Description
This is a stunning single shoulder board for Ludwig Samson Arthur Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen (June 18, 1815 – April 26, 1881). Interestingly, his third name, Arthur, was for British Duke and Field Marshall Wellington. [Von der Tann was born in 1815 when the Battle of Waterloo took place]. Von der Tann came from a noble family that had roots in Bavaria and Alsace. He worked through the system of the Bavarian Army with special attention from King Ludwig II. In 1869 he was promoted to General der Infanterie and also given command of the Bavarian I. Armeekorps. He led this unit in the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian War. His record was exemplary in the war that resulted in Prussia’s Wilhelm I being named Germany’s first Kaiser. His courage led to major German victories at Worth and Sedan. He commanded the I. Armeekorps until his death in 1881. Bavarian Infanterie-Regiment Nr 11 was named in his honor. [A Battle cruiser also was named for him, known as the S. M. S. Von der Tann. She joined the fleet in 1910 and participated in the Battle of Jutland. It was her artillery that sank the HMS Indefatigable, one of Britain’s more advanced battle cruisers. Only two known survivors survived the HMS Indefatigable’s sinking out of a crew of more than 1,000 men. The S. M. S. Von der Tann suffered severe damage at the Battle of Jutland, but returned to fleet service after two months of repairs. She was scuttled at Scapa Flow in 1919 with much of the German fleet.
Today we offering von der Tann’s Bavarian Infanterie-Regiment Nr 11 shoulder board. It displays the gilt regimental designation for Bavarian Infanterie-Regiment Nr 11. It also has two silver pips that indicate a General der Infanterie in the capacity of a General à la Suite. The chevrons on the silver bullion braid are a very light blue. The silver bullion braid is flanked on either side by gold in the Russian braid style. The board’s reverse is red and has a red strap that enabled the shoulder board to be slipped onto a tunic. The shoulder board is in excellent condition and will make a fantastic addition to any collection.