Description
This is a most interesting group of documents to an officer serving in the Prussian Army. His name was Dietrich Siemers. (He has a plethora of names, many of which are abbreviated in the documents). The following documents are included:
Promotion patent to Second Lieutenant dated 14 December 1889. At this time Siemers was attached to Infantrie-Regiment 82. It lacks Kaiser Wilhelm II’s signature, although Prussia’s embossed seal is present.
Promotion patent for Siemers from the rank of Secondlieutenant to Premierlieutanant. At this level the Kaiser did not sign. Prussia’s embossed seal is present. The document was prepared in Berlin on 18 November 1897.
Promotion patent for Siemers from the rank of Oberleutnant to Hauptmann. Siemers was serving in a Landwehr Regiment. The document is complete with Prussia’s embossed seal over Kaiser Wilhelm’s bold signature. The patent was signed in Berlin on 16 March 1905.
Document to Hauptmann Siemers of the Landwehr dated 22 January 1912.
Award document for the 1914 Iron Cross 2nd Class. While Siemers was still a hauptmann, he was attached to the staff of the X. Armeekorps. This document was issued on 8 August and signed by a generalleutnant, who was the Chief of Staff for the X. Armeekorps.
A total of SIXTEEN other documents deals with aspects of his civilian and early military life before he became an officer. Included are early promotion papers when he was an enlisted man. Also enclosed are civilian papers dealing with his education . . . even a will! This group makes engrossing reading about a man who rose through the ranks to achieved officer status. I see a train of service in the army that lasted nearly forty years.
