Germany : Fritz Limbach - letters from the front - 1915

[Martin Feledziak]

Interesting - I need to read up on Jäger stuff for Great Uncle Jacob was linked to such a unit.

Jacob Feledziak 1886 , Reserve Infanterie Regiment No61 and Reserve Jager Battalion No2 - Seriously Wounded 1916
Not sure how that can be- other than both units being part of the same division, anyway …..

Back to September 1915.

Fritz was doing such a great job with his camera and I am sure he would have filled many albums with his photographs ,But

we all know the letters from Fritz are about to come to an end.

The battle of Loos took out so many young lives.

[Martin Feledziak]

Happy to see that Fritz was enjoying some R and R in Bruges - at this time 100 years ago.

also liking your new Avatar - is it something to do with the "Post"

I found the below image when I was searching for IR 171 - but I could never work out if it was anything to do with IR171 or even the function.

Martin

[JWK]

They're called Siegelmarke, letterseals, to be used on correspondence from the regiment.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegelmarke

JW

[Martin Feledziak]

So 100 years ago....

Do you think Fritz would now be writing letter 88 !

( His last letter home )

Martin

[JWK]

100 years ago today at this very time the German Feldpost would be collecting Fritz's letter nr 88 ( he did write in one his letters the Fieldpost always arrives late at night), and they postmarked it on 24^th september 1915 (tomorrow), for delivery to the Limbach household in Barmen on the late afternoon delivery run of Saturday 25th, or, failing that, on the first delivery run on Mondaymorning 27th September 1915. (I don’t think there were mail deliveries on a Sunday back then).

On some of his last letters the time of arrival was noted - by his parents i presume - and many have e.g. "postmarked 7/9, delivered 8/9 16:00hrs" on it. Or "postmarked 18/9, delivered 20/9 08:00hrs".

How on earth the German Fieldpost managed to deliver letters within a day 100 years ago, when some 28 billion letters&parcels going through the system in those 4 years, I don't know.

Guess present day Logistics may well learn a lesson or two from that!

[Beechhill]

I've been a guest on this thread regularly and on your site a few times. Today I read every letter you posted. What a journey! But to what end? Fascinating and heartbreaking.

Thank you so much!

[Martin Feledziak]

I lift a glass and toast young Fritz Limbach. Killed 100 years ago today.

We'll done JW. You are the current custodian of his letters.

You have served him well.

I remember there are just a few items to conclude his story.

Great work .

[JWK]

A toast to Fritz Limbach, gone too soon.

And to those who also died in this terrible war.

*clink*

They are not forgotten.

Beechhill: Thanks! Much appreciated. Great to hear you enjoyed the journey Fritz took you on.

Martin: Thanks! And yes, there are the letters of condolence to follow.

As they span some three months I thought it wise to post them on the blog one letter per day from now on (otherwise we’ll be here ‘till Christmas), thereby abandoning my earlier concept of “Post ‘m on the blog the day they were written”.

So tomorrow the letter of Fritz's company commander of 2^nd October 1915, the day after the letter of his platoon commander of 3^rd October 1915 etc.

I now “own” Fritz’s letters, some of his photographs, some of his negatives, and the letters of condolence sent to his family, but they don’t really “belong” to me, they belong to the people of Germany.

When this project is done and dusted I’ll donate them to a suitable institution.

Whether that will be the City Archives in Wuppertal/Barmen or maybe the Fieldpost collection of the Postal Museum in Berlin (http://www.briefsammlung.de/) I don’t know yet.

JW

[Neil Mackenzie]

Remembering Fritz and all those who died 100 years ago today.

Neil

[ph0ebus]

Remembering Fritz today...I raise a glass to him and congratulate JW on a job well done.

Daniel

[Martin Feledziak]

I know there is a little dispute about the actual date reported BUT

From the latest letter you posted I feel confident that Fritz died on 25th September 1915. The description of the Gas cloud is as reported by several other documents.

Let's also remember the many other gentlemen who perished also Captain Kilby who I feel sure died in the very same skirmish at the Railway Redoubt as " Tommy" titled it.

Martin

[Martin Feledziak]

I had linked to this passage before but it dropped off.

So I have copied and pasted it here. ( I know this thread is for and about Fritz - but I don't think he will mind sharing )

CAPTAIN ARTHUR FORBES GORDON KILBY, V.C., M.C.
SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE REGIMENT

He returned to the front in May 1915, and distinguished himself again by a series of daring reconnaissances, being recommended for the D.S.O. He fell on September 25th, 1915, on the La Bassee Canal, while in command of the company on the extreme left flank of the armies engaged at the Battle of Loos. His company was detailed to attack the railway triangle redoubt, a position of great strength immediately to the south of La Bassee : he had studied the ground carefully and was placed in charge of the operations at his own request. They had to advance down a narrow tow-path and along a railway embankment, which was exposed to fire in front and in flank. Owing to a series of mishaps, the preparations for the assault had not been adequately carried out ; but, as Captain Kilby saw, it had to be undertaken at all costs in order to protect the left flank of the advancing forces from enfilade fire. The battalion accordingly went forward. Captain Kilby fell wounded as soon as he was over the parapet, but got up again and cheered his men on in the face of the fiercest fire until they reached the enemy's position. Here he was again shot down and his foot blown off ; but he continued to use his rifle to the end.

He was buried by the enemy, together with one of his subalterns and thirteen men, and the German regimental commander, whose position he had assaulted, wrote in high appreciation of his valour. He received the posthumous award of the Victoria Cross. A monument with a bas-relief portrait has been erected to his memory in York Minster. He was a keen student of natural history and fond of music and architecture.

http://ww1photos.com/Pages/WinchesterVol2/KilbyAFGCaptVCMCSStaffs.html

JW..

From your regimental history, can you work out who the German Regimental Commander was at the time ?

It could only be IR16 who arranged for the burail.

[JWK]

Martin,

that would be Oberstleutnant (Rudolf?) von L'Estocq, Regimental Commander of IR16 from 20th March 1915 to 18th May 1916 and 15th June 1916 to 6th August 1916.

I wonder what exactly he wrote, I can't find anything online. Also the Regimental History does not mention it.

Von l'Estocq wás in the nighbourhood though, the Regimental History mentions that he was at his HQ in Auchy.

There's a written account of the attack on the Embankment Redoubt/Prellbock Stellung, by Captain Lloyd of Military Intelligence, at Europeana :

http://www.europeana1914-1918.eu/en/contributions/5382#prettyPhoto

The London Gazette:

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29527/supplement/3409

JW

[Martin Feledziak]

This is part of the War Graves report for the concentration of graves (Exhumation and Reburials).

I have seen that there is a map location provided for the original burial. 44a.A.16.c.60.55.

after a little hunting I see that Map 44A was originally numbered 36C and therefore using my basic map reading I see it is exactly where Fritz and companie 6 would have been.

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=50.5217&lon=2.7680&layers=101464729

see what you think.

Martin.

EDIT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I see you got that post in as I was working out is it 'over and up' or 'up and over' for the map co-ordinates - and it is over then up.

You have found some great articles. The Captain LLOYD papers, 3 pages of handwritten information giving a clear account of what went on and it is just as we thought.

The Gazette list his award of the medal and confirms that Kilby was listed as missing even in March 1916, the next year.

Kilby was not found until 14 years later.

all very sad.

[JWK]

For finding a place when you only have map-coordinates I use this véry handy little tool:

http://rdf.muninn-project.org/TrenchCoordinates.html?q=36c.a.16.c.6.55

and transfering that to a trenchmap (I used the March 1916 one) puts Captain Kilby VC's grave right in front of the German lines, which is where we'd expected it to be:

JW

[Martin Feledziak]

Handy tool that.

Here is my first go with it.

http://rdf.muninn-project.org/TrenchCoordinates.html?q=51b.a.16.b.85.20

Using the handwritten co-ordinates from the burial card I am looking for the Arras Road Cemetery, where Kilby is now at rest.

I think the man who wrote the co-ordinates was slightly out. The red blob marks the spot, however the Cemetery is in shot 100 yards or so below.

[Martin Feledziak]

By moving the 'blob' - the software provides the co-ordinates, most interesting.

[Martin Feledziak]

Just copied this from the Knot Unites - facebook page.

7072 Sergeant Bernard Fitzpatrick
2nd Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment

“Barney” Fitzpatrick was born and bred in Wednesbury but was of Irish stock. He was a married man and his wife and five children lived at 39 Portway Road. He was a reservist and originally joined the South Staffords in 1905. After completing his service he returned to Wednesbury and was employed at the Old Park Works. He was mobilised at the outbreak of the war and was posted to the 2nd Battalion, arriving in France on 14 August 1914. Sergeant Fitzpatrick frequently wrote to his wife and in one of his letters told of an incident in which one of his comrades was killed beside him:

“I had the Lord on my side as I was not killed. One of them missed me by inches only, but I think it is true what hundreds out here have told me - that I am not born to be killed. I chance it in places where other folks would never dream of going. It is all or nothing with me. I hope to be a credit to the town when this terrible war is over. I am either going to make a name for myself or die in the attempt. I have had one try and been mentioned in despatches.”

Bernard Fitzpatrick was Mentioned in Despatches, notification of the award being published in the London Gazette on 22 June 1915. He was also awarded the Russian Medal of St George, 4th Class, which was gazetted on 25 August 1915. Sergeant Fitzpatrick was killed in action on the first day of the Battle at Loos on 25 September 1915 at Cuinchy. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial.

------------------------------------------------------

Could he have been one of those who went along the tow path ?

He writes that he is an 'All or Nothing ' and that mission along the tow path was just that.

There were however 190 killed from the 2nd Battalion that day.

The Knot Unites - Staffordshire Soldiers on the Western Front 1914-1918

[Martin Feledziak]

I don't know if you have seen this book, it has a nice map, and an account of the 25th September 1915

https://archive.org/stream/historyofsecondd01wyra#page/218/mode/2up

[JWK]

Martin,

Thanks for that link. Interesting reading, Talks us through the Battle of Loos in easy to understand language (which cannot be said of –wáy too- many books, guidebooks, reports, blogposts etc).

It also mentions the Indian Regiments, and Fritz díd write about "Indian turbans" which he saw moving around in the trenches. Something to investigate.

And it talks about gas-clouds that just wouldn't move and suffocated "the English", but the German (IR16's) account talks of gas clouds rolling towards and óver them (and behind the gas clouds were the English sneeking in). I'm sure there's an explanation for that somewhere.

And Fritz made it to Twitter! Weeyyyyy!

I wonder what he would have thought of that……

https://twitter.com/RealTimeWW1/status/650339532525707264

On https://twitter.com/RealTimeWW1

A project by “The 1^st Year Master Students in European Contemporary History of the University of Luxembourg”

http://h-europe.uni.lu/?page_id=621

http://h-europe.uni.lu/?page_id=110

(And by the by a course in Historiography is véry much on my wishlist –not because of this tweet though, Historiography has been on my wishlist for a number of years already. Just need to find the time…- )

Merci!

JW

[Martin Feledziak]

I have never really understood TWITTER, I have an account running just to see how it works but I don't truly believe you can seriously express a point in just 140 characters.

I will have a look to see how (REALTIMEWW1) works.

Yes you must get on a course in Historiography and if you could 'Work In' a study of the newly published

WWI Diary of Ernst Jünger

as part of that course and translate some of it that would be very good. I don't think there are any plans to translate his original diaries into English.

I have read the 2004 translation of his book, but there is so much criticism of the way it was done.

When you understand the same controversy over the '304 Backpack' thread. Then I understand how difficult the task would be.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/the-wwi-diary-of-ernst-juenger-newly-published-memoir-recalls-horror-of-western-front-a-726672.html

[JWK]

Well, the very last letter in the hoard (a letter from the Mais' from April 1916, about returning a roll of film - presumably that elusive 5th roll of film that Fritz never received díd arrive after all, and Otto Mertens probably used that to take pictures of Fritz's and Heinrich Mais' graves) has been posted on the blog.

So, with regret, I have to inform you that this little project has now officially come to an end.

I'll miss it! If any new information pops up in the future I'll post it here ofcourse.

In the meantime: whatever happened to all those people Fritz mentioned in his letters?

A little(-ish) recap:

 

Fritz Limbach entered the German Army on, or very shortly before, 7 January 1915 in Kevelaer.

Trained with Infanterie-Regiment Vogel von Falckenstein (7. Westfälisches) Nr. 56

Upon arrival in France transferred to Infanterie-Regiment Freiherr von Sparr (3. Westfälisches) Nr.16

Born late September/early October 1894/1895/1896 in Barmen

Died 25 September 1915 in the first hour/hours of the Battle of Loos (although the Regimental History ánd Volksbund.de have his deathdate at 24 sept 1915)

Fritz was first buried in Douvrin,

and is now buried in Lens-Sallaumines German Cemetery, block 4, grave 536

Fritz's grave in Lens-Sallaumines, picture by Hainaut, from post nr 154 on this thread)

A webpage detailing the history of this cemetery (in French)

http://lelensoisnormandtome3.unblog.fr/2012/06/11/le-cimetiere-militaire-allemand-de-lens-sallaumines/

Fritz is commemorated on the War Memorial at his old school, the Gymnasium Sedanstrasse in Barmen

(Who are not at all interested in the story of one of its alumni)

 

 

 

Fritz's family:

 

His father, August Hermann Limbach, born 1851 in Elberfeld, died in Barmen on 7 Nov 1918.

Just 4 days before the end of the war that took his only son....

His company, Linde’sches Eiswerke von Limbach & Bonert, continued under the direction of his wife, and Paul Bonert (his nephew).

His mother, Anna Proll, born 14 Sept 1862 in Elberfeld, died in Wuppertal (as Barmen was now called) on 23 Dec 1938, and was buried there on the 27^th.

His sisters:

Else (engaged to a certain August)

Helene

Hanne

 

Of these I can only trace “Hanna”, living with her mother at the parental home on Bismarckstrasse 1, occupation: Privatsekretärin (Private Secretary), in the Barmen Addresbook 1925/26.

http://genwiki.genealogy.net/w/index.php?title=Datei%3ABarmen-AB-1925-26.djvu&page=242

By 1927 she has moved out (where to I do not know):

http://genwiki.genealogy.net/w/index.php?title=Datei%3ABarmen-AB-1927.djvu&page=281

 

Cousins:

Paul Bonert, son of Eric Hugo Bonert and Helene Limbach

Born 4^th March 1881, died 1943.

He was the one who developed and printed Fritz’s films & photos.

Paul was married twice, first to an English lady, secondly to a German lady.

From his second marriage he had a son who died in 1994.

 

Erich Bonert, son of Eric Hugo Bonert and Helene Limbach

Born in Barmen 18 Jan 1895

Died near Rattevalle, east of Nieuwpoort/Belgium 9 May 1915

Seesoldat in the Imperial Navy, 3-Marine-Infanterie-Division, 1 Kompanie

First buried: German Cemetery Leffinge, Belgium

Now buried: Langemark German Cemetery, Kameradengrab.

(Picture to follow)

 

Walter Nettelbeck, son of ? and ?

He sent a letter of condolence to his uncle & aunt upon Fritz’s death, from a hospital in Baden-Baden.

He may be the Vizefeldwebel der Reserve, OffizierStellvertreter Walter Nettelbeck, who was wounded in late September/October 1914 (reported as Leicht verwundet on the Verlustliste of 5 November 1915).

In that case he was in the Pionier-Bataillon nr 14, 1 Feld-Kompanie.

 

Friends and Comrades:

Karl Steigleder, born in Barmen.

Died 28 June 1915 at Auchy-les-Mines, France.

First buried: Douvrin

Now buried: Lens-Sallaumines German Cemetery, Block 8, Grave 29

 

Heinrich Mais

Schoolfriend from Barmen.

Died of wounds in Feldlazarett 9 in Bauvin on 11 October 1915.

Unknown grave.

He is commemorated on the War Memorial at his old school, the Gymnasium Sedanstrasse. (5 names below Fritz's in the above picture)

Heinrich Mais

 

Otto Mertens, Fritz’s best friend in the trenches.

Otto wás admitted to an officer-course (unlike many others in his Company)

Born 10 february 1894 in Solingen.

Died (as Unteroffizier) 15 December 1916 at Douaumont.

Unknown grave.

Otto Mertens

 

Walter Benzenberg, a friend from Barmen (see letter nr 93)

Gefreiter in Reserve Feldartillerie Regiment nr 66.

http://wiki-de.genealogy.net/80._Reserve-Division_%28WK1%29

There is no mention of him in the Verlustlisten, or on Volksbund.de

Hopefully he survived the war.

 

Leutnant der Reserve Wilhelm Breunig, from Köln-Mulheim

He wrote the letter detailing Fritz’s death to his family (see letter nr 90)

He died 5 April 1918 near the river Avre, Dept. Somme, France.

Buried: German cemetery Morisel, block 1, grave 322.

 

Offizier Stellvertreter/Vizefeldwebel Walter Scheffel, from Barmen

Fritz’s platoonleader. See letters nr 88, 91 and 97 e.g.

Just married (or about to get married) in early September 1915.

Reported seriously injured in the Verlustliste of 6 December 1915.

 

Gefreiter Friedrich Wilhelm Posthum, Fritz’s platoonleader during his short stint as a Pionier (see letter nr 38).

The Regimental History lists him as “Drowned” on 29 Jan 1918.

The Verlustliste of 9 September 1918 lists him as drowned, with a day of birth of 1^st June

Volksbund lists a Friedrich Wilhelm Posthum, buried in Solingen-Wald cemetery, birthdate 1^st June 1884.

And puts the deathdate at 5^th december 1917 !

http://www.volksbund.de/index.php?id=1775&tx_igverlustsuche_pi2[gid]=4d39b96647024a8e14f88f25e7bbc9f5

Friedrich Wilhelm Posthum

 

Leutnant Walther Stennes, Fritz's Company Commander

See Wikipedia for more on his colourful life:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stennes_Revolt

https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walther_Stennes (in Dutch)

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walther_Stennes (in German)

Walther Stennes

Edited 9 October , 2021 by JWK
spacing

[Martin Feledziak]

I did send a private message but I will repeat here.

JW

what a quality job you have done with the Fritz papers.

Most important for Fritz Limbach and his family. It is also a very important view of German social history and has been very well presented.

It is also a superb resource for people like myself who are very interested in in history and would have no idea of life written in German from a normal German male caught up in a terrible time.

I was not lucky enough to have any letters from my family on the front but I can now see that what Fritz wrote would have been close to what several of my relatives experienced.

So very good work.

[JWK]

Made it to Lens-Sallaumines German cemetery last Tuesday.

Beautiful place, very atmospheric. I felt totally at ease there. And it felt a few degrees warmer there, which was a bonus on this icy-cold day!

I was the only visitor of course (No tourist ever makes it here), but there were a few signs of earlier visitors: 2 or 3 rusty memorial candles.

Overview of the cemetery:

Fritz's grave (the one with the floral tribute (-and a British poppy-cross. Only a few days later would I learn that German blue crosses exist- ) The grave to the right is for Richard Emmler and Paul Budde, who both also died on "24th September 1915", and Friedrich Lammle, a 16'er from 7th Coy.):

[JWK]

and Karl Steigleder's grave:

Fritz is buried in Block 4, grave 536

and Karl in Block 8, grave 29.

So I was a little surprised to find that they actually lie opposite eachother: