corisande Posted 12 May , 2011 Share Posted 12 May , 2011 I have no idea how to check this fact. Hans Boehm was a German spy who had a very interesting career. I came across him in researching Casement's Irish Brigade. Boehm was involved with the running of the Irish Brigade, but (probably) only so that the Germans could get an introduction to American Irish prepared to help Germany The FBI have hundreds of pages on him. They intercepted a letter from his (American) wife living in Germany to her mother in Oregon, in which she says that on 1 Nov 1915 "Today he received the Iron Cross. We are so happy. Now all three brothers have this highly prized decoration" His full name is Hans Walther Luigi Boehm: Born 25 January 1873 at Altkirch in Alsace. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to check this award of Iron Cross, and if so to see what grade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ph0ebus Posted 12 May , 2011 Share Posted 12 May , 2011 I have no idea how to check this fact. Hans Boehm was a German spy who had a very interesting career. I came across him in researching Casement's Irish Brigade. Boehm was involved with the running of the Irish Brigade, but (probably) only so that the Germans could get an introduction to American Irish prepared to help Germany The FBI have hundreds of pages on him. They intercepted a letter from his (American) wife living in Germany to her mother in Oregon, in which she says that on 1 Nov 1915 "Today he received the Iron Cross. We are so happy. Now all three brothers have this highly prized decoration" His full name is Hans Walther Luigi Boehm: Born 25 January 1873 at Altkirch in Alsace. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to check this award of Iron Cross, and if so to see what grade. I found a photo online of him wearing the award (I can see only the thumbnail, not the full one)...I don't have the proper software to open it. It appears to be the EKI, but a look at the large picture might confirm that. Hans Boehm Not knowing a heck of a lot about this fellow, I should add that if his Militarpass is still around the award would be noted in there and he should have gotten an award document when he received the EK which would specify the award, date and type. Do you know what unit he was with? It might show up in a unit history. -Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 12 May , 2011 Author Share Posted 12 May , 2011 Thanks for the reply (deja photos are always a pain) The original is not a lot better but this is it Basically Boehm was a spy and sabotage man. My write up of him is here on this linkand FBI documents on his time line are here on this link(quite frightening what the spooks can find out) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ph0ebus Posted 12 May , 2011 Share Posted 12 May , 2011 I am fairly certain that only the EKI was worn in that manner, i.e., as a pinback, though I would be happy to be corrected. You might try a post on the GMIC forum...they have a subforum entirely dedicated to the EK and given the subject of your research I suspect you may get a lot of interest from the experts there. I am a member of GMIC so if you would like me to put forth a post on your behalf there just let me know. Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 12 May , 2011 Author Share Posted 12 May , 2011 Daniel Thanks for the offer, I would like that and would be grateful. Sent you a PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ph0ebus Posted 12 May , 2011 Share Posted 12 May , 2011 Daniel Thanks for the offer, I would like that and would be grateful. Sent you a PM Happy to help if I can. Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Blonde Posted 13 May , 2011 Share Posted 13 May , 2011 The award shown is a Prussian Iron Cross I Class one. As far as I understand it, criteria for the I Class award was the II Class must be won first, in extreme cases the two awards could be made simultaneous on paper, with only the First Class being worn in Civil / Evening attire and possibly the 2nd Class being worn as a mini on a mini medal bar. The other award seen in the picture is Spanish. Connaught Stranger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 13 May , 2011 Author Share Posted 13 May , 2011 Thanks, a fund of knowledge Any idea what the Spanish award was Boehm travelled to Spain from the US on a false US passport, and appears to have been there from end of June 1916 for about 6 months Spain, although I live here now, is not a country that I have researched in any depth in WWI. This web page indicates that Spain was solidly neutral, or at least not overtly pro-German. So it is interesting that they award Boehm a gong of some sort - at least I assume it is WW1 gong, and not Spanish Civil War, as I don't think Boehm is old enough in the photo of him wearing the medals for it to have been taken in say 1939, but I am very bad at judging age from photos (Boehm was born in 1873) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 13 May , 2011 Share Posted 13 May , 2011 Any idea what the Spanish award wasIt looks like the Spanish Cross. There is an example here.Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 13 May , 2011 Author Share Posted 13 May , 2011 Thanks Robert You guys have better eyesight than I do, I would never make a medal collector This is the best I can coax out of Photoshop for comparison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ph0ebus Posted 13 May , 2011 Share Posted 13 May , 2011 Hi, Your question has been cross-posted in the appropriate GMIC subforum; I will keep an eye on the thread and let you know if we get any responses. Take care, -Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 13 May , 2011 Author Share Posted 13 May , 2011 Daniel Thanks very much. Really interesting how much information one can squeeze out of a medal photo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ph0ebus Posted 13 May , 2011 Share Posted 13 May , 2011 Sometimes that's all you have to work with...but sometimes it's all you need. -Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ph0ebus Posted 28 May , 2011 Share Posted 28 May , 2011 So, one tidbit for starters: Hans would have received the EKII before receiving the EKI...so we don't know if the letter you referenced was referring to the EKII award or the EKI. The folks on GMIC asked for more background on Hans and I gave them the link you provided. If they have questions I will post them here forthwith. Thanks, Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 29 May , 2011 Author Share Posted 29 May , 2011 Thanks for the update. I would assume EKII, in as much as the letter implies that it was his "first" Iron Cross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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