Interesting foto found in the War Memorial in Kiev

[Claudio]

Dear forumites,

I found this interesting pictures of a senior officer wearing his medal bar and the MMVO at his 2nd tunic's button hole... Can be identified? There was no description of this officer in the museum... what I found interesting and quite strange that this officer's photo was placed in a room where there were exposed memorabilia about the holocaust and the nazi racial policy in the occupied Ukraine... Maybe this officer hasn't anything to do with it... they could have just put it there because it look so nice and so German "nazi" looking... However I could be wrong.

It would be nice to be educated on this... :-)

Thanks in advance for all your most appreciated inputs!

ciao,

C

Edited April 6, 2014 by Claudio

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Claudio.

I would date this photo earlier than the German attack against the then Soviet Union in June , 1941. My reason is the wear of the Sam Browne belt ( Schulterriemen) which was abolished earlier than that. Of course this would not mean any non-involvememt in atrocities which took place in that area.

Bernhard H. Holst

[Claudio]

Thanks Bernhard, I think the photo is even older than that... For sure it was taken well before 1939, very likely between 1934-36. In fact he is wearing a medal bar not on a Waffenrock, but on a Reichswehr style tunic. Furthermore I don't remember to have spotted a Hindenburg cross on it (FEK), but I might be wrong, and the 4th decoration I'm pretty sure is the Chilean merit order (1 EK, 2 BMVO 4x, 3?, 4 Chile NVO, 5?).
Since there weren't soo many MMVO wearer and the combination is quite unique, I think it might quite easy to find for the wizard researchers on this forum... ;-)

Edited April 6, 2014 by Claudio

[Paul C]

I did a quick check for a combo of BMV4x and CV3 and no matches.

[Schießplatzmeister]

Thanks Bernhard, I think the photo is even older than that... For sure it was taken well before 1939, very likely between 1934-36. In fact he is wearing a medal bar not on a Waffenrock, but on a Reichswehr style tunic. Furthermore I don't remember to have spotted a Hindenburg cross on it (FEK), but I might be wrong, and the 4th decoration I'm pretty sure is the Chilean merit order (1 EK, 2 BMVO 4x, 3?, 4 Chile NVO, 5?).

Since there weren't soo many MMVO wearer and the combination is quite unique, I think it might quite easy to find for the wizard researchers on this forum... ;-)

Hello Claudio et. al.:

The photo in question is of MMJO RK (MJ3) recipient Hermann Ritter von Speck. He was killed in action on 15th June 1940 at Pont sur Yonne France. Claudio, you are quite correct, Ritter von Speck was awarded the Chilean Merit Order. He was a military advisor and went to Chile and Argentina with General von Heye in the 1920's. I believe that he may have been General von Heye's adjutant, but I have not been able to locate much information regarding their trip. I don't believe that he was an ardent NSDAP member, but he was certainly a professional Officer. Due to his demise he was not around for any campaigns in the East after 1940 and therefore had nothing to do with the invasion of the Ukraine and any subsequent actions.

Best regards,

[Claudio]

Thanks a lot for researching it! That's great...

I knew that he likely hasn't got anything to do with anti-partisan/commissar/jewish actions on the Eastern Front... old school kind of professional officer... and Ritter! :-)

ciao,

C

[Schießplatzmeister]

Thanks a lot for researching it! That's great...

I knew that he likely hasn't got anything to do with anti-partisan/commissar/jewish actions on the Eastern Front... old school kind of professional officer... and Ritter! :-)

ciao,

C

Claudio:

Kein Problem.

Gerne!

MfG,

[Komtur]

Thanks Claudio and Bernhard. Very instructive thread

Regards, Komtur.