The BEST in Mutti's Attic

[Brian S]

I've so far found a few hundred photos. This one is without question, so far, the most interesting to us 'who is this' guys.

Too bad we don't have a match to the numbers, eh?

First the front;

[Brian S]

But wait, what's this, could it be, no it's too impossible! Original signatures with units on all those photographed...

Here's what RL has SO far!

1) von Staszewski
3) Würtz
6) Kaempf (killed in action 9 May 1917)
9) Hülsemann
13) KARL Friederici (killed in action & Pour le Merite)
14) Gürtler
15) LEOPOLD Hemming
16) GUENTHER Freiherr von Falkenhausen
17) Fleischhauer
and if by some freak he looks THREE YEARS younger-- everybody else entered as Fähnrich 17 March 1894, and he as Fahnenjunker 26 February 1897--

18) GERLACH Hemmerich (weird career and WW2 General)

but since the STEENKEN PRUSSHUNS never bothereed with FIRST names maybe the Hemmerich in 18) was an older brother who dropped dead in the 1890s.

Bavarians, Saxons* (and Württembergers now that I have a Militärhandbuch) and the navy are all sooooooooooooo much easier than those #$^&@ Prussians!!!


Rick


* But problem is MY first Saxon is 1911, so a name like "Wagner" from 1895 isn't going to do any good-- their annual lists show only current ranks, no way to tell if another might have been that man, or Eichel, or....

[Eric Stahlhut]

Now that is a classic 'mugging for the camera' picture!


nice!


Eichler

[Rick Research]

One cockade indicates, I believe, pre-1897-- right Tony? Glenn?

Because the underlying thread in common with most of these lads is that they entered the military as Fähnriche 17 March 1894, and most were commissioned Leutnants on 18 August 1895.

That being so, this is an 1894 group shot.

1) von Staszewski

Leutnant 12.9.95 D (I'll use the final rank term, since all switched titles in grade)
Oberleutnant 15.9.05 G7g
Hauptmann 1.10.12 X3x
Major some time in 1918

From 1st Jäger Battalion, went to Inf Rgt 77, and from there to Baden Inf Rgt 113. However, he received NO Baden WW1 award, which leads me to believe that HE was the one of two officers with same name and same rank (the other was slightly younger) listed as "Hauptmann aD" for dual awards of Turkish Liakat Medal in Silver and Medjidie Order 3rd Class (nether with sabers listed) on 24 April 1915.

Alive 1926. No other traceable WW1 or pre-war awards. All these officers obviously got Prussian XXVs and the 1897.

3) Würtz

Leutnant 18.8.95 T6t
Oberleutnant 18.5.05 E2e
Hauptmann 1.10.12 L
Major 15.7.18 Bb
char. Oberstleutnant aD

Went from Grenadier Rgt 5 to NCO School Weiseenfels staff, to Inf Rgt 175 to Inf Rgt 148, finally leaving after the war from the German Army Armistice Commission ("HFriko")

Alive 1926. Prussian Hohenzollern House Order 3rd Class with Swords (hereafter "HHOX") gazetted in the Militärwochenblatt issue of 15.1.18

6) Kaempf
Leutnant 18.8.95 V8v
Oberleutnant 15.6.05 Pp
Hauptmann 27.1.11 D6d
Major some time in early 1917

Was suiccessively a battalion and the regimental adjutant of Inf Rgt 58, racking up pre-war Reuss Honor Cross (younger line) 3rd Class with Crown, Saxe-Weimar Order of the White Falcon-Knight 2nd, and a Schwarzburg Honor Cross 3rd Class.

He was killed in action as a Major in Inf Rgt 45 at Paralovo, the first wartime casualty in this group--whose luck held through the meatgrinder of 1914 and 1916.

[Brian S]

Am I correct that Artur entered as Fähnriche 1897?

[Rick Research]

9) Hülsemann
Leutnant 18.8.95 D4d
Oberleutnant 18.5.05 Bb
Hauptmann 27.1.11 V5v
Major 27.10.16
char. Oberstleutnant aD

Our no first name Prussian ( ) had a potential career there for a while... going from Inf Rgt 79 to a posting with the General Staff by 1907. But that came to nothing. He was in Inf Rgt 84 when the war began and I can find no HHOX or other Orders for him, though alongside his EKs he doubtless had a hanseatic or two.

Alive in 1926. Where did the "promise of youth" go?

13) KARL Friederici

Leutnant 18.8.95 K3k
Oberleutnant 22.4.05 Z6z
Hauptmann 27.1.11 P5p
Major some time in 1916

Stayed in Inf Rgt 98 long enough to become Regimental Adjutant, then moved on over to Inf Rgt 68.

He received his HHOX gazetted in the MWB on 13 September 1917, and was awarded Prussia's highest award

Pour le Merite 30 June 1918.

Alas, he did not live to savor his accomplishemnet, killed in action 4 November 1918 as Commander of Reserve Jäger Battalion 20-- literally in the final week of the war!

14) Gürtler
Leutnant 18.8.95 X3x
Oberleutnant 18.5.05 Z
Jauptmann 18.8.11 W
Major 18.8.17 S

Remained in Inf Rgt 46 for long years, with a detachment as staff as the Cadet School in naumburg a/S. Then transferred to Inf Rgt 155, in which his HHOX was gazetted in the MWB (early enough to state it was IN Inf Rgt 155) on 19.12.16. That was the only Order I was able to find on him in published rolls-- though a prime candidate for a Pour le Merite, instead perhaps more important was avoiding award of the "wooden cross." Alive in 1926.

[Brian S]

Rick, you really are amazing, you and Glenn...

Am I correct that Artur entered as Fähnriche 1897?

Other side of doc;

[Rick Research]

Von Klinspor's seniority as LEUTNANT was 13.3.97 Z2z. Seniority often had little to do with "real time" though there was usually a pattern to backdating. Here, he JOINED the army (officially) as a commissioned Leutnant from Cadet School--

He was in Field Artillery Regiment 4 (!!??) in 1902 but vanishes before 1905.

I gotta stop typing while you are still posting!

[Brian S]

Von Klinspor's seniority as LEUTNANT was 13.3.97 Z2z. Seniority often had little to do with "real time" though there was usually a pattern to backdating. Here, he JOINED the army (officially) as a commissioned Leutnant from Cadet School--

He was in Field Artillery Regiment 4 (!!??) in 1902 but vanishes before 1905.

I gotta stop typing while you are still posting!

My mistake, sorry, poor Artur died suddenly and quite unexpectedly. He did indeed vanish...

And a closeup of our PLM winner KARL Friederici (killed in action & Pour le Merite). Looks like he'd be right up front and winning a PLM.

[Tony & Kaiser]

One cockade indicates, I believe, pre-1897-- right Tony? Glenn?

Yup-er. In 1897 a new Reichs-Kokarde in Red-White-Black was introduced for all ranks to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kaiser Wilhelm 1st. T

[Glenn2438]

Rick, Brian,

Arthur von Klingspor: Born 6 May 1878 at Königsberg, evangelical faith. Father: Generalleutnant a.D. von Klingspor. Mother: maiden name Kuckzin.

Entered 6.Rheinisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 68 at Coblenz as a Sekonde-Lieutnant on the 13th of March 1897. Attached to Feldartillerie-Regiment von Holtzendorff (1. Rheinisches) Nr. 8 from 24 May 1898 to 13 Sep 1899. Transferred to Feldartillerie-Regiment Prinz-Regent Luitpold von Bayern (Magdeburgisches) Nr. 4 on 13 Sep 1899. Attended the Military Riding Institute at Hannover from 1 Oct 1902 until 30 Sep 1904 having been transferred to Kürassier-Regiment von Seydlitz (Magdeburgisches) Nr. 7 on the 29th of December 1903.

Died at Hildesheim on the 26th of November 1904.

Regards
Glenn

[Brian S]

Here is a great photo of Artur jumping. I'm guessing this is here per Glenn above;


Military Riding Institute at Hannover from 1 Oct 1902 until 30 Sep 1904

Died of 'heart' problems. As a child he had heart problems. Artur had rheumatic fever as a child and it messed up his heart. His brother died of Tuberculosis.


Thanks Glenn. That fills in several gaps none of us knew about.

[Glenn2438]

Brian,

his uniform is of a curassier officer in this photo so that dates it as sometime in 1904. A typo on the mother's maiden name. It should read Kuckein.

Regards
Glenn

[Brian S]

Brian,

his uniform is of a curassier officer in this photo so that dates it as sometime in 1904. A typo on the mother's maiden name. It should read Kuckein.

Regards
Glenn

Do you also have Hans Arvid von Klingspor, his brother? He was 3 to 5 years older. We think he was a dragoon.

[Glenn2438]

Brian,

nothing at the moment. The only Klingspors serving in 1900 were the General and his son Arthur.

Regards
Glenn