IOD89 Dedicated sword

[Wessel]

Rick...here is the IOD in question, with the inscription on the guard rather than the blade. The photo is not clear so here it is:

'Dr. Reinhardt * A.h

s/l Dr. Staude * A.h

zu frohlichen Waffengang

Jena/Altenburg

Kriegsjahr(1.X1)1914

In the actual inscription there are no *, but a design that appears to posibly be a small letter 'e' within a larger letter 'S' followed by an exclamation mark '!'. This design is also engraved on the top of the pommel button.

The sentiment is quite clear ('have a lucky war'), and interesting being so soon after the start of hostilities, but I am confused as to:

What does the 'A.h' stand for...is it some kind of German medical rank/achievement?

What is the *...and why does it appear after BOTH names, and yet presumably the sword was a present to only one of them?

Any thoughts would be most welcome

[Guest Rick Research]

Too blurry to make anything out from those camera shots. I only have vision in one eye. The odd bits presumably are something college fraternity related or maybe one of the other Secret Handshake clubs, but since can't see, can't tell.

This is a very unusual case where there is no question whatsoever who the GIVER was, but I am completely baffled as to who the RECIPIENT was.

Dr.med. Christian Reinhardt was born in Mühlhausen/Thüringen 30 April 1861. He was a practicing physician in Eisenach, but a Sanitätsrat in Jena. He was one of those nominally in the reserves doctors--Stabsarzt d.R. 02.08.97 (Landwehrbezirk Eisenach) who never put in the minimal "real time" for an LD2, but got a XX Years Service LD1 for calendar time--even though largely hypothetical. He retired from the reserves 1906/07.

He received a Prussian Red Cross Medal 3rd Class (RKM3) 1900/01, his LD1 1904/05 and a Saxe-Weimar Order of the White Falcon-Knight 2nd Class (GSF3b) in 1909. No month or day from Saxe-Weimar lists, arrgh.

Dr. Reinhardt was recalled for wartime service, and promoted charakterisiert Oberstabsarzt dR aD 13.12.16 at... Reserve Lazarett JENA.

Of an appropriate "Dr. Staude" I find absolutely zero clue anywhere anytime, before or during the war. There was an anciently inappropriate pediatrician Dr. Staude way up in Hamburg who was an overseer at the city's training school for midwives and that's it.

This is a Prussian IOD 89, so we know whoever Dr. Staude was, he was of Prussian officer equivalent rank (which might include a warrant officer level doctor or a Vertragsarzt commissioned with acting rank for war's duration--neither of which were gazetted ). He might have been a Dr.jur. or some such and actually thus a combatant arms officer related to hospital service (Train?) ... but I find NOBODY placeable in either Jena or Altenburg of that type either.

My best guess is that Dr. Staude will turn out to be an always-civilian physician contract surgeon during the war. Those were the guys who wore military uniform with medical officer insignia on their collars like Landsturm formations, but no shoulder boards. No clue whether such were authorized to carry ceremonial swords though.

I have checked:

Rank Lists up to 1914

Reichs Physicians Directory 1903 (the only edition I have)

German Orders Almanac 1908/09

Militär-Wochenblätter war years

Saxe-Weimar Court and State Handbook 1913

Saxe-Altenburg C&SHB 1914 (no joy in Altenburg)

and my own triple Ernestines war awards volume (2008)

[Guest Rick Research]

Dr. Reinhardt's title and decorations (note: decorations shown do not include long service awards) from the 1913 Saxe-Weimar Court and State Handbook:

Why he should have been a Sanitätsrat in Jena when he lived and worked in Eisenach is beyond me, but that's how it was.

[Wessel]

Rick...Thanks so much. It helps bring the sword to life! Is this a labour of love for you, as I have more!!

[Guest Rick Research]

Every one gets it's own thread! Got to keep the stories separate!

Oh yes... there are quite a few Epic Saga blade fans... and hasn't been much since before 2010. Most seem to end in tragedy. This one... so far... just in confusion!

[Glenn J]

Rick,

the same Hamburg Dr. Staude is the only physician listed in the 1914 Reichs-Medizinalkalender of that name. So if a medical doctor, only qualified during the war.

Regards

Glenn

[Guest Rick Research]

And not gazetted in the MWB....

[Glenn J]

Then perhaps Oblt d.R. (22.3.10) Dr. Jur. Staude of Füsilier-Regiment Nr. 36, Landwehrbezirk Weißenfels. A Gerichtsassessor in civilian life. Promoted to Hauptmann d.R. on 10.10.14.

Regards

Glenn

[Guest Rick Research]

Maybe... not a fatality (Helden-Gedenkmappe)... in the general region... despite combat arm reserve status, from 1914 peacetime

to 1918 Prussian HuS HB no wartime awards...

and a rather surprising job back in 1907!

But this Staude is simply speculative at this point.

Edited July 23, 2013 by Rick Research

[Wessel]

Thanks Rick and Glen...by an amazing coincidence I lived in Shanghai for 6 months some 5 years ago!

[Guest Rick Research]

Here is Dr. Reinhardt's entry from the vanity press 1908/09 Deutscher Ordens-Almanach:

This is very often the only source we have for civilian data on birth/residence/day jobs. Not always entirely accurate, it is always necessary for Research Gnomes to "triangulate" from as many sources as possible verifying information because even period primary sources CAN be wrong.

That's why it is so hard to turn up somebody like the mysterious Dr. Staude with certainty.

We (R.G.s) also try to source our data because so many--particularly dealers--make unsupported claims that are often utterly wrong.

[Wessel]

Thanks again...I'm posting another on a new thread.