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Remembered Today:

German Nurses in Palestine


stevenbecker

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Mates,

 

I wonder what you have on a number of German Nurses sent to Palestine during the war?

 

'Princess Brigitte Reuss    Nurse    att Ottoman Red Cross (Cresant) hosp 

 

Koch Paula     Nurse    Hosp unit         daughter of Chief Eng Schellens 
 

Baroness Veronika von Wechmar    Nurse    att Ottoman Red Cross (Cresant) hosp 

 

Cheers


S.B

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There is an interesting article here http://www.palestine-studies.org/jq/fulltext/195195 which describes the Medical Mission at Hafir-el-Auja

quote: The nursing team consisted of four German deaconesses: Sophie, Louisa, Hannah and Lena. They were from the Prussian Kaiserwerth Hospital of the Knights of the Order of St John (a 60-bed hospital in Beirut …..)
 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auja_al-Hafir#/media/File:Turkish_military_town_of_Hafir_el_Aujah,_the_principal_desert_base,_1916.jpg

 

There is still a lot to be seen at this site even today and the local WW1 Heritage Society paid a visit there only a few months ago

 

P1070089.JPG.58ba579eba5b49a65fee360b405afb6e.JPG

The main building on the hill overlooking the wells, the Ottoman camp, the railway line and station

 

P1070102.JPG.e8ab0424f6db8e3e63c8a87d56497450.JPG

The remains of one of the Ottoman building in their base at the foot of the steps

 

P1070112.thumb.JPG.cb08557ffcb9b56d23c8a74dbd496ecf.JPG

The steps leading down from the main building on the hill to the general area of the Ottoman base

 

P1070091.JPG.12e081647348bb71c3e7af3d61b974dc.JPG

The remains of a Byzantine basilica in the foreground and behind the trees, the water tower serving the Ottoman railway line

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Re-reading your op Steve, I think that I originally miss-interpreted it

You're looking for information only on these three specific ladies?

Edited by michaeldr
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11 hours ago, stevebecker said:

Princess Brigitte Reuss    Nurse    att Ottoman Red Cross (Cresant) hosp 

 

Possibly the daughter of Heinrich XXV:

born 31 January 1889 - Altona,

died  7 January 1929 - Groß-Krausche,

age at death: 39 years old

(possibly also related to Oberleutnant z S. Prinz Reuss who is seen in the background of the first photograph here http://www.gallipoli1915.de/naval-support-command

[in the right foreground Admirals Usedom and Märten])

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Michael,

 

No worries mate any details on these nurses with the Ottoman Army is of interest.

 

I noticed a Photo of German Airman that had these nurses with them at a dinner. And with so little details on the German hosps used in this area any look at them is gold.

 

I did find another nurse

 

Ingelfingen Marie zu Hohenlohe    Nurse Sister    unknown Medical unit         died 17-5-18 grave at Tarabya Istanbul 
 

No details on her or her death?

 

Cheers


S.B

Edited by stevebecker
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Tarabya is the site of the old (Crimean-era) Royal Naval hospital at Therapia, and if I recall aright there is a Forum Pal local to the cemetery there. Can't recall his name though.

 

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Hi Steve, here is a nurse’s grave in Istanbul, taken in 2017. (I will look later if I photographed Marie’s grave.)

 

This link has more photos from that day: 

Can you share the photo of the German airmen and nurses?

 

 

84C5D2CE-F5BA-4F4D-8392-FF377DD5B8A8.jpeg

Edited by b3rn
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12 hours ago, stevebecker said:

Ingelfingen Marie zu Hohenlohe    Nurse Sister    unknown Medical unit         died 17-5-18 grave at Tarabya Istanbul 

 

This website should be of help
quote:
Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen Marie Agnes Prinzessin zu, Krankenschwester, born 27.09.1883 Koschentin, Lublinetz and died 17.05.1918 im Etappen Laz II, Konstantinopel, Fernaki.  Was with the military mission in Turkey and died „an Fleckfieber“ [typhus fever]
Her full name was Maria Agnes Amelie Elise zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen and she was the youngest of 5 children from Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm Eduard Alexander zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen, a Prussian general and lord of Koschentin and countess Anna Caroline Louise Amalie Auguste von Giech
Buried at Istanbul-Tarabya (Deutsche Kriegsgräberstätte), Türkei
(from https://germannursesofthegreatwar.wordpress.com/the-list/)

Edited by michaeldr
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16 hours ago, b3rn said:

84C5D2CE-F5BA-4F4D-8392-FF377DD5B8A8.jpeg

 

from the same website: https://germannursesofthegreatwar.wordpress.com/the-list/

Gagern Elisabeth von, Rot Kreuz Schwester, born 6/8/1887 and died 2/5/1916 at Constantinopel, mentioned as gestorben bei der Kriegspflege“
We know that she particpated in a tour to the POW camps in Russia together with Generaloberin Mathilde Freiin von Horn, Alexandrine Gräfin von Üxkull-Gyllenband, Erika von Passow, Magdalene von Walsleben und Oberin Emma von Bülow in 1915/1916, they had to check on the circumstances in which the men lived, if they were able to practice their religion and if they were buried in good circumstances when needed.  We know that in 1916 she also had a meeting with Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia on the matter of the POW camps.
Buried at Istanbul-Tarabya (Deutsche Kriegsgräberstätte), Türkei

Edited by michaeldr
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Another German nurse buried at Tarabya

details from the same list as above: https://germannursesofthegreatwar.wordpress.com/the-list/

Hof Clara, Krankenschwester, died 9/10/1917
Buried at Sammelgrab 1
Istanbul-Tarabya (Deutsche Kriegsgräberstätte), Türkei

 

edit to add: for some reason she is recorded as Nurse Court Clara 09/10/1917 “Collecting grave 1” on this website

http://www.denkmalprojekt.org/2015/istanbul-tarabya(deutsche-kriegsgraeberstaette_tr.html

Edited by michaeldr
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Thanks Michael, hadn’t come across that website before.

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When looking at the staffing of the medical units on the Ottoman side in the Palestine campaign it is worth remembering

a] that they made use of the facilities in Jerusalem provided by various Christian religious orders; German, Austrian and others 
and b] that up until their entry on the Allied side in late 1917, there was also an American contribution to the Turkish effort in this theatre 

 

00026v.jpg
00027v.jpg [note the American flag]
00028v.jpg
00029v.jpg
00030v.jpg
00031v.jpg

 

Four Christian sisters at Hafir (as mentioned in post No.2 above)
00045v.jpg

 

Beersheva
00143v.jpg

 

Beit Hanun
00156v.jpg

 

Jerusalem
00091v.jpg
00092v.jpg
00104v.jpg
00211v.jpg

 

 

Mr Whiting was at some time the US Consul in Jerusalem and with his wife, he helped in recruiting nursing staff for the Ottomans, from the American colony in that city
http://memory.loc.gov/phpdata/pageturner.php?type=contactminor&cmIMG1=/pnp/ppmsca/13700/13709/00244t.gif&agg=ppmsca&item=13709&caption=243

 

see also http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/americancolony/amcolony-ww1.html#obj32b

in particular the third illustration, which is a photograph of a list of  thirty 'Names of Nurses From the American Colony'

Edited by michaeldr
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Mickael,

 

I was wondering what a number of German units were shown on the graves?

 

Borch Heinrich von d.    ESK6b

 

Geuther Paul    Dvr    EBSK3.
 

 

I was thinking they maybe a Sqn (SK) or company (K) 

 

Any ideas?

 

Cheers

 

S.B

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Steve,

 

ESK is the abbreviation for Eisenbahnsonderkommando 
which translates as “special railroad service command”

 

EBSK does not seem to be covered here http://www.znaci.net/00002/323.pdf
(NB: this list is WWII and WWI could well have been different, or, perhaps there is a transcription error?)

 

EDIT to add: on reflection, EBSK could be just a variation of ESK with the B of 'bahn' added

 

regards

Michael

Edited by michaeldr
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Mate,

 

Thank you

 

I was thinking they maybe from the Ottoman Sqn's (Tayyare Boluk (Aircraft Company) but that puts pay to that idea.

 

Is that the same for this man's unit?

 

Mertens Johann    Utffz.    EBBK 34/48
 

Cheers

 

S.B

Edited by stevebecker
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  • 3 years later...

Are you still looking for information about the nurses Paula Koch, Brigitte von Reuss und Veronika von Wechmar?

I have some informations about them an Feldfliegerabteilung 300.

 

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Tagging @stevebecker to alert him to your post.

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On 01/07/2018 at 02:52, stevebecker said:

Mertens Johann    Utffz.    EBBK 34/48

EBBK = Eisenbahn Baukompagnie - Railway Construction Company

Charlie

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Charlie,

Thanks mate, I had still not found what that unit was.

Still have not found that unit in Turkey with a number of Rail units used as Ottoman Railways were very poor, and supplies had to flow to Mespotania, Caucasus and Palestine by one rail line.

Eike

I have only found German nurses in a number of hosp threw out the Ottoman Empire, not with fighting units, here is a list of some nurses I have found

Appinger Ernestine    Schwester / Nurse Sister    Feldlazarett 219 - (219th Field Hosp)    1917-18    vermißt MIA 20-9-18 possibly PoW

Bordasch Walter    Krankenwärter / Nurse    Military mission - Deutsche Militär-Mission Konstantinopel    1917-18     (1899 at Königsberg DoD 1-10-18 or DoD 9-10-18) Krankheit (illness) grave in German war cemetery at Tarabya Istanbul 

Didszun Magdalena    Krankenwärter / Nurse    German missionary - German nurse from Hadjin    1915-    also recognized the danger for the Armenians

Elvers Eva    Krankenwärter / Nurse    German Red Cross nurse observations in Erzingjan and on their journey to Sivas    1915-    also recognized the danger for the Armenians

Fengel Alfred    Krankenwärter / Nurse    146th Regt - 1Bn - 4Co - Infanterie-Regiment 146    1917-18    (1894 ) vermißt MIA 30-4-18 possibly PoW in fighting at 2nd Es Salt 

Fruhstorfer Therese    Krankenwärter / Nurse    KUK Pharmacists Salzburgese Army Nurse (Apotheker)    1915-18    KUK awarded Ottoman War Medal  (not identified?) 

Gäbler Erich    Krankenwärter / Nurse    Military mission - Deutsche Militär-Mission Konstantinopel    1917-18     (1895 at Breslau DoD 8-10-18) Krankheit (illness) of pneumonia an Lungenentzündung im Etappen Laz II Konstantinopel Fernaki grave in German war cemetery at Tarabya Istanbul 

Gagern Elisabeth von    Rot-Kreuz Schwester / Nurse Sister    part tour to the PoW camps in Russia 10-15 together with Generaloberin Mathilde Freiin von Horn - Alexandrine Gräfin von Üxkull-Gyllenband and Erika von Passow & Magdalene von Walsleben & Oberin Emma von Bülow    1915-16    (born 1887 DoD 2-5-16) Krankheit (illness) grave in German war cemetery at Tarabya Istanbul (Deutsche Kriegsgräberstätte) gestorben bei der Kriegspflege (died while nursing) 

Gebauer Bruno    Krankenwärter / Nurse    medical unit im Deutschen Krankenhaus    1917-18     (born at Großenhain Sachsen DoD 8-6-18) Krankheit (illness) of typhus im Deutschen Krankenhaus grave in German war cemetery at Tarabya Istanbul an Fleckfieber

Hannah    Krankenwärter / Nurse    American Red Cross field hospital in Hafir-el-Auja 1915 Feldlazarett     1915-18    German deaconesses from the Prussian Kaiserwerth Hospital of the Knights of the Order of St John (a 60-bed hospital in Beirut)

Hof Clara    Krankenschwester / Nurse    Krankenschwester / Nurse Sister unknown medical unit    1917-    (died 9-10-17) grave in German war cemetery at Tarabya Istanbul cause not stated? Sammelgrab 1 (not identified)? 

Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen Maria Agnes Amelie Elise Prinzessin zu    Rot-Kreuz Krankenschwester / Nurse     Military Mission in Turkey Medical unit     1917-18    (1883 at Koschentin Lublinetz DoD 17-5-18) Krankheit (illness) Fleckfieber (typhus) im Etappen Laz II Konstantinopel Fernaki grave in German war cemetery at Tarabya Istanbul Prinzessin zu, Krankenschweste (youngest child of General Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm Eduard Alexander zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen)

Jablinski Augustas    Krankenwärter / Nurse    Medical unit (not identified)?     1917-18    (born 1891 DoD 29-12-18) in the Laz Skutari cause not stated? grave in German war cemetery at Tarabya Istanbul Sammelgrab 2 (not identified)? 

Klatt M    Schwester Nurse    Etappenlazarett    1915-16    (not identified)?

Koch Paula     Krankenwärter / Nurse    Hosp unit Feldlazarett     1915-18    daughter of Chief Eng Schellens (not identified) 

Krause Liesbeth    Schwester / Nurse sister    Feldlazarett 219 - (219th Field Hosp)    1917-18    vermißt MIA 20-9-18 possibly PoW

Lena    Krankenwärter / Nurse    American Red Cross field hospital in Hafir-el-Auja 1915 Feldlazarett     1915-18    German deaconesses from the Prussian Kaiserwerth Hospital of the Knights of the Order of St John (a 60-bed hospital in Beirut)

Lochter Wilhelm    Krankenwärter / Nurse    1. Gemischte Ersatz-Abteilung "Pascha II" - Sanit Co     1917-18     (1886 at Schnellwald Neustadt i Schles DoD 9-10-18) Krankheit (illness) 

Louisa    Krankenwärter / Nurse    American Red Cross field hospital in Hafir-el-Auja 1915 Feldlazarett     1915-18    German deaconesses from the Prussian Kaiserwerth Hospital of the Knights of the Order of St John (a 60-bed hospital in Beirut)

Mersch Armand    Krankenwärter / Nurse    Military Mission Kstpl. - Konstantinopel    1917-18     (born at Mülhausen i. Els DoD 8-3-18) Krankheit (illness) of typhus in the Red Cross hospital Constantinople grave in German war cemetery at Tarabya Istanbul 

Möhring Laura    Krankenwärter / Nurse    German mission nurse    1915-    also recognized the danger for the Armenians

Pfeiffer Klara    Krankenwärter / Nurse    German nurse at Mesereh    1915-    also recognized the danger for the Armenians

Ragip Erica (Erika Bey) (real name Anna Schwarz)     Krankenschwester / Nurse Sister    Ottoman medical unit (The Graf Hochberg Hospital) near Kumköy on Bigali-Yalova road. Feldlazarett     1914-15    (Born Liesing Vienna KIA 26-9-15) also reported KIA 17-12-15 shown German wife (real name Anna Schwarz an Austrian) of Stabsarzt Dr Capt Ragip Bey MD lost her life either by a bomb in British air raid or fatally injured by an artillery shrapnel in a Turkish hospital while helping wounded Turkish soldiers buried Turkish cemetery south of Kumköy formerly on the hospital ship Resit Pasa. who left the hospital ship to work on the peninsula because of sea sickness 

Reichau    Schwester Nurse    in Jerusalem 23-9-17    1917-18    (not identified)?

Reuß zu Köstritz Marie Brigitte Prinzessin    Krankenwärter / Nurse    att Ottoman Red Cross (Cresant) hosp Feldlazarett     1915-18    (1889 at Altona Hamburg Died 7-1-29) 

Rohner Beatrice     Krankenwärter / Nurse    Swiss nurse in German service the Hülfsbund für christliches Liebeswerk im Orient    1915-    (1876 at Basel died 9-2-47) a Swiss Protestant theologian was a teacher and orphanage mother in Maras also recognized the danger for the Armenians wrote books 

Schaefer Paula    Krankenwärter / Nurse    German nurse    1915-    also recognized the danger for the Armenians

Schermutzki Hermann    Krankenwärter / Nurse    146th Regt - 1Bn - 4Co - Infanterie-Regiment 146    1917-18    (1895 at Alt Ballupönen Darkehmen) bisher vermißt MIA 30-4-18 possibly PoW in fighting at 2nd Es Salt 

Schrampke Karl    Krankenwärter / Nurse    unknown (not identified)?    1917-18     (died 14-11-18) commemoration at Tarabya Istanbul (not identified)?

Sonnenthal-Scherer Maria    Nurse Sister    Medical unit K&K Field Hospital Beersheba    1916-    died 9-9-16 of cholera departed K&K Field Hospital Beersheba

Sophie    Krankenwärter / Nurse    American Red Cross field hospital in Hafir-el-Auja 1915 Feldlazarett     1915-18    German deaconesses from the Prussian Kaiserwerth Hospital of the Knights of the Order of St John (a 60-bed hospital in Beirut)

Touschek Annitta    Krankenwärter / Nurse    KUK Army nurse from Linz    1915-18    KUK awarded Ottoman War Medal  (not identified?) 

Weber Ingeborg    Krankenwärter / Nurse    Medical unit Istanbul     1916-    (1894 - 1962) married Donitz 27-5-16

Wechmar Veronika von     Krankenwärter / Nurse    Baroness att Ottoman Red Cross (Cresant) hosp Feldlazarett     1915-18    (born at Frankfurt a. M. ) (not identified)?

Wedel-Jarlsberg Thora von    Krankenwärter / Nurse    Red Cross Nurse from Norway observations in Erzingjan and on their journey to Sivas    1915-    (born 1863 Nord Aurdal Opland Norway died 1930) also recognized the danger for the Armenians

Zillmann    Schwester Nurse    Gemeinde-Kriegslazarett über Konstantinopel 26-8-16     1916-17    (not identified)?
 

Sorry some are male nurses. a number I show only their first names not who there family names were, was I could not find who they were.

S.B

Edited by stevebecker
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Veronika von Wechmar (Veronika Pauline Thekla)

Geboren  18.04.1868 Köslitz bei Görlitz

Gestorben 21.01.1918

Friedhof Konstanz Block 28 Grab 77b

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Death/memorial notice for Princess Maria Agnes zu Hohenlohe Ingelfingen from Wiesbadener Tagblatt, 22 May 1918 (https://hwk1.hebis.de/zeitungen-hlbrm/periodical/pageview/335249):

1093118947_Screenshot2022-04-17at15_43_22.png.5797f579d2a3024a23d64b8083aa29df.png

 

Another article says the causes of death were both typhus and pneumonia (Lungenentzündung): https://hwk1.hebis.de/zeitungen-hlbrm/periodical/pageview/360412

646607327_Screenshot2022-04-17at16_03_16.png.b3a1ceed3e5da0a94d844b99e47d9473.png

Edited by knittinganddeath
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Eike

Danke

As to the known photo of her most sourses I am told are incorrect, see this on the photo said to be with FA 300 men

"Dear Tosun Saral, merhaba!
The photographs are great!
In the picture that shows "Felmy" (i.e. Hellmuth Felmy) the short man on the left, marked by an X, is also a Felmy. He is the brother Gerhard Felmy who served in the same squadron.
The picture with the strange title "Baronesse Veronika von Wechmar and Princess Brigitte" (these wrong identifications stem from your source "I. Dunya Savasi'inde...") actually shows only one female. This lady is not a German Red Cross nurse but an Arab Red Crescent nurse. She is an Arab Catholic nun of the congregation of the "Rosary Sisters" (Rahbât el Wardiye). The patients seem to be German soldiers. I send you a real photograph of Veronika and Brigitte in the attachment.
The picture below again shows Arab Rosary Sisters serving as nurses in a Red Crescent hospital. This picture was probably taken in Hafir el Auja and not in Beersheva (turkish: Birüssabi). Similar pictures can be found in the Matson Collection of the Library of Congress.
Norbert Schwake

Cheers

S.B

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Where can I see these photos?

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