Colonial "Spange" on last Detlev's update

[Klaus O.]

Dear fellow collectors,

Very likely the enthusiast collectors of German Imperial collectibles have noticed what a beautiful "Grossenordenschnalle" Detlev had on his last Friday's update. It came also with a Souvenir Album. The medal bar belonged to a Naval medical officer (Dr. Th. Hansen) who was between 1899-1902 on the "S.M.S. Seeadler". Now I got some questions: Is it not the same ship on which Graf Felix von Luckner became famous as "Seeteufel" being able to get through the Royal Navy's blockade in WWI? That would be quite something, wouldn't it?

Furthermore, I noticed that the needle on the reverse of the medal bar is placed differently as usual. I don't know how to explain it better, but it seems that the needle's end appears on left side where the Iron Cross 2nd class is placed instead of the contrary. To better show you I enclose a picture of this very nice medal bar, with a red arrow showing the "critical point".

Your comments or further historical facts on the ship and the medical officer Hansen are most welcome!

Ciao,

Claudio

[Christian L]

i could only say, the bar i have, the needle is going to the other side.
what is the 4th decoration for?
yes, i think luckner was on the seeadler.
best regards christian

[Klaus O.]

Christian,

The 4th medal from the left is :

Hessen-Darmstadt, DA-Kreuz für Krankenpflege

Ciao,

Claudio

[Rick Research]

It is on the "frontline" ribbon, which was same as the Hessian General Decoration for Bravery Medal. The "home front" ribbon of that Hessian cross was a much nicer red with a silver metallic stripe at each side. There was also an almost identical version from 1870.

Hansen retired before WW1 and was recalled for wartime duty. He was born in 1867, alive in Lübeck in 1937, and was a char. Marinegeneraloberarzt (= Fregattenkapitän) aD. Fortress Hospital physician at Wik to the end of 1914, then with the Marinekorps in Flanders to the end of 1915, he was in south Hungary and Serbia, as well as chief physician of Hospital Uesküb until October 1918. Much more, glad to supply if any of our registered readers ended up with this group.

The directions of pins etc is of not much importance. I have seen medal bars and ribbon bars assembled "completely upside down" as far as the metal backings go. Whether the assembler was dyslexic, or the wearer wanted them that way, who knows? In my younger and leaner days when uniforms etc of the Master Race used to fit my adolescent frame, more than once I had medal bars spring unlatched at the armpit, so having the opening at the breastbone may have actually been a more secure way of wearing a long bar.

[Rick Research]

Dr.med. Theodor Hansen was born 8 September 1867. He joined the navy 1 April 1891, and retired sometime between 1908 and 1914. He was promoted Marine-Stabsarzt (=Kapitänleutnant) 9.1.1900, Marine-Oberstabsarzt (= Korvettenkapitän) 27.4.07 B.

He served in China as Chief Medical Officer of the light cruiser S.M.S. "Seeadler." In 1905 he was C.M.O. of school ship S.M.S. "Blücher" (NOT the battleship!), and in 1908 was ashore posted in Kiel, with no Orders as of that date.

Recalled for WW1 service, he was promoted to char. Marine-Generaloberarzt (=Fregattenkapitän) 12/10/16. No discharge data is entered for him in the Marine-Ehrenrangliste 1914-18, but in 1937 he was calling himself "Marine-Generalarzt aD" (=Kapitän zur See), so must have had another "bump" up in retirement.

For WW1, he served as a Senior Physician at Festungs-Lazarett Wik to December 1914, then as Chief Physician (Chefarzt) with Marine Feld-Lazeretts 1 & 2 (Marinekorps Flandern) to November 1915. He then went to the Balkans, southern Hungary and Serbia, serving without specific times until October 1918 in Kriegs-Lazarett Direktion 54, and as Director (Leiter) of Lazarett Uesküb. For the last month of the war he was Korpsarzt of Generalkommando 53.

After retirement from the navy, he was a consulting orthopedic surgeon in his native Lübeck, living at Ratzeburger Allee 2a in 1928 and 1931 (married, member # 4242 of the Marine-Offizier-Verband), telephone # 23 911.

1935 found him as "Geschäftsführender Arzt der Bezirkstelle Lübeck der kassenärztlichen Vereinigung Deutschlands," so apparently forced out of private practice by the Great Depression. His phone remained the same, but he had moved to Friedrich-Wilhelm-Straße 5 I. In 1937, when I last find him listed in the sources I have, he was there, back in private orthopedic surgical practice.

Because he was an "außer Dienst" officer recalled for war's duration, he is not found in the wartime Marine Ranglisten of 1916 and 1918. I have a gap between the issues of 1908 and 1914, so he left the navy in that period. Service outside German home waters was counted as double for pensions and long service awards, so he got his "XXV" Cross for less than that many years duty, or had his wartime call up service counted (not sure if "aDs" were creditted that way).

[Christian L]

thanks for the very helpfull answer.
best regards christian

[Rick Research]

These pix are in Stogie-Rick's collection, and are all Dr hansen's, taken 1900-1901. Sorry for the stripes, these are big contact prints and I will try to get better ones and more of them.

First "Seeadler" in Hankow harbor, 1900

[Rick Research]

Aboard "Seeadler" at Swatow, with the German Consul and Chinese officials.

[Rick Research]

A closeup with Hansen, I think, in the middle leaning on his elbow, with members of the "Seeadler" crew, identified as "St. Mathias Peninsula, South Seas."

Note the native policemen are wearing kepis with the Imperial tricolor cockade

[Klaus O.]

Dear Rick, Dear Stogie,

Thank you so much for your kind assistance and for showing these beautiful pictures! My brother will surely appreciate your efforts and on his behalf I thank you again!!! ....just great!

ciao,

Claudio

[Rick Research]

A closeup of the bearded German Consul (I guess that is the "Double Dragon" or one of those Imperial Chinese awards in the fru-fru around his neck.

Hansen is not immediately obvious in the throng, and I suspect he personally TOOK the photos himself.

The Korvettenkapitän zS at right is CO of "Seeadler," Wilhelm Schack (1860-1920), who served in the navy 1876-1913, retiring as a 1911 Vizeadmiral zS.

[Rick Research]

Another German Consul, this one Without Beard, in the officers' mess aboard "Seeadler." At least one of the junior officers appears to have gotten just the wee bit tiddly.

In the center with brandy snifter, identifiable from the gear wheel and anchor device on his "Leutnant" straps is Ship's Engineer Benjamin Altenfeld. Born 1863, served in the navy until 1917, retiring as a Marine-Chefingenieur (= Fregattenkapt.) in 1917

At front far right trying to look like the children aren't making fools of themselves is the First Officer, then Kapitänleutnant zS Georg von Hippel. He appears in white jacket behind the Captain at far right in the first photo with Chinese officials above. Born 1874, navy from 1892, he took over command of S.M.S. "Breslau" in Turkish service in July 1917, and went down with her off Imbros island 20 January 1918.

Drectly behind him in 2nd row far right (identifiable from the following photo) is Marine-Zahlmeister Hugo Krausse.

No names, identifiable only from ranks of officers aboard "Seeadler" in China 1900-01.

[Rick Research]

Sorry about the pinkish tinge on lefts.. that's my scanner. These are wide contact prints and when Miss Scanner is acting up, I get this effect on things more than half the width across.

Here we have a Sunday parade aboard "Seeadler" in China 1900, identified as "Griese, Hansen, Krause" (sic).

So, we can all pick Dr. Hansen out of a crowd NOW, right


Then Oberlt zS Paul Griese, born 1870, navy 1888 on, retired from the navy as a char. Korvkapt. zS 20.11.05, presumably for health reasons. he was recalled for WWI, but died of natural causes 24 July 1915.

Hugo Krausse (see above) joined the navy in 1886. I'm not home and forgot to note his birthdate in my scribbles. he was still in the navy in 1905, as a December 1900 Marine-Oberzahlmeister (= Oberlt.), but was gone before the Big War and not recalled for it--so probably dead before 1914.

All things considered, the 1900 China duty "Seeadler" officers' roster was quite an unlucky one, for lifespans and careers!

[Christian L]

very good pictures and description!

such good informtion isn't shown everyday!

very good work rick - thanks christian

go on

[Klaus O.]

I am also speechless... great shots! Too bad that Hansen isn't that clear on these pictures when saltuting... Very likely he was the one to take pictures as you said...

Ciao,

Claudio