Hans Ritter von Hemmer

Hans Ritter von Hemmer (26 June 1869 – 15 December 1931), was a general staff officer in the Royal Bavarian Army. A highly decorated veteran of World War I, he was a recipient of both the Knight's Cross and the Commander's Cross of the Military Order of Max Joseph, the Kingdom of Bavaria's highest military honor, as well as the Pour le Mérite, the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military honor.

Life and career Hans Hemmer was born on 26 June 1869 in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria as the son of Oberst (Colonel) Anton Hemmer and his wife Ida, née Weißmann.

After graduation from the humanistic Gymnasium in Regensburg, on 12 August 1888 Hemmer entered the Royal Bavarian 11th Infantry Regiment "Von der Tann" (Königlich Bayerisches 11. Infanterie-Regiment „von der Tann“) as an officer candidate. On 7 July 1889, he was transferred to the Royal Bavarian 2nd Infantry Regiment "Crown Prince" (Königlich Bayerisches 2. Infanterie Regiment „Kronprinz“) and on 6 March 1890 he was commissioned a Sekondelieutenant. Hemmer served as a battalion adjutant in that regiment from 15 February 1893 to 1 June 1896, after which he was sent for 3 years of general staff training to the Bavarian War Academy.

Having been transferred to the Eastern Front, Hemmer distinguished himself as chief of the general staff of the South Army in Galicia under General Felix Graf von Bothmer, and was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Max Joseph, Bavaria's highest military honor. After the Armistice on November 11, he and General der Infanterie Karl Ritter von Fasbender, who had assumed command of the 19th Army on 8 November, oversaw the withdrawal of the 19th Army back to German territory. Military Order of Max Joseph, Commander's Cross for actions on 4 June 1916, awarded on 22 March 1917 Order of the Crown, 4th Class Albert Order, Officer's Cross with Swords (26 July 1917) Kingdom of Württemberg: Friedrich Order, Knight's Cross 1st Class Grand Duchy of Baden: Order of the Zähringer Lion, Knight's Cross 2nd Class with Oakleaves Duchy of Anhalt: Friedrich Cross (19 July 1917) Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg: Hanseatic Cross (13 December 1916) Austria-Hungary: Order of Leopold, Knight's Cross with War Decoration (4 January 1916) Order of the Iron Crown, 2nd Class with War Decoration ( 5 September 1916) Military Merit Cross, 2nd Class with War Decoration (10 November 1917) Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration (28 July 1915) Liakat Medal in Silver with Sabers War Medal (22 January 1916)