Graf Anton Kerssenbrock

[leibregiment]

Sorry if this is on the wrong post, but I hope someone can assist, I have a pair of German binos named to "Graf Anton Kerssenbrock" "Garde Jager Batl 1915" would anyone have any details on him, awards etc, many thanks , Paul

[Rick Research]

On our Blue World... THIS is the place...

for MORE than you'd ever want to know!

Is that EXACTLY how it is engraved? Because that is weird three ways--

First name should precede the title

That is a really weird part of his "last names" (you'lllllll seeeeee, oh yes ) and

"Baon" would be the normal German abbreviation for our "Battalion," their "Bataillon."

BUT--

ANTONIUS Graf von KORFF genannt Schmissing-Kerssenbrock was born 30 June 1895 at the family estate in Brinck, son of former Vatican Guard Lieutenant and eventually Papal Privy Chamberlain "di spada e cappa" (that bit's beyond me, alas) Xaver Graf von Korff genannt Schmissing-Kerssenbrock and his second wife, Anna Reichsgräfin von Spee (living at Brinck in 1921)...

as Leutnant der Reserve from Prussian Garde-Jäger Bataillon, detached to one of the infantry so-called battalions of the Palestine front, where he was killed in action 29 March 1918 at El Kafre, north of Jerusalem.

Antonius's older brother Joseph (born 1886) had been killed in action in Italy in 1917 as a Lt dR in Garde-Schützen Bataillon.

Surviving siblings were:

Anna and Mathilde (both nurses for the Order of Malta during the war), Karoline (a Red Cross sister in the war), Maria and the unfortunately named Cunigundis-- in convent school (I presume, being too young for nuns) at Kloster zum guten Hirten, and Elisabeth, Aloysius, and Agnes at home with their mother.

NOW, there WAS another branch of the SAME prolifically Catholic family who went by ONLY Graf von Korff genannt Schmissing, PERIOD, so it is POSSIBLE that at family gatherings wherein a LOT of binoculars might have been left in the summerhouse, Hypen-Kirssenbrock might have helped. I've seen weirder chop jobs on paragraph long monikers.

"Graf Anton" is rather more worrying, since I'd have expected "Anton Graf." (NOBODY would expect Antonius... child abuse, that).

As far as awards, there is nobody (above to the contrary ) more "invisible" than a wartime Prussian Lt dR. But since I also have all 20 years of the Bund der Asienkämpfer magazines, I'll keep a lookout for any mention of his death in my periodic browsings of the articles, 1918-38.


His dog's name was Skippy.

[Rick Research]

PS His dad died in 1910 and his mom would have been a COUSIN of the famous Coronel/Falklands dead WW1 naval hero Graf von Spee, for whom the equally ill-fated 1939 pocket battleship was named (So. America was a real hoodoo for von Spees! ) and they TOO were often Papal Chamberlains "of the sword and cape."

Big brother Jo was killed on Monte Tomba... where a young guy named Erwin Rommel "made his bones" at the same time.

Ah... an 87 year old mystery resolved:

He was killed in Infanterie Bataillon 702.

Reichsheer Generalmajor aD Paul Platz, then the Major commanding the German frontline infantry, reported in the BDAK's "Orient Rundschau" of 10 November 1936 on the disposition of forces he had just assumed command over--

rocky cliffs and waterless hills where it was impossible to stake Zeltbahns in as tents because of the stony ground, impossible to deploy defensive wire-- and impossible to bring forward food, water, or ammunition. IB 702 was staked out, literally in the sun, at El Kafr. The British took that height on 30 March, but were ejected from it the same day. Each "battalion" held a nominal "front" of 3 KM, but in reality, it was a case of individual soldiers behind individual rocks.

The nominal strength of each of the Asienkorps' three (701, 702, and 703) "battalions" was 21 officers, 405 other ranks, and 25 Turkish animal handlers for the inevitable supply train. Effective strength was never actually over HALF that, from sick away from the front, and the straggling supply lines that led to so many missing forever in action there throughout 1918.

Platz did not mention Count Korff by name, but placed only that unit at that place at that time.

[Tony Colson]

Just chiming in wih my two cents worth, and adding to the impressive, in depth research done by Rick L, "Spada e Cappa" in Italian means "Sword and Cape". While I know what it means, I have no idea of what it signifies.
Respectfully,
Tony

[leibregiment]

Wow, its eight in the morning and its still wow, "Thanks" they are quite bashed up and I did not know they were named and I was looking for the makers mark, I had to rub the paint away, please find some poor scans, they were purchased unnamed for $20, many thanks again, P

[leibregiment]

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[leibregiment]

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[Kurt Doench]

Hi all,

Just two quick additions to what's been said before: 'Cavaliere di cappa e spada' is a Vatican honorary title (a very prestigious and coveted one) granted to laymen for services to the church.

While the formal rendering of a titled name should have the first name before the title, colloquially the title is actually quite often put before the first name, so that's no reason to worry.

Regards,

Karl

[leibregiment]

Rick, Tim and all many many thanks, all I need is a photo!, would love to put together a tunic and medals to bring him back to life, will be visiting the battle field in the next few months, will post some photos, again thanks, Paul

[Rick Research]

Yup, no problems from the scans. There was a WW1 German war cemetery in Palestine/Israel (I'd have to find name and place) and it's possible you could go visit him if you are there.

The British "Official History" for Operations in Egypt and Palestine is maddeningly disorganized chronologically and to suggest they are "indexed" would be giving them credit they do NOT deserve.

Apparently to the Turks, the fatal action in question was "Berukin," while the British spelling (to the two I already show above) was El "Kufr." Whether any of these places are findable now, good luck.

As far as I can tell , since the British considered the late March fighting insignificant skirmishing, it was the 75th Infantry Division's 232nd Infantry Brigade that was held off by the Germans here. The 2/3 Gurkhas of that Brigade finally took and held El Kufr from 9 April.