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Remembered Today:

Marcin FELEDZIAK Infantry Regiment 171


Martin Feledziak

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Looks like the statue made it through two wars. Comte E M Gerard - Marechall De France 1773 1852

EDIT

In 1858, a bronze statue was placed. This statue was taken by the Germans in the First World War. In 1950 a marble statue was placed on the original socle. This statue was acquired from the museum in Versailles.

 

The current Street view at DAMVILLERS - and a lift from the Regimental History IR155

 

damvillers 2 insert.jpg

 

 

I have just found this link which indicates that the original was made of brass and was moved during WW1. The marble version came from Versailles and was placed in 1950.

http://vanderkrogt.net/statues/object.php?webpage=ST&record=frlo004

 

so the insert photograph must have the original brass statue.

Edited by Martin Feledziak
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I can find the index for the next book I would like to acquire, on line,  so I know the pages I would like to view.

Page 238 and map 17.

 

Sadly the book is not readily available.

However there is a copy in a library in Canberra, Australia, 

I have sent a little inquiry.

Firstly to see if Anton appears in the back pages.

 

 

FR1.jpg

 

Fr2.jpg

 

Fr3.jpg

Edited by Martin Feledziak
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  • 2 weeks later...

I have received a reply from Australia.

 

One of the researchers, a lady called Suzy, has read through the lists of the dead in the back of the book and has confirmed that Anton FELEDZIAK is not recorded amongst those names.

My quest is not over.

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14 minutes ago, Martin Feledziak said:

I have received a reply from Australia.

 

One of the researchers, a lady called Suzy, has read through the lists of the dead in the back of the book and has confirmed that Anton FELEDZIAK is not recorded amongst those names.

My quest is not over.

 

Hello,

 

There were secret Verlustlisten where the units were listed (when they were no longer given in the public Verlustlisten). Unfortunately these Verlustlisten seem to have not survived WW2 and the burning of the Reichsarchiv and ZAK...

 

Without a known grave through which the unit could be find, looking through all possible Ehrentafeln is like looking for a needle in a stack of needles...

 

I see that he has been added to the online Volksbund database as "vermisst".

 

Jan

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A good try, Martin. Very kind of the lady in Australia to check for you. Now you can rule that out. Thought that the 37 would be worth trying.

Well, I did not know that the Volksbund was listing missing soldiers - thought that only those with known graves/cemeteries were listed.

But yes, Jan is of course right, here he is: http://www.volksbund.de/graebersuche/detailansicht.html?tx_igverlustsuche_pi2[gid]=e6bd39e260df114fc5bf0e723f37a90b&cHash=1c6364bdfccdbb012b6af38e830729bd

 

Christine

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Greetings Jan and Christine.

 

That is certainly a new entry on the VDK database and I am very happy to see it. 

perhaps it is because I recently sent a request to see if they held any information about him.

But for now he appears as "Missing"

 

What we do know is that at sometime in 1917 Anton was reported "Gefallen" by some Regiment or Authority

I am confident that he will turn up in the back of one of those regimental histories. It may take some time but I am sure the internet will provide the answer.

We may never find a grave for him but I am sure we will know where he died.

 

VDK.jpg

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I also asked the library if they could scan Skizzie 17 from the maps and diagrams etc and they have kindly sent me the very page from the book.

This shows the situation exactly for 28th June 1917. This is the day that Johann FELEDZIAK was listed as wounded.

 

Skizzie 17 FR37.jpg

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Here is my understanding of what took place on 28th and 29th of June 1917.

I have just coloured the front line trenches. Red for German and Blue for French

 

5 attacking groups mostly sturmabteilung with various handpicked troops from FR37 and RIR37 come from behind their front lines, breaking  through the front lines of the French and then putting pressure on the second reserve French line.

 

The German objectives were met but French counter attacks were to follow

Johann was wounded on the 28th and eventually died of his wounds on 17th July in the hospital at Stennay.

 

Skizzie 17 FR37 colour.jpg

 

Edited by Martin Feledziak
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  • 1 month later...

Nothing to update regarding Anton other than to say that he was killed during October 1917

 

so - this month 99 years ago.

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Hi Martin,

 

I always wonder if there would be more to find out in local newspapers/church news (not the unit of course), but some more information at least. I have seen very interesting examples, but have never found anything when I looked for a particular person. Found this http://zefys.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/list/title/?no_cache=1&no_cache=1&tx_zefyskalender_pi4[zdb]=27259006&tx_zefyskalender_pi4[year]=1917#issues. It is an amazing source of information, but not really what you are looking for (I did not find any news on individual soldiers, but checked only a  few issues). Maybe for Anton a Polish newspaper would have been more relevant, which I am not able to search for. Well if anyone would be interested about food regulation during WW1 in this part of the world, the Koschminer Zeitung might be interesting, 24 paragraphs only on sugar! Seems to be really exhaustive.

 

Christine

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Greetings Christine.

A most interesting resource you have found there.

Sadly I find it very difficult understanding the various articles. I shall persevere and look through the numerous issues.

Are you able to tell me where these papers were printed ?

 

I remember that my family elders all spoke Polish as their main family language but they all spoke German too. I beleive they always considered themselves Polish even though Poland was not truly recognised until after the great war finished. I am not sure that there were any Polish language newspapers published in their homeland. I just don't know.

I am aware that most of the family documents I have found online are printed in the German type as shown in the papers you have pointed out.  

 

Header.jpg

Edited by Martin Feledziak
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Hi Martin,

 

these "Amtliche Kreisblätter" are probably not so very interesting, but might be able to give a picture on all the regulations that existed at that time. Very tedious to read. But when I looked yesterday in between these Amtsblätter there were also files of the Koschminer Zetiung. Today I had difficulties to find these other files but here an example – very odd, but I find the newspaper today here, for example:

 

http://zefys.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/dfg-viewer/?set%5Bimage%5D=1&set%5Bzoom%5D=default&set%5Bdebug%5D=0&set%5Bdouble%5D=0&set%5Bmets%5D=http%3A%2F%2Fzefys.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de%2Foai%2F%3Ftx_zefysoai_pi1%255Bidentifier%255D%3Df6f5c27a-8395-4220-9aa9-16f3f0d287e5

 

all issues 1917 here: http://zefys.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/list/title/zdb/27260112//1917/?no_cache=1

 

Here one can read about all the “news” about the war. But what I of course was looking for were the announcement of fallen, but did not find them (but had only a glance). In the issue of the 29th of December there are church news, very short and only on the protestant church services (Kirchliche Nachrichten), and most people in the area were catholic, I would assume.

So I think these Amtliche Kreisblätter with all official announcements were put in the Koschminer Zeitung as supplement.

 

Christine

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Greetings Christine.

 

I have now seen that these papers were for the towns of Borek and Pogorzela. This being exactly where Anton and his family were from. I also see that the early issues also include local men found in the Verlustlisten. But these reports appear to be less frequent as the war progressed but I will still keep looking.

 

Just 1 question - does this publication actually target Miners, men who dig for coal ? I know it is a stupid question but as my family were miners it would fit .

 

Pogorzela.jpg

Verlustlisten.jpg

Edited by Martin Feledziak
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Martin,

Koschmin is the German name for the town called Koźmin Wielkopolski in Polish today. Koschminer Zeitung thus means: Koschmin’s newspaper. So nothing to do with mines/miners – I think. If I understand your question correctly.

In the Verlustenliste it is often – but not always – specified from which Szelejewo a soldier came from (as they are several): Koschmin, Posen or Znin. As Anton comes from Szelejewo near Koschmin I looked for newspapers there. This one is the only I found (and in digitized form). As you probably know Koschmin is not only a name of a town but was also the name of a county (1887 - 1919). So the newspaper covered the whole county as the subtitle including Borek and Pogorzela indicates; Koschmin, Borek and Pogorzela were the three towns in this county.

Anyway this newspaper seemed to be very patriotic, from the glance I had on it, but I am not an expert on this, and probably all sources of this type were at that time patriotic. But it does not surprise me that you found mentioning of the Verlusentliste in earlier issues and that this was taken away as the number of dead, missing and injured soldiers increased. In the Verlustenliste are over 5000 entries for Koschmin – and there must have been more – since for some soldiers the county is not specified.

The newspaper has a clear protestant focus – in an area with a majority of Catholics. I am not sure how this can be explained. I noticed this not only by the announcement of only protestant church services, but also the long articles commenting the 400 year jubilee of the reformation in 31st of October in 1917 (something I probably just noticed because the pope is coming tomorrow to Sweden, to Lund a town nearby in the context of the 500 years after reformation or actually 499 years). So this newspaper cannot have been the first choice for the catholic population. So I almost assume that there must have been another newspaper, but I cannot find it.

Christine

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Okay

Now I understand about what Miner means in this context.

Thanks for your help.

 

I don't think Anton is going to be found in the later reports. These were just repeat reports from the official records.

They were certainly Catholics as this can always be seen on their birth and Wedding certificates.

However, These papers are very interesting and I find some of the adverts at the back really interesting.

 

I did find the entry for Johann Feledziak.

http://zefys.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/kalender/auswahl/date/1915-05-15/27260112/?no_cache=1

Johann Feledziak.jpg

Edited by Martin Feledziak
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Interesting!

 

Had once more a look at some of your former posts and then I noticed that the family might have lived somewhere else than in Szelejewo, in Sonnenfeld/Orpischewo (or was this another branch of the family?). Sonnenfeld belonged to the county of Krotoschin. Koschmin and Krotoschin were one county before split in 1887. There is a Krotoschiner newspaper, but not before 1920ies….

Anyway there is a German association called “Friends of the county of Krotoschin” http://www.krotoschin.de/index.htm, dealing in particular with the history of the area (both Koschmin & Krotoschin). I am always a bit cautious with this type of associations, but it has a Polish website as well and seems to be interested in ancestry.

So you could give it try and contact them asking where more information could be found (e.g. newspapers). They have also a German newsletter http://www.krotoschin.de/html/krotoschiner_notizen.htm

The content of issue 9, 2014 is about

Militär und Garnisonen des Kreises Krotoschin 1793-1945 (umfassende Beschreibung der Regimenter, Kommandeure und Standorte [ohne Kriegshandlungen und -schauplätze] mit zahlreichen Bildern und Karten)“

 

Military units of the county of Krotoschin 1793-1945 (detailed description of the regiments, commanders, and locations [but not war zones] with many pictures and maps.

Might be of interest.

Christine

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Hi Christine.

Yes that will be perfect

 

Yes they are all the same family - Anton's brother Johann, also killed in 1917, was serving with Fusilier Regiment No37 which were based in Krotoschin. My Great Uncle also Johann Feledziak was serving with Pionier regiment 29. He was living in Sonnenfeld. So they are all cousins.

 

They are all descended from Vincentius FELEDZIAK born 1802 who was in 1827 a soldier, or listed as Landwher at the time of the birth of his first son. Obviously all very interesting as this was during the Napoleonic times.

 

Many thanks for the links I shall study tomorrow.

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Slightly going back off the topic but still with the Meuse Argonne offensive, I found this interactive display which could be very usefull to explain what took place.

I am dropping it on this thread so that I can find it again.

The link to the site is below

 

https://www.abmc.gov/sites/default/files/interactive/interactive_files/MA_Website/

 

here is a screen shot from the mapping.

Interactive.jpg

Edited by Martin Feledziak
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On 10/30/2016 at 17:19, AliceF said:

Anyway there is a German association called “Friends of the county of Krotoschin” http://www.krotoschin.de/index.htm, dealing in particular with the history of the area (both Koschmin & Krotoschin). I am always a bit cautious with this type of associations, but it has a Polish website as well and seems to be interested in ancestry.

 

Greetings Christine.

A very interesting resource for me. I have sent a contact introducing myself and a first question.

Martin

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On 11/2/2016 at 09:39, Martin Feledziak said:

 

Greetings Christine.

A very interesting resource for me. I have sent a contact introducing myself and a first question.

Martin

 

On 10/30/2016 at 17:19, AliceF said:

 

Anyway there is a German association called “Friends of the county of Krotoschin” http://www.krotoschin.de/index.htm, dealing in particular with the history of the area (both Koschmin & Krotoschin). I am always a bit cautious with this type of associations, but it has a Polish website as well and seems to be interested in ancestry.

So you could give it try and contact them asking where more information could be found (e.g. newspapers). They have also a German newsletter http://www.krotoschin.de/html/krotoschiner_notizen.htm

 

 

Greeting Christine.

I have received a reply from “Friends of the county of Krotoschin” it would appear that they only deal with Protestant aspects of their county. As my family history was Catholic they have provided me with an additional contact point. 

Archiwum Państwowe w Poznaniu
23 lutego 41/43
Poznań 60-967
Stare Miasto

Telefon +48 61 852-46-01

Fax +48 61 851-73-10

archiwum@poznan.ap.gov.pl

www.poznan.ap.gov.pl

Martin

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Hi Martin,

 

hopefully the new contact can add something. I really wonder about this protestant thing. I mean protestants were in minority in the area according to this http://www.verwaltungsgeschichte.de/pos_krotoschin.html an this http://www.verwaltungsgeschichte.de/pos_koschmin.html.. My German relatives from Silesia were all Catholics as well. 

 

Christine

 

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I hardly ever check TWITTER, but if I had I would have seen an entry from 28th June this year which reveals who placed the other red poppy at Servon.

 

Twitter.jpg

 

I have sent a reply to Triplecroissant asking if this is the match.

http://des.genealogy.net/search/show/1586012

 

Here is mine from 21 June 2016

DSC_0119.JPG

 

Edited by Martin Feledziak
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Reply received and a confirmation that the entry is correct for Eduard.

Amazingly I arrived just 2 days after the poppy for Eduard was placed.

 

IR130.jpg

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Christine.

 

This is an amazing event. 

this burial site is over 100 years old but modern technology provides us with a focal point and a possibility to find our history. so these lonely soldiers will be found and collected and remembered.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Martin Feledziak
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