The Artillery General...

[Chris Boonzaier]

Deputy Military Governer of Metz

Generalleutnent und General von der Fussartillerie Walter Pelkmann.

 Walter Pelkmann entered service as a Portepee-Fähnrich in Fußart.-Rgt. Nr. 2 on 1 October 1874. He was pensioned in 1913 after having served as commander of the Fussartillerie Brigade in Metz from 1907 to 1911. Pelkmann was reactivated and assumed the role of Deputy Military Governor of Metz at the outbreak of the war. He served in this position until the 9^th November 1918. Walter Pelkmann died in Berlin in July 1919.

The document is a direct communication from the Chef des Militär-Kabinettes in the Kaisers HQ informing Pelkmann that the Kaiser has awarded him the Iron Cross 1st class. The Militär-Kabinett seems not to have issued preliminary award documents, official award document presumably planned for after the war as was the case for the 1870 Iron Cross. Pelkmann received his Iron Cross 1st Class (noted diagonally on the left of the letter) and this letter. This document was signed by General Moritz Freiherr von Lyncker

 

Photo: "The witching hour of midnight had already struck when we quite suddenly caught sight of the Deputy-Governor of Metz, General von Pelkmann of the Artillery, a little man with a grey moustache, very eccentric, with very decided views on life, on the universe, and on the whole creation generally." (Sven Hedin: With the German Armies in the West)

 

Bekanntmachung: Metz became “German” in 1871 but in 1914 there was still overwhelming French language influence. Although in the City itself there was an approximate 4:1 ratio of German to French speakers, in the surrounding areas the Ratio of French to German was about 6:4. This decree signed by Pelkmann in 1914 called for the Germanisation of everything from street signs to the writing on shop windows. Failure to follow the law could lead to legal charges or businesses being black listed by the army.

[Chip]

I think someone on this forum owns one of Pelkmann's field gray jackets.

[Chris Boonzaier]

23 minutes ago, Chip said:

I think someone on this forum owns one of Pelkmann's field gray jackets.

Wow, that's a jewel ... even if he was not a combat officer, he had an interesting war....

[Dave Danner]

That medal bar is interesting, especially the placement of the Rettungsmedaille ahead of the RAO4Kr. 

[Deutschritter]

What a great picture of Walter Pelkmann. I can only wonder, if he received any other WW I decorations besides EK I and Kriegsverdienstkreuz (Braunschweig)? The Kriegsverdienstkreuz would get two classes March 1918. Would Pelkmanns awards then be I. or II. class? Probably 2nd class, because he didn't serve on the front?! Does someone know if he was ill? He died 1919 in Berlin. I don't know his wife's name, but he had one, as the list of the "Offizierswitwenkasse" shows.

Edited August 25, 2021 by Deutschritter

[BlackcowboyBS]

I am pretty sure, that Pelkmann didn't recieved the 1st class of the Braunschweig War Merit Cross.