The Search For Yosemite Sam: A German Photo

[Rick Research]

Here we have the single most common "majors" medal bar in the Imperial German army:

a Prussian Red Eagle Order 4th Class, Prussian XXV Years Service Cross, and 1897 Wilhelm I Centenary Medal.

This combination is hopelessly untraceable!

[Rick Research]

Notice the B&W "colors" shift in the last two ribbons!!

OK, this is a little better (but doooood, those mustachios!!!! ), since it is possible to read "138" for that Infantry Regiment on the dress epaulettes.

But---

WHEN was this taken? The uniform remained unchanged from 1897 (earliest this can date, obviously) to 1914... leaving only any knowledge of Facial Shrubbery Fashions to narrow that down!

STILL virtually impossible, then!

[Rick Research]

Lucky for Ricky...

... he autographed it!

Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig von Grolman was born in Cologne 22 March 1852. He died in 1927.

SekLt ca 1873
PremLt ca 1882
Hauptmann ca 1888
Major 27.1.98 Nn
Oberstleutnant 14.6.04 C
Oberst 14.4.07 C
Generalmajor ca 1911
aD 1911/12

Added a Prussian Crown 3rd later, and probably a Red Eagle 3 with Bow.

From annual Rank Lists, this dates between 1898-1904 when von Grolman was commander of II. Baon. /Inf Rgt 138 and on its Regimental Staff.

After serving as commander of Inf Rgt 132, he retired as commander of the 66th Infantry Brigade.

Recalled for WW1, last command being stellv. (so at home) Inf. Brig. 32 (XXI Korps, Saarbrücken). Re-retired as char. Generalleutnant aD.



Moral of the story: Gotta Have CLUES.

[Glenn2438]

Grolman

Generalleutnant von Grolmann was succeeded as commander of the 66th Infantry Brigade on the 22nd of April 1912 by Generalmajor Viktor Bausch. He presumably retired more or less immediately after as he does not appear in the May 1912 Dienstaltersliste. He died on the 20th of August 1927.

Regards
Glenn

[Brian S]

And not a day in battle?