The original owner of this medal bar was
Hauptmann Friedrich von Erckert, a South West African
Schutztruppe officer and leader of the famous 7th
Camel Mounted Company.
The swords on the
Prussian, Württemberg and Brunswick orders denote
they were awarded for combat. All three were awarded
during the Herero Rebellion (Order of the Red Eagle
2nd November 1905, Order of Friedrich 7th August
1907 and Order of Heinrich 5th February 1906). The
Brunswick award would have been in recollection of
his having served in the 92nd Brunswick Infantry
prior to the Herero Rebellion.
The South West Africa Campaign Medal
has
clasps for the campaigns in "ORANJE", "NURUDAS", "KARAS-BERGE", "GROSS-NAMALAND"
and presumably would have also had the "KALAHARI
1908" clasp if he had not been killed in action on
that campaign.
The Chilean Memorial Cross for
German Instructors was a unique medal made in 1897 for the
31 German officers who modernised and trained the
Chilean army along Prussian lines between 1895-97.
Also in the mission to Chile were Friedrich
von Lettow-Vorbeck (brother of the East African
Schutztruppe commander) and Karl Zimmermann (later
known as the commander of the Cameroon Schutztruppe
during the First World War).
Friedrich von Erckert (1869-1908) was
first commissioned as Sekondeleutnant in the 2nd
Pomeranian Grenadiers ("Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich Wilhelm IV (1. Pommersches) Nr. 2")
in 1889. From 1895-97 he was posted to Chile along
with thirty other German officers to modernise and
train the Chilean army along Prussian lines. On his
return he was promoted to Premierleutnant in the
Guard Fusiliers ("Garde-Füsilier-Regiment") before
transferring to the South West African Schutztruppe
1899-1902, there being given the job of District
Officer ("Distriktchef"
later "Bezirkshauptmann")
of Omaru. He returned to Germany to the 92nd
Brunswick Infantry ("Braunschweigisches
Infanterie-Regiment Nr.92") where he was promoted
Hauptmann in 1904. When the Herero Rebellion broke
out later that year Erckert returned to South West
Africa as a company commander ("2. Feldregiment, IV.Bataillon,
12.
Kompanie"). He later lead the camel mounted 7.
Feldkompanie that pursuing the Nama rebel Simon
Koper into the Kalahari Desert. Erckert was killed
in action by a shot in the neck from one of Koper's
men on 4th March 1908. |
|
Chilean Memorial Cross for
German Instructors
Photo ©
Traditionsverband |