TOPIC:

Alexander Von Stoch was born in 1876. By the age of 22, he was serving as a Captain in the German Army. He left/resigned his commission and joined Kitchener's Horse on 15 Aug 1900 serving for 1 year and 11 days.

The suspender and clasps for the QSA have been removed. His medal is impressed to 9705 Cpl A Von Stosch Kitchener’s Horse. His clasp entitlement is CC OFS Tr SA01.

His medal entitlement is unclear and the group is only partially reconstructed. He is believed to have been awarded the Order of Franz Joseph, 3rd Class.



He drowned in the River Maas after missing the turn onto a bridge at night in Namur on 27 February 1918 while Vorstand of Kraftfahrstelle Namur, uniform of an Oberleutnant in 5. GRzF. His obituary in the Heldengedenkmappe states he was a participant of the war in Boer War and subsequently served in the Argentine army before returning to Germany through the blockade in 1915 by using false papers.



His papers for Kitchener's Horse record him to be an Ex German Officer:



He later attested for the SRG on 1 Sep 01 giving his trade, this time, as farmer.



I would like to identify his full medal entitlement. One researcher commented "I'm sure he got the "usual" Iron Crosses 2nd and 1st Class during the Great War, and as a General Headquarters staff type, I'm fairly sure he would have gotten the Austro-Hungarian Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with War Decoration, since he was on von Mackensen's staff. Quite possibly something from Bulgaria as well, or even Turkey."

As he also served for several years in Argentina (1905 - 1914), it is likely he received something from there too.

Regards
David

Hi David,
I think they would look nicer if they were worn the correct way so we would not be looking at the reverse of the medals, "cousin Willie" was, after all, a favorite grandson of HM Queen Victoria!
His portrait still hangs at Osborne House.
I very much like this QSA and I would have been delighted to find his WO126 attestation, as I am sure you were!
Really lovely medal.
Regards Frank

Frank,

I hadn't thought of mounting the medals the other way around. Given his nationality and subsequent service the way they were mounted seemed logical but QSA first would be interesting to see.

Kind regards
David

Hi David,
I had not thought about the order in which they are mounted, but I would have mounted them Obverse rather than Reverse, but, it does not really matter, the QSA is a superb medal, did you actually buy it at Spink?
As it was in the third session on day two, lot 819, I had more or less run out of money, although, I had marked it as a potential buy, I did not bid and for £85 I think you or who ever did buy it on the day got a bargain.
I passed it in favour of lot 821, which I did not get either at £420!

Brett and "if wishes were horse's" spring to mind again!

Regards Frank

Frank,

No, the medal was bought about 8 years after the Spink sale at an Aldershot fair I seem to remember. There was little additional research on the man at the time so the unfolding story of his past came as something of a surprise and a pleasant one at that!

Best wishes
David

Well David,
I think you got a really nice and very very unusual QSA!
The yellow felt tip denotes my interest!
Regards Frank