Afghan Mission 1915-16

chrispaulodale

chrispaulodale

Active member
Photos from the collection of Lt von Hentig on the Mission to Afghanistan (Photos © Stiftung Bibliotheca Afghanica)-
http://www.phototheca-afghanica.ch/index.php?id=35&no_cache=1&L=3&no_cache=1&tx_browser_pi1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;[tx_fmphototheca_collection.title][]=5

Can anyone identify von Hentig's medals from that photo collection?
afghanmission2b.jpg


I've also updated my site with a lot of information from there-
http://s400910952.websitehome.co.uk/germancolonialuniforms/afghan%20mission.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers
Chris
 
Chris,

such an unusual picture; to see a Kürassier officer in the peacetime white Koller. It is a bit blurry but I would hazard the following:

at the throat and breast (above the EK1): a Persian Lion and Sun Commander's Order.

On the bar:

EK2
Rettungsmedaille (Life saving Medal)
Kreuz des allgemeinen Ehrenzeichens (Cross of the General Honour Medal on the Life saving Medal Ribon)
Medjidie Order

Regards
Glenn
 
Thank you Glenn, as always.

When I asked "can anyone help identify..." what I actually meant was "can Glenn help identify..."!

That's a great starting point. Do you know any of these medals for certain? Have you seen Hentig on a Rangliste? I guess with him not being an active officer before the outbreak of war he wouldn't be on the 3rd Cuirassier lists?

I'll keep working on him!

Cheers
Chris
 
Chris,

Prewar, v. Hentig already had the Life Saving Medal and the Cross of the General Honour Medal on the Life saving Medal Ribbon as listed as reserve officer in Kürassier-Regiment Graf Wrangel (Ostpreußisches) Nr. 3. The Persian Lion and Sun Order is clear and I am pretty certain that is a Medjidie Order on the end. Although the 1918 Prussian Court and State Handbook does not list foreign awards, it does list his Hohenzollern House Order Knights Cross with Swords awarded on 18 Sep 1917. He had won the Life Saving Medal as a schoolboy in February 1904. The General Honour Medal followed as a law student on 18 November 1907.

Regards
Glenn
 
That's great Glenn, thanks again!

There were some other curious medals to be seen on that trip-
afghanmission6.jpg


From left to right these men are-
Maulavi Barkatullah, Werner von Hentig, Mahendra Pratap, Kâzım Orbay and Walter Röhr

I'm not sure if Barkatullah has a medal or just a pendant at his throat. Could it be a non-Christian Red Eagle?

Hentig's medals you've described.

Pratap has a Red Eagle Second class at his throat, personally awarded by the Kaiser.

Orbay, has a Prussian Crown Order, which Hentig awarded to him.

In Hentig's memoirs he also mentions awarding Feldwebel Beierl the Prussian Red Eagle Medal and Feldwebel Jemadar Mirmast of the Pathan volunteers the Prussian Crown Medal.

Niedermayer got the Bavarian Military Order of Max Joseph when he finally got home.

Those are all the awards I know of for the Afghan Mission...

Cheers
Chris
 
Chris: Very interesting story! :bravo: Do you have any more informations about the Austro-Hungarian soldiers? How do you know that Josef Janosch was Rumanian?
 
Hi Markgraf,

No, I couldn't find anymore information about the Austro-Hungarian soldiers. If anyone else can that would be great.

Most of the biographical information and the name and nationality of the only KuK soldier identified was in this PDF document-
http://www.phototheca-afghanica.ch/uploads/tx_fmphototheca/vH.2_01.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers
Chris
 
Chris: I think I found something. Hungarian POW memories collected into a book in 1930. Some of them were in Afghanistan.
 
Chris: A fellow researcher told me that the book contains six Hungarian POWs account who was in Afghanistan. According on of them 123 AH servicemen fled to Afghanistan, and 116 went home in 1919.

I think I can get the book. Approximately 15 pages informs of the Afghanistan days.
 
I borrowed the book from the library. The text is fairly detailed. Henting's and Niedermayer's book used as source in addition six hungarian POW's account, military archive sources and a memoir from an Austrian Border-Gendarmerie Officer's (also was POW) : Emil Rybitschka: Im gottgegebenen Afghanistan als Gäste des Emirs, Leipzig, Brockhaus 1927.
 
Hi Markgrav,
That's great information, thank you. Do you have the names of the six who wrote their memoirs and is their any biographical or other interesting information in them?

The figure of 123 AH POWs getting to Afghanistan is surprisingly high. Other sources quote that only 50 or so of the mission made it to Afghanistan. Perhaps this figure shows the total number of Austro-Hungarians that travelled separately at different times across the border during the war?

Cheers
Chris
 
Chris:

(I used the German ranks)

Dr. Hibján Géza Einjährig-Freiwilige Korporal, 11. Honvéd IR

Erdélyi Ferenc Wachtmeister 9. Hussar Regiment (escaped together with: Szentkirályi Tóth Kálmán 38. IR, Erdélyi István Feldwebel 4. Honvéd IR, Dobó Pál Zugsführer 29. Honvéd IR)

Fargó Árpád (no rank and unit) sculptor

Kósz István Einjährig-Freiwilige Korporal, 20. Honvéd IR (converted to Islam, renamed Abdul Váháb)

And more five who arrived to Afghanistan in 1919 (all where in Russian captivity): Kriszinger József, Hajdu József, Lang József, Kovács János and Lt. György József 17. Honvéd IR

Wachtmeister Erdélyi documented the figures very precisely: 123 was only the number of the enlisted (however not mentioned the number of the officers but noted all of them were Austrians)

Figures of the enlisted:

by citizenship: 83 Hungarian, 31 Austrian, 9 Croatian
by army: 57 AH Army, 47 Hungarian Honvéd, 4 Landwehr, 9 Népfökelő, 6 Landsturm
by branch: 84 Infantry, 11 Hussar, 10 Artillery, 9 Sapper, 3 misc.
by rank: 7 Feldwebel, 13 Zugsführer, 28, Korporal, 15 Gefreiter, 60 Private

Do you want the scanned pages of the Afghanistan chapter? :)
 
Thank you very much for those details. So the total of 123 includes those that arrived after the Niedermayer expedition... does it confirm that first four on your list (Hibján Géza, Erdélyi Ferenc, Fargó Árpád and Kósz István) crossed the Afghan border with Niedermayer and Co?
Cheers
Chris
 
None of them. Hibján, Erdélyi and Kósz arrived on individual way. Faragó's way not mentioned in the book.

The other caption listed some Hungarians who were in Persia with Niedermayer, however all of them captured there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top