german Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 231

[TJames]

Good Evening!

 

I am researching a German soldier by the name of Johann August Lienemann KIA 25 June 1918 and who is buried in Fricourt, he was a member of the Nr. 231 Infantry regiment from the 50. Reserve-Division and the points of interest are during the times of the 7th April 1918 -  5th July 1918 and around the areas of the Somme, Ancre and Avre. I was wondering if anyone had any details of the Regiments position during these times or any other details, unfortunately these are all the details I currently have.

 

Many Thanks!

 

TJames

 

PS: I have attached a link to Lienemanns personal death record from Oldenburg, I made sense of some of it but my German really is no good. Maybe it'll help

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/60648/42842_34olsr^49^1918_00240?pid=12372&backurl=http://search.ancestry.co.uk//cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DwNf563%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26gss%3Dangs-c%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26msT%3D1%26gsfn%3DJohann%20August%20%26gsfn_x%3D0%26gsln%3DLienemann%20%26gsln_x%3D0%26msypn__ftp%3DOldenburg,%20Lower%20Saxony,%20Germany%26msypn%3D31934%26msypn_PInfo%3D7-%7C0%7C1652381%7C0%7C3253%7C0%7C30336%7C0%7C31934%7C0%7C0%7C0%7C%26MSAV%3D1%26msbdy%3D1892%26msbpn__ftp%3DOldenburg,%20Lower%20Saxony,%20Germany%26msbpn%3D31934%26msbpn_PInfo%3D7-%7C0%7C1652381%7C0%7C3253%7C0%7C30336%7C0%7C31934%7C0%7C0%7C0%7C%26msddy%3D1918%26msdpn__ftp%3DFricourt,%20Somme,%20Picardie,%20France%26msdpn%3D243789%26msdpn_PInfo%3D8-%7C0%7C1652381%7C0%7C5087%7C0%7C30324%7C0%7C202126%7C243789%7C0%7C0%7C%26cpxt%3D1%26cp%3D6%26catbucket%3Drstp%26uidh%3Dur7%26pcat%3D34%26h%3D12372%26db%3DOldenburgDeaths%26indiv%3D1%26ml_rpos%3D2&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=wNf563&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true

  

[Simon_Fielding]

I always start with this book and look for the Div:

 

https://archive.org/details/historiesoftwohu00unit

 

 

[Simon_Fielding]

p.493 50th Res Div, 99th Res Bde

 

1918.
1. The 50th Reserve Division was withdrawn from line south of Marcoing on the
31st of Januan.-, the neighboring divisions extending their fronts, and went to the
area east of Cambrai, where it received training in open warfare.
Picardy.
2. On the 13th of March the division marched from Cagnoncles via Carni^res and
Catteniferes to Esnes, and on the 17th proceeded to Villers Outr^aux. On the 20th
it came into line southwest of Cambrai and took part in the attack of the 2l8t. The division suffered ^ ery heavy losses and was relieved by the 9th Reserve Division on the
22d, going to rest at Li^ramont (northeast of P^ronne).
 

3. On the 23d the divisioJi followed u]) the advance behind the 9th lleserve Division via St. Pie^re-^'aast wood (24th), Rancourt-Oombles (25th), Montauban (26th),
Fricoiirt (27th), and on the following: day went into line southwest of Albert, carrying
out an unsuccessful attack. In another attack against the ridge west of Dernancourt
on April 5 the division was beaten back A\-ith heavy losses. It was relieved on the
9th and went to rest at Maricourt.
4. During the night of April 17-18 it relieved the 18th Division near Morlancourt
(south of Albert). It was relieved by the 199th Di\dsion early in May and went to
rest and refit in the Solesmes area.
5. On the 24th of May it traveled by rail to Montaubaji (south of Albert), marched
Ada ^laricourt to Garnoy the following day, and came into line during the night of
May 27th-28th south of Albert. It was relieved by the 54th Reser\:e Division on
June 28 and went to rest- near Cambrai.
SOISSONS.
6. On the 19th of July the division entrained at Le Cateau and traveled via St.
Quentin to Chauny, where it was loaded on trucks and sent to the Foret de Pinon.
On the 28th it relieved the 20th Division near Buzancy (south of Soissons). Here it
was gradually forced to retire toward the northeast, w^as finally withdrawn to the north
of Braine about the 20th of August, and went to the region between Laval and Laon.
 

[TJames]

Thanks for that Simon I really appreciate it! I never knew you could get these kinda records on a English/American website, very interesting document. I think my next step will be contacting Oldenburg records office and see if they have any personal details on Lienemann and hopefully a picture. I wish I could go to Oldenburg and look through the documents myself but unfortunately its hard being so far away...being in England and all.  

 

Many Thanks!

 

TJames

[The Prussian]

Hello!

here we have the detailed list of battles of that division:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/50._Reserve-Division_(Deutsches_Kaiserreich)

[TJames]

Thanks for the link! I've contacted the archives in Oldenburg so now I'll wait and see what they suggest on where I can find information for Lienemann 

[AOK4]

Hello,

 

According to his death certificate, he died near Dernaucourt, but this is Dernancourt, just to the Southwest of Albert. He died beacause of a stomach wound beacuse of a mine (mortar).

Unfortunately no relevant sources are available at the German military archives and there is no regimental history for RIR 231.

 

Jan

[TJames]

Thanks very much for that Jan! I've found a few documents that have sent me down a few corridors so hopefully it'll all start to come together as a personal story. I visited his grave last week whilst I was on a trip to the Somme and I am still taken back by how many men there are in Fricourt German Cemetery, 4 men per cross along with 4 mass graves up the end of the cemetery. Although I have visited this cemetery over the last few years I had noticed how the crosses had become dull and hard too read, fortunately this year they had all been painted Jet Black with re-done letters which really added to the atmosphere of the place. Not sure who did the crosses although I assume it was the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge.

 

TJames