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Remembered Today:

How many Germans left the UK to join the German Army in 1914?


Derek Black

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5 hours ago, GreyC said:

As he served with a Bavarian unit and his name and unit are known, you could find his military career and biographical data in his Stammliste at Ancestry, access assumed.

GreyC

Only his Kriegsstammliste entry is on Ancestry (unless I am looking in the wrong place), which doesn‘t add very much. For what ever reason he is recorded as single and I can‘t find a record of his marriage in either the German or English records. He doesn‘t appear on the 1911 census either.
Charlie

 

5BC37E9A-F884-4F90-A78D-88B6354133B7.jpeg

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According to the Regiment History Ltn.d.R Fischer died rather differently to the 3 bullets quoted in the newspaper.

“On the evening of the 30th September as the 1st Ammunition Column of the (Regiment’s) 2nd Division was under cover on the eastern side of the Déniécourt Château grounds they came under artillery fire and a limber received a direct hit. The Officer Commanding the Column, Lt.d.R Karl Fischer, who was standing next to it was torn to shreds. He was the Regiment‘s first Officer to die for his fatherland.“

Charlie

44F55FBC-C8E7-49E3-81F5-0061B7F0F1E4.jpeg

Edited by charlie2
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5 hours ago, Gunner Bailey said:

 

 

 

Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate & Cheriton Herald 15 August 1914

 

5 hours ago, Gunner Bailey said:

I have a copy of a photo taken in Sandgate - Folkestone of Austrian men being marched under guard. Dated 13 or 18 August 1914.

I don't remember the context but probably marching to internment after arriving in Folkestone to try to get home.

 

913147389_Austriannationals.jpg.a45e8b1aa36d5027c146774cfe608612.jpg

Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate & Cheriton Herald 15 August 1914

image.png.5cc57f4ec499c612e37b39b3f89436dd.png

Edited by Kath
Slow PC
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1 hour ago, Derek Black said:

Dai,

Yes, that does seem to be the window of opportunity for men to successfully get back to join the German and Austrian armies.
How many did so would be interesting to know.

Cheers
Derek.

Yes, agreed.

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My German great-grandfather Arno Bierast had started a new job in Helsingfors (Helsinki) at the beginning of July 1914. Since Finland was still under Imperial Russian rule at that time, he was therefore at a similar risk of internment to the Germans and Austrians in Britain. A reference letter from his then employer was included in a CV which he drew up around 1934 (when his trade union career was abruptly ended by the national socialist government). It appears that he gave his notice on 28th July 1914, "in order to fight for his fatherland". We do not know how he made his way back to Germany, but his CV states that he signed up as a war volunteer with Saxon Feldartillerie-Regiment 48 in Dresden on 24th August.

3_Arno_CV_reference_Dahlberg.jpg.a3a2ec59cc30804c6098b945da6c2f68.jpg

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2 hours ago, charlie2 said:

Only his Kriegsstammliste entry is on Ancestry

well done, though Charlie! He was a one year volunteer and was listed with the Bezirkskommando Munich. His father was a factory-owner, so maybe he was his father representative in GB.

GreyC

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1 hour ago, Kath said:

Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate & Cheriton Herald 15 August 1914

 

Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate & Cheriton Herald 15 August 1914

image.png.5cc57f4ec499c612e37b39b3f89436dd.png

Many thanks Kath - great find. That pins the photo to the 13th August 1914.

Edited by Gunner Bailey
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Well found Charlie,

I wonder if the three bullets story was just that, a bit like the standard "shot through the heart", "died instantly" stuff relatives were often told.

That's good detail Kath. It now makes me wonder how many were picked up in August at all the UK's ports.

Cheers,
Derek

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Having now looked in the newspapers for other stories about recalled reservists or men leaving the UK to join the German/Austrian army, there is a well reported court case in the December, of the former German consul at Sunderland.

The former consul, Nicholaus Emil Hermann Ahlers, a naturalised British subject, went to the local German men and encouraged them to join the German army.  He filled out visas and paid the travel costs of 20 to make the trip direct from Sunderland, including rail fares and food costs. 2 however refused to go.
He was sentenced to death for high treason, his defence in the appeal stated was there was no restriction in doing what he did at the time as there was no state of war between Britain and Germany at that time. He did it out of patriotism.
Shortly thereafter he was released from Durham gaol, under instruction from the Home Office.

These 18 men made the journey in that previously stated window of opportunity.

Cheers,
Derek.

Edited by Derek Black
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Interesting events at Folkestone.

Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate & Cheriton Herald 08 August 1914:

image.png.5c7856f5242c41b404e7ff8a612a87a7.png

Edited by Kath
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Thanks for finding that Kath. It appears that a number did get back to mainland Europe before the UK started arresting people. As this event happened on the Monday evening the authorities could not intervene. Tuesday (4th) being the day the UK declared war, of course. I would assume these men were probably mainly from London.

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Good find Kath, very interesting.

Cheers,
Derek.

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429 hits with "London" as search term in the German casualty lists.

I'm not aware that there was/is a "London" in Germany.  

 

edit:

with other search terms like "Engl." or "Liverpool" etc., you will find some more.

It certainly does't mean that all of them left England just before the outbreak of WWI, but I think it gives you a rough idea how many imperial German soldiers were born/lived in England.

Edited by Amberg
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Amberg, that's good info on those with a U.K. birth or address.

Seems the christmas truce letters home weren't exaggerating with the mention of former U.K. resident Germans met in no man's land. 

Cheers, Derek. 

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5 hours ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

Hell. England!:lol:

Having passed through Hull on the way to the ferry Quite a few times, it is probably a better name for the place :)

A  few  miles  away  from here there are villages called Elend (misery), Sorge (worry) and Freiheit (Freedom) :)

 

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