Oswald Eccher ab Echo Edler von Marienberg
Oswald
Eccher ab Echo Edler von Marienberg was born on the 11th of August 1867 at
Mezzotedesco (Deutschmetz) in the Soth Tyrol. He entered the Tyrolean
Kaiserjäger-Regiment as a One Year Volunteer on the 1st of October 1888
and was subsequently commissioned on the 1st of January 1890 as a Leutnant in
der Reserve in Infantry Regiment Number 42. Having elected to make the army his
career, von Eccher became a regular officer on the 1st of November 1890 and was
assigned to Infantry Regiment Number 97.
In 1893 he graduated as a Doctor of Law from the University of
Innsbruck and on the 1st of May of the same year was promoted to Oberleutnant.
From the 1st of September 1896 until the 15th of October 1898 he attended the
War School from which he graduated as a qualified General Staff Officer. He was
assigned to the staff of the 11th Infantry Division until the 1st of November
1900 when he was promoted to Hauptmann 2. Klasse and transferred for regimental
duty with Infantry Regiment Number 33. Exactly three years later he was promoted
to Hauptmann 1. Klasse in the General Staff Corps and was assigned to the staff
of the 18th Infantry Division until the 31st of August1905. Awarded the Bronze
Military Merit Medal in 1908, he was appointed as an instructor in tactics,
military history and service regulations at the Infantry Cadet School in
Innsbruck on the 1st of September 1909.
In September 1909 he was assigned to General Staff Department of
the military port of Cattaro and on the 27th of the following month appointed as
the Chief of Staff of the 47th Infantry Division. Promoted to Major on the 1st
of May 1910 he received his first independent command on the 1st of May 1913
when he was promoted to Oberstleutnant and given command of Feldjägerbataillon
Nr. 10, the so-called Kopaljäger¹. 1910 also saw the award of the
Military Merit Cross to Oberstleutnant von Eccher.
On mobilisation in the summer of 1914, Feldjägerbataillon Nr.
10 as part of Generalmajor Ferdinand Kosak's
50th Infantry Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, II Corps of 4th Army deployed to
the Galician front. Eccher remained in command of the battalion throughout the
early battles on the eastern front including Komarów, Rawa-Ruska, Lemberg,
Majdan and the withdrawal to the Dunajec river. Following the winter battles at
Limanova-Lapanów and the Nida and fighting at Opatów in May 1915 he was
appointed the commanding officer of Infantry Regiment Freiherr von Bolfras²
Number 84 on the 11th of June 1915. Having been promoted to Oberst on the 1st of
May 1915 he had already earned the Order of the Iron Crown 3rd Class with War
Decoration in 1914 for his leadership during the battle of Komarów. With
Infantry Regiment Nr. 84 being in the same division as his previous command he
was already relatively well known to many members of his new command and soon
became extremely well respected for his front line style of leadership, often
appearing in the forward most positions of his regiment in difficult situations.
He commanded the predominantly Lower Austrian regiment in the eastwards pursuit
of the Russian forces in the aftermath of the Gorlice-Tarnów offensive and then
the regiment was transported by rail to eastern Galicia where it saw action at
the river Ikwa. and at Dubno. Remaining in defensive positions until the
following summer the regiment suffered extremely heavy casualties during the
Russian June offensive. During this period he briefly commanded the 49th
Infantry Brigade in June/July 1916. The regiment was further engaged at Brody
and Boldurka where it remained over the winter and much of the following year.
Oberst Doctor von Eccher was awarded the Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with War
Decoration and Swords at a field presentation by 25th Infantry Division
Commander Generalmajor Adolf von Boog on the 22nd of October 1916. On the 1st of
October 1917, Oberst von Eccher handed over command of the regiment to his
successor Oberstleutnant Alois Czulik von Thurya and proceeded to the
southwestern front to take up a staff appointment.
Following a short attachment to the headquarters of the 2nd
Isonzo Army, Doctor von Eccher was appointed as the commander of the 1st
Kaiserjäger-Brigade³ on the 11th of October 1917 which he commanded until the end of the
war. Initially commanding the brigade in the Seven Communities sector his
brigade was moved to the Pasubio sector on the 14th of March where it was placed
under command of the Kaiserjäger-Division (8th Infantry Division). Following the collapse of the Monarchy he was appointed as the military
commander of the Tyrol and was promoted to the brevet rank (Titel) of
Generalmajor on the 16th of October 1920. He retired the following March and
died on the 11th of December 1935 in Innsbruck.
¹. Named
after Oberst Karl Freiherr von Kopal. Kopal was awarded the MMThO posthumously
after dying of wounds on the 17th of June 1848 sustained in the battle of Monte
Berico on the 10th of June 1848. By Imperial Order of the 23rd of February 1913,
Feldjägerbataillon Nr. 10 was henceforward named Kopal for "all
time."
². Formed
following the Imperial Decree of the 5th of August 1882. Regimental Proprietor
Generaloberst Arthur Freiherr von Bolfras
- 16 Apr 1838 - 19 Dec 1922, long time Adjutant General to Kaiser Franz Joseph.
See here for short biography.
³.
Formed at the end of February 1915 as Group Tolmein and renamed as the 58th
Gebirgs-Brigade on the 25th of May 1915. Since 11th August 1915 controlled
Kaiserjäger Regiment 1 & 2 and renamed as the 1. Kaiserjäger-Brigade
on the 16th of January 1917. Doctor von Eccher replaced MMThO winner Oberst Otto
Ritter Ellison von Nidlef as Brigade Commander.
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