An update: in Stuttgart, during the Militaria show, I was fortunate enough to receive from Thies a picture who found it by coincidence. So now I can put a face to my medal bar. Notice that he's wearing the Pickelhaube of the Leibgarde Regt. Nr. 115 (1. Grossherzogl. Hessisches) the very rare (only 22!!!) Offizierskreuz mit Schwertern of the Verdienstkreuz (Waldeck) and the Offizierskreuz of the Greifen-Orden (Mecklenburg-Schwerin).
Beautiful picture, very likely taken immediately after WWI. The medal bar is the same one as worn by him!!! I am happy collector...
Nice to have a face to go with the medal bar, Claudio.
When he had the Waldeck Officers cross, wasn´t it likely, that he had a Waldeck knights as well? If so, i wonder, why he chose not to wear it on his medal bar. Was it necessary to have a Knights cross to get the Officers cross?
best,
Gerd
PS: It was nice to meet you in Stuttgart. We missed you later at the beerstand and in the Steak-house.
WOW!!!! His face and THE medal bar!!!! That happens so incredibly rarely!!!! Congratulations!!!!!
Non-native state Orders were granted to recipients on the basis of their rank at the time--that's why the different grades of peacetime awards. In fact, when we encounter different grades of peacetime Orders, that's what helps in hunting down an unknown, knowing Soandso had to be a Lieutenant for THIS and a Hauptmann for THAT-- and so indicating a path of transfers, if we are lucky. His Waldeck was bestowed 24 July 1915 as Oberstleutnant iG, Chief of the General Staff of the Vth Reserve Corps.
He probably picked up so many decorations on account of his various adjutant positions in peacetime including Adjutant of III./F.R. 73, Regimental Adjutant of F.R. 73, Adjutant of the 40. Infanterie-Brigade and Adjutant of the 17. Division. At the outbreak of war he was commanding III./I.R. 91 and was then appointed commander of "Feste Boyen". In November 1916 he assumed command of the newly formed I.R. 456.
Although I hate to contradict my good friend Rick, he was not the Adjutant of the V. Reserve-Corps; that was Oberstleutnant Ernst von Stockhausen, later ARKO 105 and a retired Generalleutnant.
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