lukelhm Posted 26 May , 2020 Share Posted 26 May , 2020 Hello everyone! I got this in my possession for a while, it belonged to my great grandfather. I don't speak German, so it is really hard to understand what it says, mainly the part written by hand. As far I understood, he was in Champage and Flanders, but not more than that. I will be very pleased if someone can help me with these (and understand more about my family heritage). Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukelhm Posted 26 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 26 May , 2020 @GreyC sorry, but maybe I will need your help. I just saw how you helped @Tomb1302. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans k. Posted 26 May , 2020 Share Posted 26 May , 2020 (edited) I had a quick look at the documents and would need more time to decipher most of it. The handwriting is mostly the old Kursiv script with some italic thrown in and is a bit tricky to read. His name was Emil Lehmann, his rank was driver, and he was born in a place called Clementinenhoff in Cholm, Poland on December 13 1896. On one document it says Russian Poland. I think his religion is listed in one area as ev (Evangelisch) which would be Protestant. He was of the Jahresklasse 1917 and entered service on January 10 1917 at the 1st Recruit-Depot for the Fussartillerie Ersatz Batl. Nr. 2 (Heavy Artillery). His father was a farmer named Ludwig and his mother's maiden name looks like Betker. He was specially trained as a driver of something that I can't decipher. I'll have a better look at it later. I hope this was of some help. Hans Edited 26 May , 2020 by Hans k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 26 May , 2020 Share Posted 26 May , 2020 Hello, He was Jahresklasse 1916 (the year in which one became 20). The Militärpaß (it is an "ß" or "ss", not a "k") is the Zweitschrift (or copy as the original was burnt according to the writing). Nice to see a matching pair (pass and pay book). The pay book was what every soldier held on his person, while the passes were usually stored somewhere behind the line. Also remarkable is that he was only called up in January 1917 (his class was called up in the second half of 1915). His parents (and himself as well probably) were living in Przellenk, Kreis Neidenburg. A Rudolf Lehmann was still living in Przellenk in 1939. Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 26 May , 2020 Share Posted 26 May , 2020 2 hours ago, Hans k. said: He was specially trained as a driver of something that I can't decipher. Als Fahrer vom Sattel - a horse mounted Driver rather than a vehicle Driver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukelhm Posted 26 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 26 May , 2020 WOW! Thanks a lot. I tried to decipher what it says for years, and I asked so many people in here (I live in Argentina, there are lots of German speakers, but no one could understand much). What really triggers me is the fact that he is German (Militärpass, Soldbuch, Reichpass all German ones), but says he was born in Clementinenhof, Cholm, Poland (as in 1896 it was part of Russia if I'm not wrong). Even though, after 1920 he went to Gelsenkirchen with all his family and in 1923 he departured to Brazil until settle in Argentina by 1930. If you want, I can post his Reichpass as well (and his mother's Reichpass). All this information is really new as he never spoke about that with his children (they never asked though), and he passed away even before my father was born. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukelhm Posted 26 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 26 May , 2020 3 hours ago, AOK4 said: Hello, He was Jahresklasse 1916 (the year in which one became 20). The Militärpaß (it is an "ß" or "ss", not a "k") is the Zweitschrift (or copy as the original was burnt according to the writing). Nice to see a matching pair (pass and pay book). The pay book was what every soldier held on his person, while the passes were usually stored somewhere behind the line. Also remarkable is that he was only called up in January 1917 (his class was called up in the second half of 1915). His parents (and himself as well probably) were living in Przellenk, Kreis Neidenburg. A Rudolf Lehmann was still living in Przellenk in 1939. Jan All I know is that when they came to Argentina, all of his siblings came as well with his parents (they went back to Germany the following year and Ludwig died in 1936, I don't know where), except for a sister that decided to stay in Germany (as she already had a family there). I know they were in touch until Germany was divided after WW2 and the communication was lost forever. So, maybe that Rudolf is Emil's uncle? Who knows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans k. Posted 26 May , 2020 Share Posted 26 May , 2020 I was confused about the Jahresklasse. On one pass it says 1916 and on the other it looks like 1917. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukelhm Posted 26 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 26 May , 2020 Could it be as he was born on December 13th? It does not make sense, but it is a possibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 26 May , 2020 Share Posted 26 May , 2020 40 minutes ago, lukelhm said: Could it be as he was born on December 13th? It does not make sense, but it is a possibility. indeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 27 May , 2020 Share Posted 27 May , 2020 16 hours ago, charlie2 said: Als Fahrer vom Sattel - a horse mounted Driver rather than a vehicle Driver. "Als Fahrer vom Sattel und Bock". So he was certified both, as a trained driver from the horse-saddle AND the limber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukelhm Posted 18 June , 2020 Author Share Posted 18 June , 2020 Well, I attached his Reichpass and his marriage certificate. And I am still confused how he, being born in Cholm (part of Russia in the 1896, and even part of Poland), he is German and even his mother (was born in the same place) needed a "visa" to go to Poland after the WW1 has finished. I know this part is not part of WW1 anymore, but we were such a helper with me! I am really gratefull with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 19 June , 2020 Share Posted 19 June , 2020 They were married on 22 april 1920 in Grodtken/East Prussia (Now Grodki, Poland) He is described as an "Ansiedlersohn", the son of an Ansiedler, a settler. Don't quite know what exactly that meant in 1920's East Prussia though. His mother, who lived in Baumgarten near Rastenburg, East Prussia (Now Ogródki near Kętrzyn, Poland), and couldn't write, was German, so, if those were the rules back then, she would need a visa to visit Poland, a newly formed independant state. Visa was issued in the Polish consulate in Königsberg, now Kaliningrad/Russia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 19 June , 2020 Share Posted 19 June , 2020 Oh, and they both lived in Gross Przellenk / Przelek Duzy, which is just down the road from Grodtken / Gródki where they were married On Google streetview you can see what it looks like now (don't expect a big city.... ;-) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukelhm Posted 20 June , 2020 Author Share Posted 20 June , 2020 5 hours ago, JWK said: They were married on 22 april 1920 in Grodtken/East Prussia (Now Grodki, Poland) He is described as an "Ansiedlersohn", the son of an Ansiedler, a settler. Don't quite know what exactly that meant in 1920's East Prussia though. His mother, who lived in Baumgarten near Rastenburg, East Prussia (Now Ogródki near Kętrzyn, Poland), and couldn't write, was German, so, if those were the rules back then, she would need a visa to visit Poland, a newly formed independant state. Visa was issued in the Polish consulate in Königsberg, now Kaliningrad/Russia I knew about Grodtken and Pr Zellenk, but I thought that "Baumgarten" was elsewhere (I found on the internet a place with that name in Germany right now), but now it makes more sense that your Baumgarten is the correct one.. I think that when it mentions Ansiedlersohn, maybe it is because of his father, and that might be a reason why he was German even though he was born in what is now Chelm (near Lublin), a Russian land back in those years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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