Can you guys help me to determine the rank and unit of my great grandfather?

[Joeswanson]

 

 

Hello everyone! This is a photo of my great grandfather taken in 1912. He was born in 1882 in zalukva (actual western Ukraine) to an ethnic Ukrainian family. 
 

According to my family he fought in ww1 and served as a police officer. At one point he was in charge of a police station but I don’t know if this was during the Austro-Hungarian empire or during the polish rule. 
 

Any information is welcome! 

[Ian]

Let me start by saying I don't have my reference books with me to be able to provide you with a more accurate description.  However, I can say that your Great Grandfather is Gendarmerie (Hungarian term is Magyar Kiralyi Csendor; but it means the same thing).

 

He is wearing a typical Gendarmerie uniform, and he is displaying the chevrons for a long serving NCO. The rank displayed on his collar is for a Sergeant (Zugsfuhrer). 

The first medal he is wearing is the 1908 Jubilee Medal...not certain on the other one.

 

As a Senior NCO he would in all probability have been in charge of a small Gendarmerie detachment (Police station) in a village, somewhere in the Hungarian half of the Monarchy.

 

When I return home I will be able to provide a more complete explanation.

 

Regards,

Ian

[Christian1962]

The pic is to small for checking more details. I would assume that he is a Gendarmerie-Wachtmeister. Therefore there should be yello laces under the stars. This would fit more with his age.

 

Three stars alone: Führer

Three stars + yellow 20 mm lace: Vizewachtmeister

Three stras + silver 13 mm lace: Wachtmeister II. Kl.

Three stras + silver 13 mm lace + officer's sabre: Wachtmeister I. Kl.

 

Therefore it would be important to have a detailed look onto his collar.

 

Regards

Christian

[Joeswanson]

4 hours ago, Ian said:

Let me start by saying I don't have my reference books with me to be able to provide you with a more accurate description.  However, I can say that your Great Grandfather is Gendarmerie (Hungarian term is Magyar Kiralyi Csendor; but it means the same thing).

 

He is wearing a typical Gendarmerie uniform, and he is displaying the chevrons for a long serving NCO. The rank displayed on his collar is for a Sergeant (Zugsfuhrer). 

The first medal he is wearing is the 1908 Jubilee Medal...not certain on the other one.

 

As a Senior NCO he would in all probability have been in charge of a small Gendarmerie detachment (Police station) in a village, somewhere in the Hungarian half of the Monarchy.

 

When I return home I will be able to provide a more complete explanation.

 

Regards,

Ian

thank you.

 

I always thought that Ukraine was in the Austrian half of the empire and therefore he will be in charge of a police station there. 
 

Is it likely that by the end of wwi he will have been promoted? 

 

[Joeswanson]

Here I attach some images of the original photography that could be of some help. 

[Christian1962]

I can't see any laces on the collar, therefore I would assume he has the rank of a "Führer".

The leaces on his arm show that he is a long serving NCO at all.

Regards

 

Christian

[Joeswanson]

12 hours ago, Christian1962 said:

I can't see any laces on the collar, therefore I would assume he has the rank of a "Führer".

The leaces on his arm show that he is a long serving NCO at all.

Regards

 

Christian

thank you 

[Farkas]

Hi Joe, Gents,

I see 2 medals, the one on the left is a 60 year Franz Joseph jubilee medal issued in 1908, issued on 3 different ribbons.

His jubilee cross appears to be on the middle (of above) ribbon, white with red stripe to the edge.

 

I believe that ribbon was for serving military and I would have expected a 1908 cross issued to a policeman to be on a red ribbon…

More learned Gents might know whether Police were issued it on that ribbon…
 

The medal on the left could well be a 50year Jubilee medal (or not) if so it is on a red ribbon for civil servants, meaning in 1898 he was a civil servant already.

 

Is it possible he was already in the police by 1898, was doing national service in the military in 1908, then back in the Police by the time of this photo, 1912??

 

cheers

tony 🍻

 

ps lots of ifs & ??’s 🙃

 

[Christian1962]

K.k. Gendarmerie was part of the k.k. Landwehr. Therefore they received the military version of the cross.

 

There were three types of Gendarmerie in the monarchy:

 

1. k.k. Gendarmerie für Cisleithanien (the Austrian part)

2. k.ung. Gendarmerie für Transleithanien (the Hungarian Part)

3. k.u.k. Gendarmerie für Bosnien und Herzegowina (which was the only "common" for both parts)

 

But they all were part of the respective armies. This changed after 1918 when Gendarmerie became a civil organization. Gendarmerie was dissolved in 2004 and merged with federal police. Until then it was led more like a military guard.

Regards

Christian