Freiherr Emil von David-Rhonfeld

• http://www.enciklopedija.hr/natuknica.aspx?id=14021
• https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/sfz19505.html
• http://www.austro-hungarian-army.co.uk/biog/davidemil.htm
• https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_von_Rhonfeld

Emil David Edler von Rohnfeld was born in Prague on the 1st of July 1837. His father Franz won the Golden Medal for Bravery as a Corporal in the 1st artillery regiment during the battle at Lyon in 1814. He was ennobled as an Hauptmann on the 21st of June 1846 and retired as an honorary Major in 1852. Emil David Edler von Rohnfeld commenced his military education at the Military Academy of Wiener Neustadt on the 28th of November 1848. After successfully graduating from the academy he was commissioned as an Unterlieutenamt 2nd class in Feldjäger battalion No 2 in the autumn of 1855 and transferred as an Unterlieutenant 1st class to Feldjäger battalion No 14 on the 1st of October 1857. Similar to his class mate Hugo Obauer he was sent to the Kriegsschule at Vienna from which he successfully graduated. On the 14th of April 1859 he was promoted to Oberleutnant in the 7th Feldjäger battalion purely as an administrative measure as on the 24th of that month he was transferred to the general staff corps as an Hauptmann 2nd class followed by the promotion to Hauptmann 1st class on the 5th of June 1859. During the campaign in Italy of that year he was attached to the headquarters of the 11th corps. For his exemplary conduct during the battle of Solferino Emil David Edler von Rohnfeld received the commendation of the Kaiser on the 15th of August 1859 which permitted him to wear the Bronze Military Medal (Signum Laudis) on the war ribbon when this medal was introduced in 1890. On the 1st of August 1865 he was transferred to infantry regiment No 5 but during the war of 1866 he again found himself employed as a general staff officer at the headquarter of the army in Italy where he rendered such outstanding service that he once more received the commendation of the Kaiser on the 3rd of October 1866. This in turn later allowed him to wear the Silver Military Merit Medal (Signum Laudis) on the war-ribbon when that medal was introduced in 1911! Shortly before the war of 1866 he had married Marie von Maschirevies. Their daughter Julie became the wife of Wladimir Giesl von Gieslingen in September 1889.