.

    By the way.... one book that is current but hard to find is the Walter Nuhn book on WW1 in GSWA "Auf verlorenen Posten".... if you dont have it.. it is a must have!!!!!

    Posted

    Thanks I will look for the book on Amazon. I have the original book" Der Feldzug in Suedwest 1914/1915 " by Dr. Hans von Oelhafen

    Posted

    Nuhn has written a number of books, Herero war, etc but the WW1 one was almost not published. in the end he self published it in 2008, it is A4 size and really, really good indeed.

    • 4 weeks later...
    Posted

    Hi Piekenier

    If you need information from the Kolonialblatt, I have 1907 1904 ( 1903 is on its way) which I can help you with.

    Cheers

    DSWA

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