German IR 169 Posted 9 May , 2019 Author Share Posted 9 May , 2019 Hi Jools, What unit was your great great grandfather with? Hopefully, it made it through the experience in Serre OK. BKK: Thanks for the word on your pending trip. Actually, I will be taking a similar trip in June with my good friend Tom, who helped me in the research/translation of the first edition of my book. My wife has given me a significant 'kitchen pass', and Tom and I will be spending the last two weeks of June more or less following IR 169's journey, which fortunately (for us at least!) covers most of the great Western Front battles. The first day we will be following my grandfather's participation in the August 1914 Alsace Lorraine campaigns (more or less the same journey I took in 1998 and included in a page in my website (www.ironregiment169.com.) Then a couple of days in the Verdun area, where I will make a side trip to Metz's Fort Driant, where, in WW II my Dad fought as US Army artillery counterbattery observer in XX Corps, Third Army. We will then spend several days in the Argonne, where IR 169 was destroyed, then to Reims for a few days to visit the Chemin de Dames, Pinon, etc. You mentioned Hitler's bunker is there, do you have additional information? We will finish the trip with three days in the Somme and quick stop at La Bassee (where my grandfather was wounded in January 1915) before headed home. I can reach out to you separately with some of my planning, we will have to compare notes. Look forward to keeping in touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools mckenna Posted 9 May , 2019 Share Posted 9 May , 2019 4 hours ago, German IR 169 said: Hi Jools, What unit was your great great grandfather with? Hopefully, it made it through the experience in Serre OK. At the time he would have been a Captain in the 12th battalion KOYLI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken S. Posted 9 May , 2019 Share Posted 9 May , 2019 (edited) On 09/12/2018 at 12:03, Martin Feledziak said: Yes it is fantastic to hear him talk, strangely the clip plays a little too fast and lifts his pitch too much. I was thinking IR113 because he states they marched out of Frieburg and I have seen an infantry card featuring a barracks there for 113. Yes I think he was talking about the brick stacks - which I am sure featured the following year in the battle of Loos 25th September 1915. Westmann wrote "Surgeon with the Kaiser's Army". In it he states that he had "chosen" to join the 113th in April and that it was the same regiment that he went to war with a few months later. He repeats his claim that the regiment departed at 2 am on the 4th of August, but this isn't what is recorded in the regimental history; only the 1st Company left on that day, apparently while citizens of the city looked on. He claims: "It was still dark and there were hardly any people about when Regiment 113, three thousand men strong, marched out of Freiburg, along a road leading to the south-west, silently, without music and not in the least enthusiastic." According to the regimental history the regiment, less I. Batl. (?), marched out of Freiburg at 6 am on the 6th of August "mit klingendem Spiel und froehlichem Gesang". A more detailed account of the regiment's departure was printed in the city's newspaper on the same day: https://fz.ub.uni-freiburg.de/show/fz.cgi?cmd=showpic&ausgabe=02&day=06a&year=1914&month=08&project=3&anzahl=4 Edited 9 May , 2019 by Ken S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKK Posted 9 May , 2019 Share Posted 9 May , 2019 (edited) On 09/05/2019 at 04:18, German IR 169 said: We will then spend several days in the Argonne, where IR 169 was destroyed, then to Reims for a few days to visit the Chemin de Dames, Pinon, etc. You mentioned Hitler's bunker is there, do you have additional information? A few km south of Fort La Malmaison , south of Pinon. https://www.sightraider.com/wolfsschlucht-ii-hitlers-forgotten-headquarters-in-france/ (Great Website with lots of photos) https://goo.gl/maps/fASDoQ69hCwSjx9MA John, congrats on the "Kitchen Pass'! A great trip you have planned. So nice that you will be getting back there after 20 years and much research! Please post pics and experiences of your trip. I will do the same. Edited 12 May , 2019 by BKK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 10 May , 2019 Share Posted 10 May , 2019 10 hours ago, BKK said: Please post pics and experiences of your trip. I will do the same. Absolutely - I will look forward to your updates Gentlemen. if you have time do pay a visit to the American Cemetery at Romagne Sous Montfaucon. If you have not been before it is a special place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKK Posted 10 May , 2019 Share Posted 10 May , 2019 2 hours ago, Martin Feledziak said: Absolutely - I will look forward to your updates Gentlemen. if you have time do pay a visit to the American Cemetery at Romagne Sous Montfaucon. If you have not been before it is a special place. That will definitely be on the list, and I will gladly be sure to document all. If you have any special places to visit/document do let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools mckenna Posted 29 May , 2019 Share Posted 29 May , 2019 Found this photo of Leutant Fritz Fally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 29 May , 2019 Share Posted 29 May , 2019 Lets colour it. Great quality photograph. you are best at colouring Jools 10 points for the person who can identify the book he is reading!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 29 May , 2019 Share Posted 29 May , 2019 He is not reading a book but a magazin. Westermanns Monatshefte. As the name suggests a monthly publication covering all sorts of popular topics for an educated readership. GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 29 May , 2019 Share Posted 29 May , 2019 We are the educated. As forum members. And we share such a magazine and how nice It is to be able to do so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools mckenna Posted 29 May , 2019 Share Posted 29 May , 2019 (edited) . Edited 29 May , 2019 by Jools mckenna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 30 May , 2019 Share Posted 30 May , 2019 Great job Jools. subtle use of colour. like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted 30 May , 2019 Share Posted 30 May , 2019 Hello! I´ve got some 169ers located in Beverloo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 6 July , 2019 Share Posted 6 July , 2019 Here is an excellent graphic from one of the walls at the American Meuse - Argonne Cemetery. IR 169 would face it's final battle at Landres et St George. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKK Posted 8 July , 2019 Share Posted 8 July , 2019 Great graphic indeed. Thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKK Posted 10 July , 2019 Share Posted 10 July , 2019 (edited) I have a question about Baden medals. I figure best to ask here since this is Baden orientated. This is a great uncle of mine, Wilhelm Glanzmann. I am not sure yet what Unit he was in 1915 (Age 42). Here he looks to be wearing the uniform of Landsturm Infantry Battalion Rastatt XIV/42. I hope to go to the Archive and see the Award orders which would have Unit Info. The Baden Archives have the following listing for him being awarded the Order of Zahringer Lion, and the Silver Medal of Merit on the Ribbon of the Military Karl Friedrich Medal of Merit. Is this the medal he is listed as recieving, and not the other Silver Medal of Merit which says "For Merit" on the back? A bit confused between the two medals. It says that this medal was the highest Baden award for bravery for NCO's and Enlisted. 2800 awarded since 1807. I read that this Order of Lion entitled you to Tax Free Status, and the Silver Medal entitled you to annual cash payments. Edited 10 July , 2019 by BKK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKK Posted 14 July , 2019 Share Posted 14 July , 2019 A great database for finding the graves/status of German WWI and WWII dead and missing. 4 million records. https://www.volksbund.de/en/graebersuche.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Tom Posted 31 July , 2022 Share Posted 31 July , 2022 Hi There I have recently bought a pair of Mod08 binoculars marked JR169. 4. 16 Question. Is JR169 and IR169 one and the same? There is loads of information available for IR169 but nothing for JR169 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 31 July , 2022 Share Posted 31 July , 2022 Greetings Young Tom. yes IR169 and JR169 are the same unit. the “I” and “J” are interchangeable in the German language. and yes it is very confusing. if you post a picture up it may confirm that they belonged to company 4 of IR169. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 1 August , 2022 Share Posted 1 August , 2022 Have a look at this thread. Very interesting and he features his grand dads binos. ( page 5) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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