Gottfried von Massow

Gottfried von Massow
Birth name	Gottfried Louis Hugo von Massow
Birth date	21 August 1885(1885-08-21)
Place of birth	Gut Bandsechow, District Stolp, Pommern, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date	18 December 1957 (aged 72)
Place of death	West Berlin, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire Weimar Republic National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Prussian Army Imperial German Army Vorläufige Reichswehr Heer
Years of service	1904–1919 1934–1944
Rank	Oberst
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Iron Cross Johanniterorden War Merit Cross

Gottfried Louis Hugo von Massow (21 August 1885 – 18 December 1957) was a German officer of the Prussian Army, the Imperial German Army, the provisional Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, finally a Colonel of the German German Army in World War Two.

Military career (chronology)

Major von Massow in January 1936

• 21 May 1904 Joined the Kaiser Alexander Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 1
• 1 June 1911 Commanded to the Kürassier-Regiment „Kaiser Nikolaus I. von Russland“ (Brandenburgisches) Nr. 6
  • after one year of service officially transferred to the regiment and serving in the 1st Squadron, later in the 3rd Squadron
• 1914 to 1918 Von Massow served in WWI, among other things in the staff of the 38. Division with the XI. Armee-Korps at the Eastern Front
• 1919 Service with the provisional Reichswehr (possibly after serving with the Freikorps)
• 24 November 1919 Retired
• 1 April 1921 to 1 October 1922 Managing Director at Holz-Industrie A.G.
• 1 October 1922 to 30 May 1924 Agricultural studies as a trainee
• 1 June 1924 to 1 January 1929 Agricultural administrator at Gut Dresow
• 1 January 1929 to 1 April 1932 Working at the Technical Committee (Ausschuß für Technik)
• 1.5.1934 As Adjutant of the district command Deutsch Krone in the L-officer corps (Landesschutz-Offizierkorps)
• 1.12.1934 Commanded to the Reichswehr Ministry (General Department or AHA/Allgemeine Abteilung) in Berlin
• 5.3.1935 Transferred to the E-officer corps (Ergänzungs-Offizierkorps)
• 1.4.1935 Officially transferred to the Reichswehr Ministry
• 1.9.1937 in the Reich Ministry of War or Reichskriegsministerium (Office Group Replacement and Army Affairs or Amtsgruppe Ersatz und Heereswesen) [change in appointments]
• 15.11.1939 Appointed to the staff of the Commander-in-Chief East (as head of the former Polish region of Boguslawice)
• 1.12.1939 Commanded to the staff z. b. V. Ostland (Military Substitute Inspection or Wehrersatz-Inspektion in Graz)
• 28.3.1940 Commanded to the staff of the high command of the southern border section
• 13.5.1940 Führerreserve Military District III (command cancelled)
• 17.09.1940 Commandant of the district headquarters 785 (Kreiskommandantur 785)
• 31.08.1942 Commandant of the Field Command 588 (Feldkommandantur 588)
• 15.12.1942 Commandant of the Main Liaison Staff 588 (Hauptverbindungsstab 588)
• 15.7.1943 Führerreserve Military District III
• 15.8.1943 Commandant of the Military Command 1007 Genoa (Italy) c. one month before Italy's treason (Fall Achse)
• 20.6.1944 Führerreserve Military District III
  • it is not known, if he officially retired or was just inactive until the end of the war.

Family

Gottfried was the son of lord of the manor (Rittergutsbesitzer) and Saxon Wing Adjutant Captain ret. Louis Kaspar Friedrich Johann von Massow (1847–1909), Herr auf Bandsechow, Liepen, Dresow und Rotten (since 1879, after his father Adolf Karl Theodor von Massow died), and his wife Anna Luise Gabriele, née von Zedlitz (1854–1936). He had two brothers:

• Ewald Adolf Friedrich Karl (b. 22 June 1879 in Weimar), Rittmeister der Reserve, Knight of Honour of the Johanniter Order and manor owner; ∞ 14 August 1919 Erika Dorothea Richildis Helene Franziska von Stralendorff genannt von Kolhaus (b. 9 July 1895 in Necheln near Ludwigslust), their first child, daughter Alexandra (b. 11 June 1920), later married Johannes Nepomuk Dietrich Hubertus Maria Michael Graf von Merveldt (b. 28 December 1915 in Münster), Archivrat at the military archive of the federal archive (Bundesarchiv).
• Friedrich Wilhelm (b. 27 November 1887 at Gut Bandsechow), Hauptmann der Reserve and Knight of Honour of the Johanniter Order

One of their many relatives was their uncle, oldest brother of the father, Paul Hermann Adolf von Massow (b. 15 July 1837 at Gut Bandsechow), who served in the Royal Prussian Army and fell (⚔) on 18 August 1870 as Hauptmann and company commander in the Garde-Schützen-Bataillon during the Battle of Gravelotte–St. Privat in the Franco-German War.

When Gottfried's father died in 1909, the older brother inherited in 1910 Gut Bandsechow, Gut Liepen and Gut Dresow, but Gottfried inherited the estate Gut Rotten (bought by his great-grandfather Wilhelm von Massow in 1859), which he took over in the summer of that year, although his brother Ewald managed the estate until 1913. After that it was leased. However, soon after the First World War, circumstances forced Gottfried to sell the estate to the tenant and also the settlement.

Promotions

• 21.5.1904 als Fahnenjunker (Officer Cadet)
• 19.10.1905 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)
• 18.9.1914 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
• 18.9.1915 Rittmeister
• 1.5.1934 Rittmeister a. D. (L) of the Landesschutz-Offizierkorps with Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1.2.1930
• 1.10.1934 Major a. D. mit RDA vom 1.8.1933
• 5.3.1935 Major (E) of the Ergänzungs-Offizierkorps
  • 1.4.1935 received RDA from 1.8.1933 erhalten
• 1.4.1939 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
• 1.7.1942 Oberst (Colonel)

Awards and decorations

Ribbon bar

• Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
  • 2nd Class on 18 September 1914
  • 1st Class on 27 January 1916
• Saxe-Ernestine House Order (Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden), Knights Cross 2nd Class with Swords (HSEH3b⚔/HSH3b⚔/EH3b⚔) on 23 November 1914
• Military Merit Cross (Austria-Hungary), 3rd Class with the War Decoration (ÖM3K) on 14 December 1914
• Princely Reuss Cross of Honor (Fürstlich Reußisches Ehrenkreuz), 3rd Class with Swords (REK3⚔/REKj3⚔)
• Order of the White Falcon (Hausorden vom Weißen Falken), Knight's Cross 2nd Class with Swords (GSF3b⚔/SF3b⚔) on 10 November 1915
• Wound Badge (Verwundetenabzeichen 1918)
• Knight of Justice (Rechtsritter) of the Johanniter Order (Johanniterorden)
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 with Swords on 27 December 1934
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung), 4th to 2nd Class on 2 October 1936
• War Merit Cross, 2nd Class with Swords on 1 September 1942