Generalleutnant Gustav Freiherr von Perfall with Bavarian Pilot Badge

[webr55]

I bought this one because of the officer wearing a large ribbon bar. But when zooming in, I noticed the badge on his right side. It looks a little like a Bavarian Pilot Badge, but I'm not sure. Any ideas?

Apparently, it is an Oberst wearing a ca. 1935 uniform. Maybe Bavarian, but I have no idea who.

Chris

Edited November 11, 2017 by webr55

[webr55]

The ribbon bar is very hard to tell at this angle. That MIGHT be a Bavarian award in first place, followed by an EK, XXV, two things with swords (1st maybe Hohenzollern?), then something with a wreath (Württemberg or ÖMK3X). There seem to be neither LS eagles nor Hindenburg.

Edited November 11, 2017 by webr55

[webr55]

And the badge.

If the photo is ca. 1935, he should have been in the Reichsheer.

Edited November 11, 2017 by webr55

[webr55]

BTW, a perfect Erich von Stroheim monocle, isn't it?

[webr55]

Shoulderboards. I think there are two pips.

Edited November 11, 2017 by webr55

[Schießplatzmeister]

Hello Gentlemen:

A very interesting photograph. A very good guess regarding the badge. It IS Bavarian, but it is on the incorrect side for a pilot's badge. The award is a Bavarian "Erinnerungszeichen an die Goldene Hochzeit des K?nigspaares" (Commemorative award for the Golden Anniversary of the Royal Couple) awarded in 1918. A badge not often encountered in photographs. The fellow was obviously a very patriotic Bavarian to wear this award. He probably stopped wearing it a few years later in his career as the political climate changed!

Best regards,

"SPM"

[Ulsterman]

That is the FIRST time I have ever seen that badge worn-obviously a Wittelsbach royalist; 'ein blauer mann' to quote Rohm.

[webr55]

Ah! So it is this one:

That was only awarded to very few people, am I right? So he should have been a Bavarian aristocrat?

Edited November 11, 2017 by webr55

[Guest Brian von Etzel]

A Royalist. Would dearly like to know how he faired in the new world.

[webr55]

He's also got a wound badge, see below.

What I find strange, if this is a Bavarian royalist, why doesn't he wear his ribbon bar in Bavarian style?

Edited November 11, 2017 by webr55

[webr55]

And a closeup of his face:

Edited November 11, 2017 by webr55

[Wild Card]

Gentlemen,

As best as I can make out from Nimmergut is that this decoration was awarded to very few persons including generals, flugeladjutants, commanding officers (an ambiguous term) and court officials.

I hope that this is helpful,

Wild Card

[webr55]

Got him!

Here's another pic of Mr. Monocle. The problem was that in my pic, he is wearing only a REDUCED set of his awards. He left out a Bulgarian MMO Commander and an Austrain Franz Joseph pinback.

But that little thingy on his right side clearly identifies him...

Edited November 11, 2017 by webr55

[webr55]

So he is

a) Bavarian

b) an aristocrat

c) a future Generalleutnant.

Edited November 11, 2017 by webr55

[webr55]

Thingy:

Edited November 11, 2017 by webr55

[Glenn J]

Looks suspiciously like Generalleutnant Gustav Freiherr von Perfall (2.2.1883 - 27.2.1969)

Regards

Glenn

[webr55]

YES!!

It's him.

Gustav Freiherr von Perfall, Generalleutnant 1.08.1939

In 1932, he was in the Reichswehrministerium. The 1939 RL shows him as Higher Cavalry Officer in Bamberg. Never advanced any further.

Here is another pic of him as Oberst, and what is interesting is that he wears his BMV4X in first place, right before his EK, like in my pic. Later, as General, he obviously switched to Prussian precedence.

Edited November 11, 2017 by webr55

[webr55]

Closeup:

The awards he's wearing here are:

Neck: Bulgarian MMO Cdr

Pinback EK1, Austrian Franz Joseph Cross, BWB, Brunswick EAK 1st cl (almost invisible)

Bar: BMV4X, EK2, Luitpold Jubilee, Brunswick EAK 2nd cl, Hohenzollern 3rd clX, Württemberg Friedrich 1st cl., Austrian Iron Crown, ÖMK3 (that was the ghost wreath on my pic), Bulgarian St. Alexander, Spanish MMO non-com

He also held a PKO4, Hessian Philipp Knight 2nd, SA3b, BZ3b and Brunswick Henry the Lion, but he's only wearing his wartime and homestate awards.

 

Edited August 5, 2021 by webr55

[webr55]

A Royalist. Would dearly like to know how he faired in the new world.

At least, the photos show that he kept wearing his Royalist badge well into the late 1930s!