Imperial personalized Hussars Busby

[Flyingdutchman]

Gentlemen,

focused on personalized military artifacts, I came across of an interesting Imperial Hussars busby.

The former owner was Victor Freiherr Digeon von Monteton.

He was born on September 22, 1866 in Priort near Berlin as the son of Hermann Freiherr Digeon von Monteton.

He was promoted to Major in September 10, 1908 when he served in the Life-Dragoon Regiment No.20 in the city of Karlsruhe, Dukedom of Baden.

In 1912 he was attached to the Magdeburgisches Husaren Regiment Nr.10, a unit where his father once served. This Hussars unit was stationed in the city of Stendal, Saxony-Anhalt. He served there as Staff-officer until his preliminary retirement in June 1914.

When the Great War broke out, he was - as a former Life-Dragoon officer -  appointed as commanding officer to the 18th Dragoon Regiment, stationed in the city of Parchim.

With this unit he fought in the very beginning of the Great War in Belgium.

With the advancing German troops, his Dragoon unit reached the outskirts of the Belgium city of Haelen in August 1914.
The river Gete crossing near the city of Haelen, around 30 km from the main Belgian line at Louvain, was reached by the main group of the German forces.
The attack of Georg von der Marwitz’s cavalry corps - the 18th Dragoon was attached to it - just in front of the Haelen bridge over the river Gete, which were guarded by a Belgian cavalry division under the command of Léon de Witte, happened on August 12, 1914.

Remarkably the following attack of the 18th Dragoon, led by Victor Digeon de Monteton, and other units, one of the last mounted cavalry attack in history.

Trying to conquer the bridges over the river, German cavalry units were send into action.

It is noteworthy that these attacks were against all rules of action by the German forces:
Cavalry attacks were allowed only against disorientated enemy troops. De Winters soldiers were everything else than disorientated. They were in perfect order, dismounted and perfectly positioned against the advancing German troops.

So the heavy losses in the following attacks suffered by the Germans, were at least unnecessarily. De Witte’s troops repulsed the German cavalry attacks by ordering his men to dismount from their horses and meet the attack with massed Machine-Gun fire, which succeeded in inflicting significant casualties upon the attacking Germans.
Victor Digeon von Monteton, attacking with drawn cavalry sword in front of his Dragoon unit, was one of the very first victims of these attacks.

All in all the Germans suffered 150 men dead, more than 600 wounded and many prisoners of war. The number of dead Cavalry-horses was placed about 500, days later dead horses were found on the battlefields.

The Belgians hold the bridge, and therefore Haelen, at least for a while.
They provided an early proof of the modern day irrelevance of cavalry attacks on battlefields, dominated by the fire of fully automatic weapons.

Victor Digeon von Monteton was killed together with his adjutant Oberleutnant von Laffert on 12 of August 1914. He found his rest at the German Military Cemetery at Langemarck - Poelkapelle.

 

 

An interesting restored movie can be found here:

click here, please

 

Edited August 24, 2017 by Flyingdutchman

[arb]

Fylingdutchman,

 

Thank you for such a nice post with wonderful photos and great story.  Such a busby and its original owner deseve as complete a history as possible, and so I provide his military career here in detail.

Also, his adjutant's full name was Ernst von Laffert-Woldeck, born 15.11.1883 in Grabow, Mecklenburg

Andy

Viktor Digeon von Monteton  (22.09.1866-12.08.1914) 

12.08.14                                    b. Haelen gef.

20.05.14-12.08.14          Kom. d. Drag. R. 18  (Parchim)

23.05.11-20.05.14          b. St. d. Hus. R. 10  (Stendal)

20.07.07-23.05.11          Adj. b. XIV. AK  (Karlsruhe), U.d. Drag. R. 20

14.09.00-20.07.07          Chef 1./Drag. R. 20  (Karlsruhe)

01.04.00-14.09.00          in 2./Drag. R. 20  (Karlsruhe)

01.04.98-30.03.00          k.z. Dienstl. b. gr. Gen. St. v. Drag. R. 20

1896-01.04.98                Adj. d. Drag. R. 20  (Karlsruhe)

1895                                         in 5./Drag. R. 20  (Karlsruhe)

1894                                         in 1./Drag. R. 20  (Karlsruhe)

1892-1893                                 k.z. Milit. Reit Inst.

1891                                         in 2./Drag. R. 20  (Karlsruhe)

1890                                         in 3./Drag. R. 20  (Karlsruhe)

1889                                         in 5./Drag. R. 20  (Karlsruhe)

1888                                         in 1./Drag. R. 20  (Karlsruhe)

18.03.86-1887                in 4./Drag. R. 20  (Mannheim/Durlach)

18.03.86                                    als Sek.Lt. v. Kad. K. d. Drag. R. 20 überw.

Promotion dates 

Oberstlt. 19-08-14     [named in the promotion list even though he had already been killed in action ]

Major    10-09-08

Rittm.   14-09-00

Oberlt.  15-11-94

Leutn.   18-03-86

 

[Flyingdutchman]

Andy,

great infos you have added mostly appreciated, thank you so much!!

Best regards;

Flyingdutchman 

[arb]

Flyingdutchman,

You are very welcome.  It is always a pleasure to assist a collector like you who obviously enjoys the history of an item such as "your" busby.

Andy

[Flyingdutchman]

Andy,

thank you for your kind words. Personalized items are my main objective.

This Busby is also technically an interesting item. The Colpack color is very distinctive, just in this single unit it was worn in Rose Dubarry, or in German Pompadourrot.

The fur is from an Otter, which was regulated until 1912, with the permission to wear it on later, which matches perfectly to the time frame you provided me with. 

Because of his preliminary retirement in May 1914 he added the reserve Cross to the Busby and removed the Bandeau, which is still in the original box since that time. 

The former barracks are still in existence and housing the district court in our time. 

Best;

Flyingdutchman 

 

[Stuka f]

Great post, great item! 

Thanks for sharing.

Just one question what is the 1941 dated document, please?

[Flyingdutchman]

... oh, sorry for not explaining this. It's a transcript from a marriage document which explains where the family originated from. They came from the French village Monteton near Bordeaux and migrated to Prussia in the early 18th century. They all have been Huguenottes most likely and went to Protestant Prussia, as so many did.

https://www.museeprotestant.org/en/notice/le-refuge-huguenot-en-brandebourg/

Sorry again. 

Edited August 24, 2017 by Flyingdutchman

[Stuka f]

Thank you.No need to appology! 

I tought it was what you just explained, it was just the coincidence with the date (WWII) that intrigued me....

[Flyingdutchman]

... this is the family coat of arms. 

Many high ranking German officers came from this family, one of them was Constantin Baron Digeon von Monteton. Strange to see them fighting against France.

Btw. The title "Baron" doesn't exist in Germany. It's a "Freiherr". But because the family originated from France, the French title was still part of their name. 

Best;

Flyingdutchman

Edited August 24, 2017 by Flyingdutchman

[Stuka f]

Even more intresting.

Coat of arms is also a collection theme I love.

And allow me to complete the first story with a pic from my collection. Not as flamboyant as the busby you showed....

But here is a 4th Belgian lancer's uniform and chapska; probably one of the Belgian soldiers the German's were confontated to at Haelen.

[Flyingdutchman]

Great add and a fantastic uniform! Wow!

I think the 4th Belgian Cavalry Division took part in the Battle of Haelen. So it's interesting to see this amazing artifact. 

Thanks for showing. 

Best;

Flyingdutchman

[Stuka f]

Thank you. Glad you like it.

The 4th Belgian lancer's was indeed involved at Haelen.

 

[Trooper_D]

4 hours ago, Flyingdutchman said:

... oh, sorry for not explaining this. It's a transcript from a marriage document which explains where the family originated from. They came from the French village Monteton near Bordeaux and migrated to Prussia in the early 18th century. They all have been Huguenottes most likely and went to Protestant Prussia, as so many did.

Flyingdutchman

Like Stuka, I noticed the date of this document. Bearing in mind the times they were living it, was it produced to prove their aryan ancestry, do you think? 

Edited August 24, 2017 by Trooper_D

[Flyingdutchman]

Trooper,

no idea, sorry. Could have been many reasons. Statement for a birth certificate, marriage. Of course, also what you mentioned. 

Best;

Flyingdutchman

[Bayern]

Flyingdutchman : Many thanks for share, a sad story indeed , one more of the thousands that take place those terrible days of the late summer of 1914. The french emigration to Prussia and other countries was produced by the revocation of the Nantes Edict the year 1685 by Louis xiv .over 200 000 Frenchs emigrated , peasants , artisans , bourgeois , tradesmen , and nobles . Later the French Revolution produced another emigration . the aristocracy in first place . to escape of the massacre. many of the emigrants were soldiers .whose talent was greatly appreciated . Trooper : The document is the reproduction of a marriage certificate , emited in 1941 by the French Community Church ,  

[Chris Liontas]

Wonderful post!!  A named busby and Chapska.   What finds!  Can we see some more photos of both pieces?

[Trooper_D]

On 24/08/2017 at 22:22, Flyingdutchman said:

Could have been many reasons. Statement for a birth certificate, marriage. Of course, also what you mentioned. 

 

On 25/08/2017 at 05:13, Bayern said:

The document is the reproduction of a marriage certificate , emited in 1941 by the French Community Church ,  

Thank you, both.

[Adler 1]

Thanks for posting these beauties gentlemen!

 

Adler 1

[Farkas]

Hi Flyingdutchman, Gents

Love it. 

A great thread....

thanks

tony

[Flyingdutchman]

Tony,

thanks for your kind words, mostly appreciated. 

It seems the battle was still remembered 100yrs later in Belgium:

Best;

Flyingdutchman

[Stuka f]

It sure is! 

We never won a war, but we did won a few battles. This was one of them.

;-)

[Flyingdutchman]

.. a small addition was sent to me recently, another period photo of Victor Digeon von Monteton. 

Thanks for looking. 

Best;

Flyingdutchman

Edited April 2, 2018 by Flyingdutchman

[joerookery]

You might find this 2015 book interesting. It has his picture that came from the museum in Halen.

https://www.amazon.com/Cavalry-Charge-Battle-Silver-Helmets-Halen-12-ebook/dp/B018PFIVWK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526904718&sr=8-1&keywords=Last+great+cavalry++charge

[Flyingdutchman]

... I wasn’t aware of that book. Thank you for the hint. 

Best;

Flyingdutchman