Iron Cross - 2nd Class?

[jednastka]

Hi everyone;

This is my first post here. I did a search and realize that there were several million Iron Crosses - 2nd class issued during the war. I am trying to find information about my grandfather, Kazimierz Benz, and his situation.

I know he was "drafted" into the German Army from Pomerania. I have a cadet group photo dated 1915. I believe he joined the 2nd Berlin Regiment on August 24, 1916. My information shows that they were posted to the Western Front on January 19, 1917. On May 13, 1918, it shows he entered Officer Training, which was completed on July 15, 1918, followed by imediate posting back to the Western Front.. I do have a solo photo of him, dated July 2, 1918 in Fformal dress.

Family verbal history has him at the Battle of Château-Thierry in July 1918, where he was wounded, and sent back for recovery. Either at that time, or during the earlier period, he/his unit were awarded the Iron Cross, probably 2nd class.

Can anyone help me with verifying this information, or give me suggestions on where to look?

Thanks;

Victor Benz

[johnx]

A first trace Victor may be this Regimental History of IR 129

https://portal.d-nb.de/opac.htm?query=infanterieregiment+129&method=simpleSearch

Fritz

[jednastka]

THank you Fritz, I will. Silly question, what is IR129?

Vic

[SiegeGunner]

The photo caption reads "Inf. Reg. 129, 1. Korpl.", which expands to "Infanterie-Regiment 129, 1. Korporalschaft", meaning "129th Infantry Regiment, 1st Squad". IR129 is simply the abbreviated form of "Infanterie-Regiment 129".

[johnx]

Thank you for this addition, Siege Gunner. The pic was taken in Graudenz (Westpreussen). The town belongs now to Poland.

Some thoughts about the other pic. No doubt this is a guardsman in his parade-uniform. I cannot recognize his rank, but he has a sword on his left side, so he will be an officer or at least NCO.

You told about 2nd Berlin Regiment, that means most probably 2. Garderegiment zu Fuss, a very noble regiment. The regiments with an inferior number were the most distinguished an usually a member of the royal family was the Colonel-in-chief.

Their regimental history is available too by Deutsche Nationalbibliothek

[jednastka]

Thanks everyone, this really helps me sorting out his story. Is there an English link to the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek where I can follow up?

Thanks;

Vic

[johnx]

http://www.d-nb.de/eng/index.htm

I am sorry about the fact that information about the 2nd Garderegiment are poor.

http://wiki-de.genealogy.net/2._GR_z.F.

Try this and search for more .

[johnx]

It seems it does not work. Please use this

http://www.google.de/search?sourceid=navclient&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GPEA_deDE290DE291&q=zweites+garderegiment

and then use the link of wiki-genealogy.

[ph0ebus]

Hi Victor,

Welcome to the forum! Your grandfather was quite an interesting man. Looking at the two photos provided, it would appear that if he was wounded, both photos were taken before that happened, otherwise he would have been wearing the cross or at a minimum the ribbon in one of his buttonholes in those photos. Getting a hold of the Unit History will be helpful in your search. I found nothing on him in Ancestry, but tons of material on him just by Googling him, which I am sure you are already familiar with. This other photo of him has me wondering:

The medal on the right looks a bit like the EKII but it is not the EKII. I am not a medal guy but there are many on hgere who are and could ID those for you.

Happy hunting!

-Daniel

[27thBN]

Hi both awards are polish cross of merit and ?

[jednastka]

Yes, that is my grandfather. The two medals are the Polish Virtuti Militari (5th Class) and the Polish Cross of Valor, both from the 1919-1920 war with Russia.

I have a fair handle on his story from 1920 on, but very little from before that.

Victor

[egbert]

I have a fair handle on his story from 1920 on, but very little from before that.

Victor

As Friz rightly suggested: get the regimental chronic from IR 129 and you will have the (almost) day-to-day account from 1914-1918

[Cnock]

Hi,

Graudenz was the garrison town of IR 129

IR 129 belonged to XVII Armee Corps

Cnock

[jednastka]

I have attached the portion of his Polish Military record that refers to his WQorld War I service. I have translated the portions that I can, but the specific question is what is the unit referred to as"

Kadra 2 p. gw. Berlin

Thanks;

Vic

[egbert]

Interesting person.

He fought in 4 different armies, partially fighting against his ex-comrades from the common 1914-1918 times. According to your records he even became an officer in the Imperial German Army 1918 (certainly voluntarily and not pressed!). When the Germans lost the war and due to the Versailles treaty were expelled from provinces like Posen (today Poland) in November 1918, he entered the Polish services and participated in the displacement of his former fellow comrades and the general population. My records from IR 49 Gnesen (Gniezno) shows that allover Polish elements from the Imperial Army revolted in Nov 1918 and created the communist "Arbeiter-und Soldatenräte". They turned against their buddies with whom they fought side by side in the trenches for 4 years.

[johnx]

I have attached the portion of his Polish Military record that refers to his WQorld War I service. I have translated the portions that I can, but the specific question is what is the unit referred to as"

Kadra 2 p. gw. Berlin

Thanks;

Vic

I played with my google translator.

Kadra = personnel, frame, cadre, skeleton crew

2 p. = 2. pulk = 2nd regiment

gw. = Gwardii = guard

2. Garderegiment zu Fuss, Berlin

What´s your opinion?

[Glenn J]

Vic,

your grandfather was not a regular officer in the Prussian Army; that much is clear. I assume therefore, he was commissioned as a Leutnant der Reserve. However, on checking the Militär-Wochenblatt, there is no listing for any individual with the name of Benz on 15 July 1918. I am slowly checking through the days immediately following that and hopefully I can pin him down.

Regards

Glenn

[jednastka]

Thank you all. The pieces are slowly coming together. I recieved a response from the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, suggesting I try the

Secret State Archives Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation

http://www.gsta.spk-berlin.de/englisch_941.html#974

So I have sent a request there.

Thanks

Vic

[MikeBeehan]

I must admit they are very nice Uniforms!

and very handsome young men hah (In a non-gay way)

[jednastka]

Thank you all. The pieces are slowly coming together. I recieved a response from the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, suggesting I try the

Secret State Archives Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation

http://www.gsta.spk-...ch_941.html#974

So I have sent a request there.

Thanks

Vic

Well, a dead end. All the Prussian military records pre-1866 were destroyed during the bombing of Potsdam during the war.

Vic