Now and then, OCD pays off...

[landsknechte]

Just a hair over two years ago, this all started. I bought a ribbon bar from Stogierick that was identifiable through the hard work of Rick Research and a little bit of luck (and a lot of "Googling") on my part.

(Here shown with the original Astroturf backdrop for old time's sake.)

Meet Freiherr von Berchem:

Edited March 21, 2006 by landsknechte

[landsknechte]

Reinhard Kastner was able to provide quite a bit of detail on the history, ultimately providing the final clue that led to the ID. There was a handful of flyers that had the HHOX and the MVO4XmKr, but only one that had Hamburg Hanseatenkreuz.

02.05.1890 in Schalkhausen

Leutnant im 7.FAR

27.05.1915 bay. Feldflieger Abteilung 1 kommandiert

03.06.1915 " " " " versetzt

16.03.1916 Oberleutnant

23.01.1917 bay. Flieger Ersatz Abteilung 1 Schlei?heim

30.01.1917 F.T. Kurs Neuruppin kommandiert

17.02.1917 Beobachterkurs Warschau kommandiert

02.03.1917 bay. Fliegerabteilung (A) 295 versetzt

29.07.1917 F?hrer der Fliegerfunkerschule

05.01.1918 F?hrer der bayer. Schutzstaffel 24

11.04.1918 Armee Flug Park 6 versetzt und zum Kofl 6 kommandiert

09.10.1918 bay. Flieger Ersatz Abteilung 1 Schlei?heim versetzt

00.11.1918 zur FAR zur?ckverstzt

12.12.1911 Prinzregent Luitpold Medaille

15.08.1914 bMVO 4b

22.07.1915 Beobachterabzeichen

10.01.1917 bMVO 4 mit Krone

20.11.1914 EK 2

14.03.1916 EK 1

30.04.1918 Hamburger Hanseaten Kreuz

16.07.1918 Hausorden vom Hohenzollern

[landsknechte]

In time, I found a lot of rather random information about the man. Found the coat of arms. Found a photo of the son that died commanding a Gebirgsjaeger company. Found out what high school he went to, of all things...

He survived both world wars eventually ending up as a Major a.D. in the Luftwaffe, and later went on to publish a book about his time in the 7th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment.

With a lot of luck, I was able to track down a copy of that:

[landsknechte]

...and I was happy.

It isn't every day that you can find a book written by the original owner of an item in your collection.

[landsknechte]

...and now in today's mail, an envelope arrived from Bavaria that makes me a tremendously happy camper:

Edited March 21, 2006 by landsknechte

[landsknechte]

Finally, a face to go with the item.

[notned]

Excellent!

you must be over the moon!

Great stuff!

Kind regards

Paul

[webr55]

It's great to find a photo eventually!

I suppose you already have the information about his son (name, date of death, grave location)!?

[landsknechte]

It's great to find a photo eventually!

I suppose you already have the information about his son (name, date of death, grave location)!?

For some reason, Adalbert Freiherr von Berchem was a heck of a lot easier to track down.

He's the one with the bandage on his head. (Somewhere on my hard drive, I've got a better pic. Still looking.)

Edited March 21, 2006 by landsknechte

[landsknechte]

...just had a thought. Can anyone whose familiar with these sort of photos venture a reasonable guess as to whether the original of the photo was autographed by Berchem, or if the name would have been added by someone else?

[MattGibbs]

My best guess with the autograph is "in older years". Its a bit shaky, which could mean he autographed it for someone maybe at the time his book was published or something like that? Incidentally one of them married into the von Stauffenberg family - he of bomb plot 1944 fame.

Was Otto his older brother..? Generalmajor Otto Freiherr von Berchem, who was in the Luftwaffe. I am asking because you don't mention a first name in your post. However, I guess its Friedrich? If so his brother was in Bavarian Infantry. Very interesting family, are you looking out for other things to this family now..?

Kind regards

Matt Gibbs

Edited April 2, 2006 by MattGibbs

[landsknechte]

My best guess with the autograph is "in older years". Its a bit shaky, which could mean he autographed it for someone maybe at the time his book was published or something like that? Incidentally one of them married into the von Stauffenberg family - he of bomb plot 1944 fame.

Was Otto his older brother..? Generalmajor Otto Freiherr von Berchem, who was in the Luftwaffe. I am asking because you don't mention a first name in your post. However, I guess its Friedrich? If so his brother was in Bavarian Infantry. Very interesting family, are you looking out for other things to this family now..?

Kind regards

Matt Gibbs

Yup, the picture is of Freddy. I have no idea how the archiv came into possession of his photo album, nor when they got it. His son Adalbert was KIA in WWII, but he had three daughters that survived.

It was Otto that married into the von Stauffenbergs. I presume he's some relation, but I haven't been able to establish what the connection might be. (There are two different lines of Freiherr von Berchem - one Prussian and one Bavarian. If I remember correctly, Otto was Bavarian.) As far as I know, he only had two brothers. Max, who was a Hauptmann a.D. in Bavarian FAR 8, and Hans who was KIA as a Leutnant in Hessian Leibgarde Regiment 115.

...and yes, I'm interested in whatever I might be able to dig up.

[Bob Hunter]

Some of the best bars on the forum are displayed against the signature "Stogieturf" background which is becoming more widely accepted as an industry standard.