württemberg Major a.D. Eugen Otto Clausen

[Dave Danner]

Eugen Otto Clausen (14.7.1872-26.2.1943) was a retired Württemberg officer at the start of World War I, having left active duty as a Rittmeister on 18.10.1911. During World War I, he served at the Postüberwachungsstelle für Briefe in Stuttgart, and received the Charakter of Major a.D. on 2.8.1917.

 

He was the son of Generalleutnant Otto von Clausen (1831-1911) and brother of Hauptmann der Landwehr/Reserve Gaston-Otto Clausen (1869-1920). He also had a twin brother, Carl Clausen (1872-1908), who died while a Rittmeister in DR 26. There's a cool photo of the twins from around 1905 with Eugen in the uniform of a 1732 Kreis-Jäger zu Pferde and Carl in the uniform of an 1805 Herzog-Louis-Jäger zu Pferde here: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=1-325990-1

 

Eugen's known decorations from the rank lists and Württemberg Militär-Verordnungsblatt were the Russian Order of St. Anne 3. Class (29.4.1908), the Prussian Roter-Adlerorden 4. Klasse (7.9.1909), the Württemberg Friedrichs-Orden Ritterkreuz 1. Klasse (18.10.1911) and the Württemberg Wilhelmskreuz mit Schwertern (5.10.1916).

 

However, as can be seen by the photos below, he appears to have several more decorations. Unfortunately, the angle of the photo makes it unclear what they are. As best as I can tell, there are eight in total. I would guess that the Iron Cross 2nd Class is first. He appears to have the Centenary Medal after the RAO4, although I do not know why, as he was with 5./UR 19 at Kloster Wiblingen south of Ulm in the 1897 rank list. I would also guess that the medal before the RAO4 is the 1911 Württemberg silberne Hochzeitsmedaille, as Clausen was with the Schloßgarde-Kompagnie in Stuttgart prior to retiring. Any guesses what the other(s) might be? Maybe a Dienstehrenzeichen 1. Klasse? None was gazetted by 1918, but I don't know if there were later awards as with the Prussian Dienstauszeichnungskreuz through 1920.