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Help research a WW1 German Soldier's Dog Tag


Sepoy

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Whereas I am well practiced in researching WW1 British and Commonwealth Soldiers, researching a WW1 German Soldiers is another matter. Accordingly, I would be most grateful for any assistance in researching the attached dog tag.

The chap in question is Alfred Bednorz who was born on 9th July, 1897 and was a resident of Lessingstr.10, Hindenberg, (Prussia?). I believe that the G.R.11 indicates that Alfred was in the Grenadier Regiment No.11, but other than that I am stuck. Details as to where the Regiment served would also be nice.

I have also discovered Alfred mentioned in German Casualty lists published on Ancestry. Needless to say, these are in German and any help translating them would be gratefully received.
The first document was published on 13th January, 1915.

 

0050.jpg

31924_b042321-00063a_edited-3.jpg

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The second document is dated 7 August, 1915 and the last is dated 22nd January, 1917.

Many thanks for all your help

Sepoy

31924_b042321-00552a_edited-3.jpg

BEDNORZ1.jpg

A close up of the 1917 document.
 

BEDNORZ1A_edited-1.jpg

Edited by Sepoy
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Hello,

 

The ancestry verlustlisten are incomplete.

 

The man served first in the 8th company of Grenadier-Regiment 11 and later belonged to the Nachrichten-Zug of the II. Batallion (same regiment).

 

In the first scan he is mentioned as missing, but this is corrected by the secong as having returned to his unit (it was not uncommon for soldiers to go missing during diffuse combats and end up with other units (or to hide away) and turn up again when it was calm). The third scan shows him as being lightly wounded.

 

He is mentioned a fourth time in the Verlustlisten in september 1918: http://des.genealogy.net/search/show/8830204. This time he is again missing. I couldn't find any later mentionings nor a file with the Red Cross.

 

Hindenburg (in Upper Silesia) is nowadays Zabrze in Poland.

 

Jan

Edited by AOK4
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In the list of 27.11.1918 he is reported as previously missing but now PoW. He is listed again in the list dated 11.06.1919 as a released PoW currently in the Fortress Hospital Breslau. For both these entries he is listed as 2. Nachrichtenzug.

 

Nachrichtenzug = Signal Pl

 

Charlie

Edited by charlie2
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13 minutes ago, charlie2 said:

In the list of 27.11.1918 he is reported as previously missing but now PoW. He is listed again in the list dated 11.06.1919 as a released PoW currently in the Fortress Hospital Breslau. For both these entries he is listed as 2. Nachrichtenzug.

 

Nachrichtenzug = Signal Pl

 

Charlie

 

You're right, I had overlooked the two later notifications.

 

Jan

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12 minutes ago, charlie2 said:

Grenadier Regiment 11 was part of 11. Infanterie Division, the basic movements of the Division can be followed here

 

https://archive.org/stream/historiesoftwohu00unit#page/196/mode/2up

and

http://wiki-de.genealogy.net/11._Division_(Alte_Armee)#cite_note-Lezius-5

 

Hello,

 

Grenadier-Regiment 11 was not in the 11. Infanterie-Division any more from November 1916 onwards, it was engaged in Macedonia from late 1916 until early 1918 and then in the West as part of the 117. Infanterie-Division.

 

Jan

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Jan and Charlie
Thank you so much for filling in the spaces in my research and for translating the documents. It just shows what a fantastic group of people make up this Forum.
Best regards
Sepoy (Trevor)

Edited by Sepoy
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