Very interesting signed photo.... Need help

[tystgaard]

This I have from ebay...

A signed photo of a german WW1 general with a pilot badge. Also a high grade of the red eagle order. I need some help identifying him.......

Thanks from
Nicolai

[Varese2002]

Hi Nicolai. You have bought an interesting picture with a general on it which is at least identified by the writing on the card, but unfortunately it is in the German Sütterlin writing, normally written 1914-18 by the Germans.

I have studied this one, but could not quite get the name. So I asked the Sütterlin-experts on the Forum [Catfish and his wife] to positively identify the writing on the card.



Catfish and his wife identified the name as General von Eberhard who was Oberbefehlshaber der Erste Armee [translated about as 'Highest Commander of the First Army] at the end of the war - 1918/1919.

Cheers

Kees

[joegertler]

Hi Kees;
Once you gave the lead, I can confirm...It is Eberhardt's official photo, taken by H. Noack, Berlin. It is in Vol. VII of my set of German Headquarters reports, (14 inches thick, in total) in the old German text/font, which has a set of 92 of these full page portraits of the German staff officers, approx one dozen to a volume until the last one. They are each 7 3/4" x 10 3/4."

[Immo_Frese]

Originally Posted by Varese2002

Catfish and his wife identified the name as General von Eberhard who was Oberbefehlshaber der Erste Armee [translated about as 'Highest Commander of the First Army] at the end of the war - 1918/1919.

Cheers

Kees

Hi, be carefull with the correct spelling. The picture is not showing General Magnus von Eberhard, who was Commanding General of german 1. Army.

It is Generalleutnant Walter von Eberhardt, first Inspector of the German Air Service.

BTW, it is not the pilots badge but the Fliegererinnerungsabzeichen, which is shown on the photo...

Immo

[Varese2002]

Originally Posted by Immo_Frese

Hi, be carefull with the correct spelling. The picture is not showing General Magnus von Eberhard, who was Commanding General of german 1. Army.

It is Generalleutnant Walter von Eberhardt, first Inspector of the German Air Service.

BTW, it is not the pilots badge but the Fliegererinnerungsabzeichen, which is shown on the photo...

Immo

Thanks Immo, I missed the last letter (t) in the Sütterlin text, so it is Walter von Eberhardt.

Cheers

Kees

[Catfish]

Hello,
the name on the photo posted here is "General von Eberhardt" - we are not sure whether it was Magnus or Walter, if any of them. Varese identified him as Magnus - may be.

Here is a photo from Magnus Eberhardt, who is written here as well with a "dt" at the end:
eBay Österreich: General von Eberhardt, 15.Res. Armeekorps, 1917 FP gel. (Artikel 350034375809 endet 15.03.08 17:01:51 MEZ)
The backside here gives evidence this photo shows Magnus v.E., not Walter.

From the orders/medals(?) as well as from the appearance the man on the picture posted here looks a bit younger than Magnus would have been at that time - 59 years old in 1914. Magnus also was awarded with the "Pour le mérite", but after the war in may 20th, 1920.

But: The Eberhardt on the photo posted by tystgaard seems to have the red eagle order with swords, which was awarded not only for a victory but for forcing the enemy to retreat without order, or better: run away.

The iron crosses were last given in the war of 1870/71 during the Prussian war against France, and not in peacetime until again from 1914 on. Both Eberhardts would have been too young for the 1870/71 war, so the crosses shown here must derive from WW1.

Maybe the backside of the photo gives a hint ? I guess it should be one of the two Eberhardts mentioned ...

EDIT: Walter von Eberhardt was not a General in WW1, but a General Lieutenant.

Greetings,
Catfish

[Immo_Frese]

Hallo Catfish,

Walter von Eberhardt ist einwandfrei zu identifizieren. Zum Vergleich kursieren in der einschlägigen Literatur diverse Bilder, bspw. in Neal O'Connors Aviation Awards Vol. 1, S. 133.

Des weiteren hatte Magnus von Eberhardt keine Verbindung zur Fliegertruppe, weshalb er auch kein Fliegererinnerungsabzeichen trug. Seinen PlM bekam er am 20.5.1917, das Eichenlaub am 25.4.1918 verliehen.

Walter von Eberhard war zwar nur Generalleutnant, es ist aber im deutschen Heer allgemein üblich, alle Generalsränge nur mit "General" anzusprechen, weshalb wahrscheinlich auch das Foto so gekennzeichnet wurde.



Immo

[Catfish]

Hallo Immo,

" ... es ist aber im deutschen Heer allgemein üblich, alle Generalsränge nur mit "General" anzusprechen, ... "

Ach so, das mit dem Generalleutnant war der Grund, warum es für mich (scheinbar) nicht Walter sein konnte - danke für die Klarstellung !
Ist bekannt, wofür Walter seinen Rote-Adler-Orden bekommen hat ? Ist das überhaupt einer ?

transl.: " ... but it is common in the german army, to address all ranks of a general as "General" ...".
So Lieutenant General Walter v. Eberhardt would indeed be adressed as a General. This was the reason for me to have doubts about Walter at first.
Thanks for making this clear !

Danke und viele Grüße,
Kai

[Immo_Frese]

Hallo Kai,

yes, it is the Red Eagle Order 2nd Class with Swords and Oakleaf. v. Eberhard was awarded with it on 12 Oct 1916 as a Generalmajor. Only four days before he had been moved aside in a reorganisation and expansion of the German Army Air Service command structure when the position of Kogenluft was created and v. Hoeppner took over...

Probably he got the order in recognition of his earlier work.

Best regards,
Immo