Garde Reserve Officer with unknown Neck Decoration

[Glenn J]

I happened across this photo in a 1978 publication titled "Armies of the World 1854-1914". The caption states it was taken in Berlin on 1 September 1910.

I am having some difficulty with this bespectacled Reserve officer. He would appear to be from one of the Garde-Regimenter zu Fuß and what is clear, is he is wearing a Johanniter and a Landwehrdienstauszeichnungskreuz 2nd Class. The neck and breast order are more problematical.

I have looked through the 1910 through 1912 editions of the Prussian Army List for officers of the 1st four Foot Guards Regiments (both active and reserve) and the Garde-Landwehr-Regimenter with no initial success for a matching suspect.

Can anyone positively identify those two decorations??

Thanks

Regards

Glenn

Edited January 11, 2013 by Glenn J

[Deruelle]

Hi Glenn,

The first neck decoration seems to be the St John of Prussia order. For the second one it is a little blur to have a positive id. Still searching

Christophe

[Deruelle]

The stern looks like from Bulgaria, so probably it is the same for the neck order. It seems to be Stanislas 2nd class order of Russia too, but not 100 % sure

Christophe

[922F]

Looks like there are 8-10 enamel points around the centers. If there's a crown suspension on the badge and a crown atop the badge on the star, maybe a Portugese Villa Vicosa Order Grand officer; if not, likely a Vatican Pius IX Grand Officer. Another candidate is a royal Portugese Agricultural /Industrial Merit Order Grand Officer.

Edited January 11, 2013 by 922F

[Glenn J]

Gentlemen,

thank you all for your responses. At the moment this guy still belongs to the ranks of the unidentified. I have gone through all the lists from 1899 to 1913 and really no one jumps out. Apart from the obscure foreign stuff, he is not particularly well decorated, just the Johanniter and a Long Service Medal. Probably only an Oberleutnant d.R. He may have fallen through the cracks of the army lists, being shown with just the two Prussian awards and then retired after the foreign award(s) but before the publication of the next years edition?

The officers he is stood with are from a Füsilier-Bataillon of one of the Foot Guards Regiments (hence the black plumes). If I had to hazard a guess (and if it is actually September 1910) , I would say F./2.GRzF as I believe the mounted field officer is Major v. Berg.

Regards

Glenn

[Dave Danner]

Could he be a.D. with the uniform of the regiment? In which case his combination might not be in any rank lists?

[Glenn J]

Dave,

Probably not. Retired officers did not wear high boots. And bearing in mind he only has an LD2, I don't think he would fit the criteria to have been granted permission to wear a uniform on retirement.

Regards

Glenn

[RWS]

'I am having some difficulty with this bespectacled Reserve officer. He would appear to be from one of the Garde-Regimenter zu Fuß and what is clear, is he is wearing a Johanniter and a Landwehrdienstauszeichnungskreuz 2nd Class. The neck and breast order are more problematical.'

Are you certain that the lower breast badge is a Landwehrdienstauszeichnungskreuz?

To my eye (and as a member of the Johanniterorden), the upper neck and lower breast crosses both are Johanniter; the neck badge appears to be topped by the Prussian crown, showing that the wearer was a Rechtsritter ('Knight of Justice'), but all knights of the Order are (and were) allowed to wear the same plain breast star (which, if in linen rather than metal, generally is worn just above the waist, regardless of the wearer´s other orders). The Order did not admit other than noblemen until sixty-some years ago, so comparing Army lists with the periodic (now triennial, but then annual) lists of the Johanniterorden should be helpful.

By the way, I think (again, failing eyesight combines with grainy image to make me uncertain) that the lower neck badge and upper breast star may be of the same order -- probably not papal, as the Johanniterorden accepts only Protestant men.

[Glenn J]

Hi RWS,

I am perfectly happy that the upper neck and lower breast crosses both are Johanniters.; the problems are the lower neck and upper breast order. His Landwehr long service decoration is the small rectangular device above the upper breast order.

Regards

Glenn

[RWS]

Thanks, Glenn. I think that I see the Landwehrdienstauszeichnung now (so much for my eyesight)!

[Guest Rick Research]

Ah, I see our snail mail never got entered. For all still interested, the neck and breast badges are the Portugese Order of Industry & Agriculture... never shown in Rank Lists!

[Glenn J]

Rick,

I believe we concluded that he was the later Major d.R. Karl v. Plehwe, the Oplm winner of 2. Garde-Reserve-Regiment, although I have been unable to confirm his award of the Portuguese Order of Industry & Agriculture. Listed as a Kammerjunker and estate owner at Dwarischken in the 1914 Prussian Court and State Handbook with a Johanniter and a LD2.

Regards

Glenn

[Guest Rick Research]

You see folks--some things ARE so... inexplicably o-b-s-c-u-r-e that even our merry band of Research Gnomes cannot "explain" ... WHY?