Otto von der Decken

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Otto von der Decken
Otto von der Decken mit seiner Frau Elisabeth.jpg
Otto von der Decken with his wife Elisabeth
Birth name Otto Hermann Theodor von der Decken
Birth date 17 August 1858
Place of birth Verden, Kingdom of Hanover, German Confederation
Death date 28 July 1937 (aged 78)
Place of death Dresden, German Reich
Allegiance  German Empire
Service/branch War and service flag of Prussia (1895–1918).png Prussian Army
Military Order of St. Henry (Saxony 1916), Grand Cross.jpg Royal Saxon Army
Iron Cross of the Luftstreitkräfte.png Imperial German Army
Rank Generalleutnant
Battles/wars World War I
Awards Iron Cross
Military Order of St. Henry
Relations ∞ 8 November 1892 in Dresden Elisabeth "Ella" Lucia Bertha Freiin von der Decken, genannt von Offen (1870–1937)

Otto Hermann Theodor von der Decken (also Hermann Theodor Otto; 17 August 1858 – 28 July 1937) was a German officer, finally Generalleutnant of the German Army in World War I.

Career (chronology)

Otto's Cousin Generalleutnant Gustav Arnold Joseph Richard von der Decken
Generalfeldmarschall von Mackensen and General von der Decken during the "1st Weapons Day of the German Cavalry" in Dresden in July 1931
1. Waffentag der Deutschen Kavallerie i. Dresden 11.-13.7.1931, Abzeichen.jpg
  • 1874 Cadet (Kadettenschüler)
  • 1879 Fähnrich of the Prussian Army
    • Magdeburgisches Husaren-Regiment Nr. 10 in Aschersleben under Oberst Friedrich Karl Engelbert von der Decken (1824–1889)
  • 14 October 1880 Sekondeleutnant (2nd Lieutenant)
    • 5. Eskadron/Magdeburgisches Husaren-Regiment Nr. 10
  • 12 June 1883 Retirement approved with the goal of joining the Royal Saxon Army
    • 2 July 1883 Employed in the Royal Saxon Army in the Königlich Sächsisches Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 17 in Oschatz with a Patent of 14 October 1880 (now listed as von der Decken I., his cousin Gustav Arnold Joseph Richard von der Decken, also a later Generalleutnant , as von der Decken II.)
      • 21 November 1891 renamed 1. Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 17 „Kaiser Franz Joseph von Österreich, König von Ungarn“
  • 1 April 1888 Premierleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
    • Adjutant of the 1. Königlich Sächsisches Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 17
  • 20 October 1892 Rittmeister
    • Commander of the 1. Eskadron/1. Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 17 „Kaiser Franz Joseph von Österreich, König von Ungarn“
    • 1899 Adjutant of the XIX. (Königlich Sächsisches) Armee-Korps in Leipzig
  • 23 March 1901 Major without Patent (ernannt)
    • 26 March 1903 received Patent as Major
      • Staff officer in the 1. Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 17 „Kaiser Franz Joseph von Österreich, König von Ungarn“ (as of Rangliste 1903)
      • Diensttuender Flügeladjutant S.M. des Königs (Active Serving Wing Adjutant or Orderly aide-de-camp in the court of the King of Saxony[1][2] as of Rangliste 1904)
      • Delegated with the leadership of the 1. Husaren-Regiment "König Albert" Nr. 18 (as of Rangliste 1907)
  • 20 March 1908 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
    • Commander of the 1. Husaren-Regiment "König Albert" Nr. 18 in Großenhain
  • 23 September 1911 Oberst (Colonel)
    • 13 September 1912 Commander of the 1. Königlich Sächsische Kavallerie-Brigade Nr. 23 in Dresden (subordinated to the 1. Division Nr. 23), replacing Karl Ferdinand Freiherr von Lindeman
      • at the same time entrusted with the management of the "Inspektion der Militär-Reitanstalt" (also in Dresden)
  • 20 April 1914 Generalmajor
    • 1 August 1916 to September 1917 Commander of the 8. Kavallerie-Division (Königlich Sächsische) replacing Eberhard Graf von Schmettow
    • At the end of August 1917, by order of the High Command of the 8th Army, von der Decken formed the combined “North” Cavalry Division (Kavallerie-Division Nord), which existed until 25 October 1917. As the leader of this troop, he was able to prove himself particularly well on the Düna front.
  • 21 May 1918 Generalleutnant without a Patent (17 June 1918 received Patent as Generalleutnant from 11 June 1918)
    • 1 September 1918 to March 1919 Commander ot the 45. (Königlich Sächsische) Landwehr-Division (replaced Matthias Hoch)

Family

Otto was the son of Friedrich Alexander Georg Burchard von der Decken (1807–1896), calvary Oberst a. D. of the Royal Hanover Army (born in Bederkesa, Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg) as well as Gutsherr (Lord of the Manor), and his wife Emilie Henriette Cäcilie, née von Plate aus dem Hause Wechtern (b. 8 October 1819 in Wellingsbüttel).

Siblings

He had several siblings, among them were:[3][4]

  • Theodor Friedrich Eberhard (b. 3 September 1842 in Quakenbrück), Major of the Royal Saxon Army and Royal Saxon Chamberlain (Kammerherr)
  • Julius Heinrich (b. 12 May 1847)
  • Louis Theodor Johannes (b. 19 July 1856 in Verden), Higher Administrative Court Council (Oberverwaltungsgerichtsrat) and Gutsherr
  • Frieda Luise Maria Emilie Charlotte (b. 25 August 1860 in Hannover), Canoness (Stiftsdame) in Neuenwalde

Awards and decorations

Pre-war

  • Order of Franz Joseph, Knight's Cross (OeFJR/ÖFJR)
  • Austrian Order of the Iron Crown, Knight III. Class (OeEK3/ÖEK3)
  • Order of the Crown of Italy, Officer (JKO)
  • Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 4th Class (PRAO4/PRA4)
  • Saxe-Ernestine House Order, Commander 2nd Class (SEHC2)
  • Saxon Long Service Cross for 25 years (Königlich Sächsisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz; DAK)
  • Saxon Albrechts-Orden, Knight 1st Class (AR1)
  • Prussian Order of the Crown (Kronenorden), 3rd Class (PK3)
  • Austrian Order of the Iron Crown, Knight II. Class (ÖEK2)
  • Bavarian Military Merit Order, Officer's Cross (BMVO/BMV.O)
  • Crown to his Red Eagle Order 4th Class (PRA4mK)
  • Württemberg Order of the Crown, Cross of Honour (WKE)
  • Lippe House Order (Lippischer Hausorden), Cross of Honour 2nd Class (LDH2/LDHE2)
  • Oldenburg House and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis, Honour-Officer's Cross (OHO)
  • Saxe-Weimar Order of the White Falcon, Commander (SWFC)
  • Crown to his Saxon Albrechts-Orden Knight 1st Class (AR1mK)
  • Saxon Order of Merit, Knight's Cross 1st Class (VR1)
  • Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure, 3rd Class (JSch3)[5]
  • Saxon Albrechts-Orden, Commander 2nd Class (AC2)
  • Red Eagle Order, 3rd Class (PRA3)

WWI

References