Wilhelm von Gayl (General)

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Wilhelm von Gayl (1814–1879)

Wilhelm Karl Friedrich Freiherr von Gayl (born April 21, 1814 in Berlin ; † January 11, 1879 there ) was a Prussian general of the infantry .

Life

origin

He was the son of the later Prussian major general Friedrich von Gayl (1776-1853) and his wife Charlotte Sophie Concordie, née Barz (1786-1872).

Military career

Gayl attended the city school in Kolberg and then graduated from the cadet schools in Kulm and Berlin. On August 10, 1831, he was transferred as a second lieutenant to the 2nd Infantry Regiment of the Prussian Army in Stettin . From October 1, 1835 to July 31, 1838 he was sent to the General War School for further training . From April 1841 to September 1842 he was assigned to the training infantry battalion and on May 22, 1845 he was promoted to prime lieutenant . As such, Gayl was a company commander in the 2nd Landwehr Battalion in Stralsund from August 1, 1848 to March 31, 1849 . After returning to his main regiment, he was promoted to captain to company commander on November 13, 1849 . This was followed on 16 May 1857, was promoted to Major and 10 November 1857, the appointment as commander of the Fusilier - battalion .

On April 29, 1862 Gayl resigned as a lieutenant colonel from the army, joined the navy and acted there as the commander of the 633-strong naval battalion . Before the war against Denmark began , he resigned in the army on January 9, 1864 and was appointed commander of the 6th Rhenish Infantry Regiment No. 68 in Koblenz , which shortly afterwards moved into its new garrison in Luxembourg. The regiment did not take part in the war against Denmark because it remained in Luxembourg to secure the border. There Gayl was promoted to colonel on June 25, 1864 .

After his regiment had received the mobilization order on May 5, 1866 on the occasion of the German War , the association moved via Konz to Cologne and from there to the meeting point of the VIII Army Corps in Halle (Saale) , where it arrived at the end of the month. With the 15th Division Gayl took part in the Elbarmee in the battles of Münchengrätz and Königgrätz and was awarded the Crown Order III on September 20, 1866 for his services . Excellent with swords.

Under position à la suite , Gayl gave up command of the regiment on March 5, 1867, was commander of the 1st Infantry Brigade in Koenigsberg and shortly thereafter promoted to major general on April 18, 1867. With this brigade Gayl took part during the war against France, first on August 14 at the Battle of Colombey , from August 31 to September 1, 1870 in the Battle of Noisseville and the siege of Metz . Before the fortress fell , Gayl was given command of the troop detachment deployed in front of Verdun . His efforts ultimately led to the French commander handing over the Verdun fortress to the Prussian troops under Gayl's leadership on November 8, 1870. In the meantime, awarded both classes of the Iron Cross and the Mecklenburg Military Merit Cross, Gayl was the leader of a troop detachment in Lorraine from December 29, 1870 . On January 5, 1871, he was assigned to lead the 1st Infantry Division . Gayl ran this on January 19, 1871 in Saint-Quentin .

After the peace treaty followed on May 23, 1871, he was appointed commander of this large unit and was promoted to lieutenant general on August 18, 1871. Gayl gave the division to Major General Kuno von der Goltz on March 15, 1873 , became commandant of Rastatt and finally rose on March 22, 1874 as governor of the fortress . In recognition of his many years of service, he was awarded the Order of the Red Eagle 1st Class with Oak Leaves on January 18, 1875 . On May 5, 1876 Gayl was relieved of his post and award of the character as General of Infantry with board for disposition made.

After his death he was buried in the Hasenheide garrison cemetery.

family

Gayl married Elise von Dassel (1820–1899) in Pommerensdorf on September 17, 1844 . The marriage produced five sons, including:

  • Egon Friedrich Karl (1845–1929), Prussian general of the infantry
  • Franz (1847–1921), Prussian major general
  • Georg Gustav (1850–1927), Prussian general of the infantry, knight of the order Pour le Mérite

Wilhelm von Gayl , who later became Minister of the Interior, was his grandson .

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Kurt von Priesdorff: Soldatisches Führertum. Volume 5, Hanseatische Verlagsanstalt Hamburg, undated [Hamburg], undated [1938], DNB 367632802 , p. 352, no. 1591.
  2. ↑ General Navy Order. No. 86 of June 6, 1862, p. 218.
  3. ↑ von Prittwitz and Gaffron: History of the I. Seebataillon. Verlag Gerhard Stalling, Oldenburg 1912, p. 28.
  4. ^ Marcelli Janecki : Handbook of the Prussian nobility. Volume 1, 1892, p. 96.
personal data
SURNAME Gayl, Wilhelm von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gayl, Wilhelm Karl Friedrich Freiherr von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian general of the infantry
DATE OF BIRTH April 21, 1814
PLACE OF BIRTH Berlin
DATE OF DEATH January 11, 1879
Place of death Berlin