Description
WARTIME PORTRAIT PHOTO & SIGNATURE – PLM WINNER – HORST VON METZSCH
Wartime portrait photo & signature. 9x13cm.
Horst Karl Alfred von Metzsch (June 14, 1874 – July 11, 1946) was a Saxon artillery officer who served in the First World War, eventually reaching the rank of Generalleutnant (later honorary General der Artillerie).
Background & Career:
- Born into Saxon nobility and began military service in 1891 as a field artillery officer.
- Served as an aide-de-camp at the royal court of King Friedrich August III at the outbreak of World War I.
- Held staff roles with reserve corps and the German 4th Army before taking command of a reserve field artillery regiment in Flanders.
Military Role & Achievements:
- Later became Chief of General Staff of the XII Army Corps in 1916.
- Recognized for effective leadership and staff work at both regimental and corps levels.
Awards & Recognition:
- Knight’s Cross of the Military Order of St. Henry (Saxony’s highest military award)
- Commander’s Cross (2nd Class) of the same order
Later Life:
- Continued service in the Reichswehr after the war until retiring in 1928.
- Received an honorary promotion to General der Artillerie later in life.
Overall:
Von Metzsch was a senior artillery and staff officer, noted for his leadership and planning roles during World War I and his long military career in both imperial and postwar German forces.
