Kapitän Carl Graalfs HAPAG and Seewehr

[lido14]

My cousin and I have been compiling a family history about our family's immigration from Ireland to America 90 years ago.

They came over on the HAPAG Westphalia January 23-Februray 6, 1926. The captain was Carl Graalfs, born 1870 in Hohenkirchen/Oldenburg.  There was a major cyclone during the voyage, winds at Force 10-11.  Westphalia had to turn back two days  to make repairs.  Then she got an SOS from a sinking Dutch freighter, Alkaid..  Steamed to rescue, waited a day till wind died a bit.  Ended up resting all 27 of Alkaid crew before she went under.  This was big news in NY and Hamburg.

Anyhow we see Graalfs on Seewehr list as Kapitänleutenant, Service entry 1.4.91, Patent date (Is this commission date?) 17.05.04.  He has an LD2 service award (I'm assuming that this is 10 years).  

We know he started at HAPAG in 1895, retired in 1933.  So would he have served on active duty in Imperial Navy before this?  Or did he automatically get enrolled in the Seewehr because he was HAPAG Captain? Any way we can find information about his military service?

We also know that Graalfs married Edith Goldenberg in 1927, when he was 57.  Since her name seems Jewish we are wondering if his Naval Reserve service helped them avoid the NS.  

Graalfs died in Hamburg in June 1943.  Westphalia, rechristened General Artigas, was destroyed in the firebombing of Hamburg one month later, along with most of Hamburg. We don't know what happened to Edith. She may well have died in the firestorm of July '43.

Here is Graalfs:

[Glenn J]

Herr Graalfs first appears in the navy list in 1895 as a Vizesteuermann der Reserve (Senior reserve officer aspirant) in the II Seamans' Division. He was under the military control of Landwehrbezirk (the military authorities for recruitment and reservist matters and control) II Oldenburg. He was commissioned as an Unterlieutenant zur See der Reserve with a Patent (seniority) of 18.6.95 B. Promoted to Lieutenant zur See der Reserve with a Patent of 16.11.98 F. The title of rank was restyled to Oberleutnant zur See der Reserve in 1899. He was promoted to Kapitänleutnant der Reserve with a Patent 17.5.04 K and transferred from reserve to Seewehr (2nd line) service in 1905/1906.

He was never a career naval officer and would have been a "one year volunteer" in the navy to fulfil his military obligation before obtaining a commission in the reserve. It would appear from the naval "Ehrenrangliste" that he was a prisoner of war throughout WW1 having been interned in Havana. The LD2 was normally awarded for exemplary service on completion of the requisite time in service in the reserve and Landwehr 1st levy, in effect around ten years service.

He already held the rank of Kapitän with HAPAG prior to the war.

Regards

Glenn

[lido14]

Thanks Glenn.  We found a bit more about Graalfs' internment in Cuba.  He was in command of the HAPAG freighter Bavaria when she was seized by the Cubans as they entered the war at the same time as the US. Bavaria was turned over to US Navy and became USS Bavaria. Graalfs and his officers were held in Havana until September 1919. We have found their repatriation transit manifest through New York (Ellis Island).

Some additional questions for you:

• Do you think Graalfs and his officers got any compensation from HAPAG for US or Germany for the over two years they were held in Havana? I'm also checking with HAPAG archivist on this, but a lot of their records are destroyed in WWII.
• Graalfs married an Edith Goldenberg in 1927,when he was 57. By her name we would guess she was Jewish. Would it have been unusual for a protestant Ostfrieslånder sea-captain, retired Naval reserve, to marry a Jewess in that time, a year after Hitler publishes Mein Kampf?  It strikes us as something out of the ordinary.
• Graalfs service entry date is 1891 and he starts working for HAPAG in 1895. Can we assume that he spent the period 91-95 on active Reichsmarine duty?
• And finally, in the rescue of the Dutch freighter Alkaid, on February 1, 1926, the incident that started our interest in Carl Graalfs, Graalfs commanded the HAPAG Westphalia.  The lifeboat that rescued 27 Dutch sailors was commanded by his 2nd Officer, Johann Rettberg. We know very little about him. Are you able to shed any light on Rettbergs naval career?  He was 40 in 1926, so we think he may have seen duty in WWI.

I'm posting a photo of Graalfs and Rettberg and a photo of the Westphalia's lifeboat rowing to Alkaid's rescue.  I think I screwed up by previous attempt to post photos, so I'll try to minimize size.

By the time he retired Carl Graalfs was a rock-star. One of the most famous sea captains of the 20th century. A fascinating guy.