Beelitz Hospital WWI

[Frederick1]

My father told me that my Grandfather was in the same regiment as Adolf Hitler during world war one. However my grand father came from Breslau/Brieg Schlesian (which I thought was a Prussian district). He was under age when he joined, hence lied about his age. Nevertheless they boarded a train and went to Munich. My farther said that my grandfather spent most of the time at Verdun. My grandfather was wounded on about the same day as Hilter was, about 8th Oct 1916. They were in the same hospital ward in Beelitz Hospital. When I showed my father an internet picture of the hospital photo at Beelitz with Hitler and a group of German soldiers in Hospital dress, he said, that his father was the man standing next to Hitler.

My father said that his grandfather was a Social Democrat and Hitler and my grandfather had some heated arguments in hospital about politics. After treatment at Beelitz, my grandfather did not take any further part in the war.

However, once Hitler was becoming well known as a politician (I don't know whether, it was before Hitler became elected or after), but reporters use to come around to their house and ask questions about (what my grand father) knew about Hitlers WWI experiences. This was in Brieg. My father says that once Hitler got into power, life became hard for the Wassmann family, (because of my father being a social democrat and the arguments he used to have with Hitler about politics). The Nazi's would not allow my father to get an apprenticeship with his uncles in Brieg, but made my father work on a farm. My grandfather was conscripted back into the Army in WWII.

My grandfathers name was Martin Wassmann.

I have written to the Bavarian war archives, but they cannot find any Martin Wassmann.

My question is: Is there any way of finding out who's names the soldiers in the Beelitz Hospital photograph (Oct 1916) are, to confirm if my fathers story is correct.

file://localhost/Users/stephenwassman/Desktop/Photo's/hitler%201916.jpg

Edited 17 December , 2011 by Frederick1

[apwright]

Hi Frederick1, and welcome to the forum!

I can't help with the photo, but I've been trying to find your grandfather:

Only one Martin Waßmann (transcribed as Marlin WaßMann) appears in the collection of German Casualty Lists on Ancestry. He was born in Breslau on 28/1 of an unspecified year, and is listed as slightly wounded in the Prussian Verlustliste No.927 of 3 September 1917. His regiment is not given, but as it's a Prussian list, it would have been a Prussian regiment. There were separate lists for Bavarian, Saxon, Württemberg etc. regiments.

A search of the Bavarian personnel rosters on Ancestry throws up only one hit for "Martin Wassmann", but that is a mistranscription of a Wassermann, born at Steinheim/Memmingen on 18/6/1879.

According to Hitler's service record on Ancestry, he was wounded at Le Barque (a long way from Verdun!) on 5/10/1916, and was at Beelitz from 9/10 until 1/12 (or 3/12, different dates in different documents!). The notice of his wounding appears in Bavarian Verlustliste No.320 of 2/12/16 - nearly 2 months after it happened.

The German Casualty Lists on Ancestry are not complete, but seem to be all there around Oct-Dec 1916. However, the Martin Wassmann of Breslau wounded in 1917 is the only man of that name in the entire collection.

Of course, if your grandad lied about his age, then he could have lied about his name and place of birth too, in which case it could be impossible to trace.

Adrian

[Frederick1]

Hi Frederick1, and welcome to the forum!

I can't help with the photo, but I've been trying to find your grandfather:

Only one Martin Waßmann (transcribed as Marlin WaßMann) appears in the collection of German Casualty Lists on Ancestry. He was born in Breslau on 28/1 of an unspecified year, and is listed as slightly wounded in the Prussian Verlustliste No.927 of 3 September 1917. His regiment is not given, but as it's a Prussian list, it would have been a Prussian regiment. There were separate lists for Bavarian, Saxon, Württemberg etc. regiments.

A search of the Bavarian personnel rosters on Ancestry throws up only one hit for "Martin Wassmann", but that is a mistranscription of a Wassermann, born at Steinheim/Memmingen on 18/6/1879.

According to Hitler's service record on Ancestry, he was wounded at Le Barque (a long way from Verdun!) on 5/10/1916, and was at Beelitz from 9/10 until 1/12 (or 3/12, different dates in different documents!). The notice of his wounding appears in Bavarian Verlustliste No.320 of 2/12/16 - nearly 2 months after it happened.

The German Casualty Lists on Ancestry are not complete, but seem to be all there around Oct-Dec 1916. However, the Martin Wassmann of Breslau wounded in 1917 is the only man of that name in the entire collection.

Of course, if your grandad lied about his age, then he could have lied about his name and place of birth too, in which case it could be impossible to trace.

Adrian

[Frederick1]

Adrian thankyou for your quick response.

Martin was born in Breslau 28^th January 1898,according to his WWII service record which I obtained from the Berlin war archivesa couple of years ago (I could e-mail you his WWII service record by e-mailwhen I get back home in February – if you wish, as I am currently in East Timor).Unfortunately I could not obtain any information about his first world warservice as most of the records were destroyed during WWII. In between wars,Martin lived in Brieg near Breslau with his family (including his son – myfather).

Naturally, (my father was born in 1929) and would have beenquite young, when all these stories were being discussed, and could have easilymisconstrued or miss understood a lot of the contents, even possibly confusingevents and places? (I'm onlyspeculating). Nevertheless, my father is convinced that these things did occur,but time does play tricks on the mind.

The Beelitz photograph in Oct 1916, where my father stated thatthe man standing next to Hitlers right shoulder looked like his father (Martin)seems unrealistic as well, as my father stated that Martin was shot in thechest and took no further part in the war, once released from hospital. Youwould think that if you were that seriously wounded, you possibly couldn't orwouldn't have the strength to stand up and be photographed (but I might bewrong)?.

I only started asking questions about our family history acouple of years ago, when I found out I had a long lost German sister (on my mothers side). So as youcan see, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since these topics werelast discussed.

I do agree that Verdun is a long way from where Hitler served,but there is always a possibility that they could have crossed paths.

As I stated initially to the forum, it did seem strange forPrussians to travel to Bavaria by train, when they could have easily joined alocal regiment. But my Grandfather was young (below the qualifying agerequired) and only being the beginning of the war, possibly joining anyregiment could have been better than none? Nevertheless I will research theinformation you have provided (thank you very much ….again) to see whether ornot it takes me in the right direction.

Martin by the way died in Langenprozelten in Bavaria on the MainRiver in the 1970's. I will have to visit Germany one day to research all thisinformation. I have asked my German cousins before for any information, butgenerally they don't seem to interested (which is a pity).

But you never know, as Martin lived with them after WWII untilhis death, and there is the possibility that he has left information behindmaybe even pictures. My short comings are that my German is very bad indeed, soanything important could be quite easily missed.

My e-mail address is saw94@bigpond.net.au

Cheers

Stephen