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German Unit Histories


FJ_VF168

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NÖ !

XXI Corps , Saarbrücken

59. Infantry Brigade (Saarburg)

IR 97 (Saarburg)

IR 138 (Dieuze)

Thats page 107 , IR 138 History , Erinnerungsblätter Heft 9.

But its right ...

IR 138 took part in the assault... and Joker !

Page 65 , same book mentions the Corsika ...

II Batallion , rest of I. Batallion and one Assault Company aboard the Corsika ....

Not sure what the 2nd books has as information ...

Patrick

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Guest mheilmann
Hello !

Iron Cross wont help much unless its of 1st class. Iron cross 2nd class was given away quite often.

But most helping would be the unit designation ... but for my own capabilities i have no clue what 65th battalion , 138 Infantry means .... sounds all a bit to american to me (at least not german ww1 type) ;-)

65th bataillion seems a bit to high for a normal bataillion number. Usually a regiment had 12 companies , in 3 bataillions.

Other batallions that had higher numbers been the Jäger , Reserve Jäger and Sturm Bataillions.

but none of them reached a number that high ... (so far i know)

There been some artillery units that had high batallion numbers ... (but also not that high , at least none that i know of)

i need really more specific information on that ...

Same on 138 infantry. I know Infantry Regiment 138 and there been perhaps a infantry division 138. So it would be great when you can be more precisely ... then I might help you a lot more ... ;-)

Also of help would be : Where did you got the numbers from ... ?

MY personal guess on these designation you provided is : Infantry Regiment 65 , 138. Infantry Division.

that right ?

Greetings to South Dakota

Patrick

Patrick, THANK YOU!!! for your very prompt response. I'm afraid all I have to go on is what I read in Gary Staff's Eagles Over the Baltic - Part 1 which stated:

"The forces to be landed in the Tagga Bay were the 131 Infanterie Regiment, Oberstleutnant Fischer, the 255 Inf. Regt., Oberst Berring and the 65 Brigade, Oberst Matthiass, consisting of the 138 and 17 Inf. Regt's. " I suppose I'm interested in Oberst Matthiass' unit(s). Thank you again. I hope this helps.

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Patrick--

Here's the photos of the names in my coat. There are two names, the first is too faint to make out, it starts with F. The second is very legible, it still looks like Baukes to me, but I know that older German writing is very different than today's letters.

Thanks, Rod

post-3436-1143849124.jpg

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Hi Rod !

The written is not of old style. There are 2 ways to wirte and this one is called "Schreibschrift" would be called "handwritten". The other on is siilar to computer letter and is called ´"Blockschrift" These are actual styles of handwriting. Older germany writing mostly looks really different when the wrote in fractural letters or Süterlin. (fraktural is what you mostly find in regimental histories) But thats of no interest to you i suppose ;-) In fact you are right. The name is without doubt Baukes !! A really rare name (i never would have guessed that)

The upper name is very legible yes. The F at the beginning seems to be right. Above the 2nd letter you can see cleary 1 (maybe) 2 dots. thats why i would guess the "ü" BUT another idea is that its the combnation of "ei" then the 3rd (4th) letter could be "h" or a lazy "k" (i write this style myself lol) and the last one again an "e". That would make it "Feike" also a german surename !

But on first appearance without long guessing and looking i would tend to call it "Feehi , Fuhi , Fühi" all of no sense. Also it's looking like a different handwriting than the Baukes one ! Maybe that coat changed the wearer during war !

So far my guesses

Patrick

@Friedhelm !

Good list, nice backup :-)

@ mheilmann

see email

Patrick

Patrick--

Here's the photos of the names in my coat. There are two names, the first is too faint to make out, it starts with F. The second is very legible, it still looks like Baukes to me, but I know that older German writing is very different than today's letters.

Thanks, Rod

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  • 2 weeks later...
Hello !!

If anyone is interestes in german regiments / divisions / corps of WW1 , I have the following books on CD in my hands .. so if anyone has a question just notify me and I'll see if I can help you out...

Patrick

Infanterieregiment "Generalfeldmarschall von Hindenburg" (2.masurisches) Nr. 147

Grenadier-Regiment König Wilhelm I. (2.westpreussisches.) Nr.7 1806-1918

Das (rheinisch-westfälische) Infanterieregiment Nr. 459

Sanitäter! Streiflichter aus dem Wirken des Sanitätskorps im Weltkrieg

Das K.B. 24. Infanterie Regiment

Königl. preuß. Sturm-Bataillon Nr.5 (Rohr)

Das K.B. Landsturm Infanterie Regiment Nr.2

Das K.B. 23. Feldartillerie Regiment

Das K.B. 2. Infanterie Regiment "Kronprinz"

Das K.B. 28. Infanterie Regiment

Das K.B. Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr. 1

Das K.B. Landsturm Infanterie Bataillon "Wasserburg"

Das K.B. Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr.7

Das K.B. 22. Infanterie Regiment "Fürst Wilhelm von Hohenzollern"

Das Landwehr Infanterie Regiment 29

Das (2.ermländische) Infanterie Regiment Nr 151

Das Reserve Feldartillerie Regiment Nr 58

Das K.B. Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr.17

Das K.B. Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr.21

Das K.S. Ersatz Infanterie Regiment 40 (incl Brig. Ersatz Bat. 88+89)

Maschinengewehr Scharfschützen Abteilung 22

Das K.B. 7. Infanterie Regiment "Prinz Leopold"

Das Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 120

3. unterelsässisches Infanterie Regiment Nr. 138

Das K.B. Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr.13

Infanterie Regiment "Herzog Ferdinand von Braunschweig" (8.westfälisches) Nr. 57

Das Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr. 121

Dragoner Regiment König Nr. 26 (2.württembergisches)

Feldartillerie Regiment Nr. 80 (3.oberelsässisches)

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 155 (7.westpreußisches)

Das K.B. Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr.16 "List"

Das K.B. 5. Infanterie Regiment "Großherzog Ernst Ludwig von Hessen"

Dragoner Regiment Nr.1 "Prinz Albrecht von Preußen" (litthauisches) 1717-1919

Reserve Feldartillerie Regiment 61

Das K.B. 25. Infanterie Regiment

Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 25

Das K.B. Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr.23

Das K.B. Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 10

Jäger Regiment zu Pferde 13

Königsjäger zu Pferde 1

Erinnerungen aus der Kriegsgeschichte des K.B. Landsturm Infanterie Bataillon Landshut

Jäger Bataillon Nr. 4 (magdeburgisches)

K.B. Landsturm Infanterie Bataillon Rosenheim

Reserve Infanterie Regiment 222

1. Garde Reserve Fußartillerie Regiment , 5. Batterie

Das Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 124

Das K.B. Infanterie Leib Regiment

Das K.B. 11. Infanterie Regiment

Das K.B. Landsturm Infanterie Bataillon Mindelheim

Die K.B. Gebirgs Artillerie Abteilung Nr.2

Unsere Kriegserlebnisse beim Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 8 1914-15

Das K.B. 13. Infanterie Regiment

Das K.B. 1. Infanterie Regiment "König"

Das K.B. 2. Landsturm Infanterie Bataillon Passau

Niederrheinisch-westfälischer Landsturm in Polen - Landsturm Infanterie Ersatz Bataillon 21

Das K.B. 1. Landsturm Infanterie Bataillon München

Die 6. Batterie des Feldartillerie Regiments 99 in der Herbstschlacht in der Champagne 1915

Die 5. Batterie Feldartillerie Regiment 38 bei Beuvraignes 1914

Die Landsturm Batterie VII. Armeekorps - später 1. Batterie Landwehr Feldartillerie Regiment 254

Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 3 und Landsturm Bataillon I/22

Feldartillerie Regiment Nr. 15 (1.oberelsässisches)

Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr. 37

Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 53

Landwehr Infanterie Regiment 56

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 23 von Winterfeldt (2.oberschlesisches)

Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr. 65

Landwehr Infanterie Regiment 55

Das K.B. 8. Infanterie Regiment "Großherzog Friedrich II. von Baden"

Reserve Jäger Bataillon Nr. 6

Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr. 60

Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 37

Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 30

Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr. 29

Das K.B. 9. Infanterie Regiment "Wrede"

Das K.B. 12. Infanterie Regiment "Prinz Arnulf"

Das bergische Feldartillerie Regiment Nr. 59 im Frieden und im Krieg

Das K.B. 10. Infanterie Regiment "König"

Das Jäger Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 7

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 150 (1.ermländisches)

Das Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 126

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 55 "Graf Bülow von Dennewitz" (6.westfälisches)

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 146 (1.masurisches)

Dragoner Regiment Nr. 11 (pommersches)

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 55 "Graf Bülow von Dennewitz" (6.westfälisches)

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 58 (3.posensches)

Pionier Bataillon Nr. 8 (1.rheinisches)

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 55 "Graf Bülow von Dennewitz" (6.westfälisches)

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 17 "Graf Barfuß" (4.westfälisches) Bildband

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 25 "von Lützow" (1.rheinisches)

Das K.B. 6. Infanterie Regiment "Kaiser Wilhelm, König von Preußen"

Das K.B. 14. Infanterie Regiment "Hartmann"

Jäger (Sturm) Bataillon Nr. 3 (brandenburgisches)

Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr. 208

Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 28

Reserve Feldartillerie Regiment Nr. 67

Das Reserve Dragoner Regiment

Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr. 31

Das K.B. 3. Infanterie Regiment "Prinz Karl von Bayern"

Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 6

Das württ. Gebirgsschützen Regiment

Das württ. Gebirgsschützen Regiment

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 154 (5.niederschlesisches)

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 159 (8.lothringisches)

Pionier Bataillon Nr. 11 (kurhessisches)

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 136 (4.lothringisches)

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 60 "Markgraf Karl" (7.brandenburgisches)

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 22 "Keith" (1.oberschlesisches)

Soldaten des Grabens Infanterie Regiment Nr. 28 "von Goeben" (2.rheinisches)

Das württ. Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr. 248

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 138 (3. unterelsässisches)

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 149 (6.westpreußisches)

Das K.B. 26. Infanterie Regiment

Das württ. Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr. 122

Das württ. Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 121

Das württ. Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 123

Das württ. Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 125

Das K.B. 21. Infanterie Regiment "Großherzog Friedrich Franz IV"

Das K.B. 4. Infanterie Regiment "König Wilhelm von Württemberg"

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 158 "Paderborner" (7.lothringisches) 1. Teil

Dragoner Regiment Nr. 19 (oldenburgisches)

Dem Gedächtnis des Infanterie Regiments Herzog Friedrich Wilhelm von Braunschweig (Ostfr.) Nr. 78 und seiner Töchterregimenter

Das K.B. Jäger Regiment Nr. 1 KB Jäger Bataillon 1 , KB Jäger Bataillon 2 , KB Reserve Jäger Bataillon Nr. 2

Jäger Bataillon Nr. 5 "Von Neumann" (1. Schlesisches)

Garde Pionier Bataillon und seine Kriegsverbände (Buch 2)

Die Gefechtstage des 4. Garde Regiments zu Fuß bis September 1917 +Die Gefechtstage des 4. Garde Regiments zu Fuß

Im Yorckschen Geist , Jäger Bataillon Nr. 1 "Graf Yorck von Wartenburg" (1. ostpr.)

Erinnerungen an die Reserve Sanitäts Kompanie 49

Feldartillerie Regiment Nr. 79 (3. ostpreußisches)

Feldartillerie Regiment Nr. 99

Das K.S. Reserve Infanterie Regiment 241

Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 57

Reserve Infanterie Regiment Nr. 24

Infanterie Regiment Nr. 333

Das württ. Landwehr Feldartillerie Regiment Nr. 1

The Story of the 16th Infantry in France

Ehrenlisten CD 1

Ehrenlisten CD 2

Die Gefallenen des Infanterie Regiment Voigts-Rhetz Nr. 79 (3. hannoversches)

Die Gefallenen des Garde Fussartillerie Regiments und seiner Kriegsformationen

Ehrenbuch gewidmet dem KB RIR 1 München

Das Offizierskorps des oldenburgischen IR 91 im Weltkriege

Ehrenlisten CD 3

Die Champagne Herbstschlacht 1915

Das XXV Reservekorps im Felde 1914-1916

Der Donauübergang und der Einbruch in Serbien durch das IV Reservekorps im Herbst 1915

Die Kämpfe des XXVI Reserve Korps (Grünes Korps) in Flandern 1914

Das I. Reserve Korps in der letzten Schlacht

Das IX. Reserve Korps

Das XXXXI. Reserve Korps Von der Somme zum Pripjat Bildband

Das Marine Korps in Flandern 1914 - 1918

Die 2. (württ.) Landwehr Division im Weltkrieg

Die 26. Reserve Division im Weltkrieg

Die 4. Garde Infanterie Division im Weltkrieg

Die 204. (s-w) Infanterie Division im Weltkrieg

Die 79. Reserve Division in der Schlacht auf der Vimy Höhe April 1917

Mit den Schwaben an der Ancre - Aus den Kämpfen der 26. Reserve Division

Von der Düna bis zur Putna mit der 76. Reserve Division

Die 26. (württ.) Landwehr Division im Weltkrieg

Die 5. preußische Landwehr Division im Weltkrieg

Der Anteil der 11. bayr. Infanterie Division an der Durchbruchsschlacht von Gorlice-Tarnow

Die 76. Reserve Division in der Winterschlacht in Masuren

Mit der 75. Reserve Division vom Heuberg zum Narocz-See

Eine Bilderreihe aus den Kampfgebieten der 25. Reserve Division

Mit der 18. Reserve Division in Frankreich

Die (kgl. sächs.) 14. Reserve Division im Weltkrieg

Stab der 22. Infanterie Division 1915 "Portraitmappe with 28 Portraits"

Verdun Limanowa - 47. Reserve Division

2 Kriegsjahre einer 42cm Batterie

Eine 42cm Mörser Batterie im Weltkrieg

Die Baltische Landeswehr

Der schwarze Tag (Die Nebelschlacht vor Amiens 1918)

Die deutsche Artillerie in den Durchbruchschlachten des Weltkrieges

Die deutsche Artillerie beim Angriff im Stellungskrieg

Die Stürmer vom Douaumont

Der Tag X - Die Große Schlacht in Frankreich

Zwischen Arras und Peronne

Die Waffentaten der Württemberger im Bewegungskrieg 1914

Mit meinem Bataillon im vordersten Graben

Was Mecklenburger Landsturm in Masuren erlebte (Band 1) LsIB Neustrelitz 2

Im Weltkrieg unter dem Sachsenbanner

Entwicklung der Taktik im Weltkriege

Reichsarchiv Komplett 38 Bände

Douaumont

Karpathen & Dnjesterschlacht

Antwerpen

Jildirim

Macedonien

Von Nancy bis zum Camp de Romains

St Quentin Teil I + II

Nowo Georgiewsk

Die Kämpfe um Baranowitschi

Ypern

Weltkriegsende in Mazedonien

Isonzo I + II

Die Tragödie von Verdun Teil 1

Die Tragödie von Verdun Teil 2

Die Tragödie von Verdun Teil 3 + 4

Dardanellen

Loretto

Argonnen

Tannenberg

Somme Nord Teil 1

Somme Nord Teil 2

Marnedrama Teil 1

Marnedrama Teil 2

Marnedrama Teil 3-1

Marnedrama Teil 3-2

Marnedrama Teil 4

Flandern

Osterschlacht bei Arras Teil 1

Osterschlacht bei Arras Teil 2

Gorlice

Cambrai

Deutsche Siege

Wachsende Schwierigkeiten

Reims

Schicksalswende 1918

Katastrophe des 8. August

Lüttich Namur

Die Schlacht bei Mons

Die Schlacht an der Yser und bei Ypern

Kämpfe in der Champagne

Die Schlacht bei Lodz

Die Winterschlacht in Masuren

Die Kämpfe der Bug Armee

Der Durchbruch am Narew

Die Befreiung Siebenbürgens

Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg Ergänzungsheft 1

Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg Ergänzungsheft 2

Maschinengewehr Scharfschützen im Felde MGSSAbt Nr. 54

Die Kämpfe der Landwehr Division v.d.Goltz bei Lyck am 12 + 13 September 1914

Der Kampf um Hohenstein 1914

Dei der Reserve Division Graf von Schwerin

Fotoalbum des Jäger Regiments Nr. 5

Fotoalbum des Reserve Fußartillerie Regiments Nr. 7

Tagebuch 9. / IR 73 des Uoffz. Seegers

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Hallo Patrick,

ich bin an der CD Königl. preuß. Sturm-Bataillon Nr.5 (Rohr) interessiert. Is it possible to get a copy from you? I have the histories of the 169 and 170 Infanterie Regiment

Hardy

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Hi Hardy !

Sure ... ;-)

send me an email please or a pm ... it's easier this way than through the forum.

greetings Patrick

Hallo Patrick,

ich bin an der CD Königl. preuß. Sturm-Bataillon Nr.5 (Rohr) interessiert. Is it possible to get a copy from you? I have the histories of the 169 and 170 Infanterie Regiment

Hardy

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Hello Patrick,

I couldn't see 26 maybe 76 Reserve Infantry Regiment on your list. I have an unused field post card stamped with this units name and 1 Bat. S Komp. It came from my uncle's collection of his WW1 memorabilia. When he was wounded he was covered with a German trenchcoat, I wonder if the post card was in the pocket. He was wounded on 8/8/18 at Mallard Wood near Chipilly. Can you help?

Lionboxer

Hi, Lionboxer;

Just saw this. I am quite familiar with the systems of stamps and unit designations on German military mail, so if I could see a scan of the card I could probably figure out whatever info it can confer. Typically, German Feldpost had two or three stamps on it (stamps in the sense of inked stamps, not really postage stamps.

If the card was unwritten and had one stamp with the company and battalion this probably was a card pre-stamped with the local unit designation before use, possibly they were scarce (as everything was for the Germans in 1918) and it was pre-stamped to prevent men from other units using the blank form. My father's Feldpost comments on the scarcety of stationary, and I know that my grand-father often sent him stationary.

However, 1 Bat, S Komp makes no sense. Bataillon would usually be expressed in Roman numerals; e.g., II. Batl. (but not always), and I have never seen an "S Kompagnie" or any other letter, although I have read and translated lots of German mail and military documents.

When handed in, written Feldpost would typically have the small-unit stamp, often a regimental stamp, and finally, about always, a circular divisional (or sometimes Feld=Post=Station) stamp with the date and hour, and AM or PM, of cancellation, and placed in the upper right corner of the card or letter form or envelope. The other stamps would usually be to the left and sort of all over the cover.

Finally, a Feldpost from a Prussian unit, or one following Prussian military mail regulations (Bavarian Army regs were different and did not require the Absender block), when handed in for mailing, would have to have an Absender block, which would give a great deal of info, including the name and rank of the sender, but not easily read by the non-initiate. (Kann sie Suetterlin gelesen?)

Happy to study the Feldpost form if you can get it to me. If you can post it perhaps others will chime in.

If you are wildly interested the German stamp collecting society has a working group of about 100 international members, and a quarterly newsletter of (being German) exactly 50 pages per quarter. Yearly dues only 20-25 Euros per year including international mailing of the newsletter.

Bob Lembke

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Hello Bob,

Just back online after two weeks with computer troubles. I'll try to scan the post card and post it here. Failing that (due to my technical inabilities!!) I will email you.

Lionboxer

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Guest Erika Trueman

Hi Patrick,

Your list of books on CD is impressive... I congratulate you....

I am new at military history, but have started to write my (german) family history for my (english) children. And obviously this includes the military history of my grandfathers and father. My father and my grandfathers were soldiers and I hope you can give me some information on their regiments, battles, etc. Any information, or links to particular websites would be gratefully received.

My grandfather Konrad Reinhold joined the 1st Hannoverian Infantry Regiment No 74. He was a musketeer and died at Somme-Py on 7 October 1915. I was told that his regiment travelled to Somme-Py just the day before from the 'east'. Do you know where I can find out more about his regiment and where he may have been before Somme-Py?

My grandfather Reinhard Mittelstaedt served from 16th October 1895 to 23 September 1897 in the 9th Company Infantry Regiment von Voigt Rhetz (III Hanoverian) No 79. Would he have seen active service? Was there a general conscription at the time or did he join voluntarily?

On one photo I have he wears a uniform with a number 38 on the collar. I presume this was when he became a soldier at the Great War. Any idea where I can find out more about what regiment or battles he may have been in? He survived the war and died in 1955.

Many thanks, Patrick. I have surfed the net for hours without much luck, until I found your superb list of books on CD. Hence, I thought, here is a man who may know.....

Erika

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My grandfather Reinhard Mittelstaedt served from 16th October 1895 to 23 September 1897 in the 9th Company Infantry Regiment von Voigt Rhetz (III Hanoverian) No 79. Would he have seen active service? Was there a general conscription at the time or did he join voluntarily?

On one photo I have he wears a uniform with a number 38 on the collar. I presume this was when he became a soldier at the Great War. Any idea where I can find out more about what regiment or battles he may have been in? He survived the war and died in 1955.

Erika

Hi, Erika;

I have nothing specific on your g-f Conrad, but his situation there is simpler, as you have his unit and even his date of death. You should be able to find out a lot, but probably without a specific reference to him. But you may well find a reference to the activities of his company that day. Do you know of the German grave protection society? Do you know the location of his grave?

As to Reinhard, he was probably born in 1875, so he was 39 when WK I began. He probably was, when the war started, a member of a reserve organization called the Landsturm. By that time he did not have to do to training sessions any more. Landsturm units did not generally take part in many battles, due to the lesser physical condition of the men (as the war progressed lightly disabled younger men also joined the Landsturm), so they did things like guard lines of communications, POWs, POW camps, etc.

Regular troops did not have unit numerals on their collars, but the Landsturm did, I think. (I am no expert on uniforms, some people have great knowledge of these things.) Usually they were in Roman numerals, but a high # like 38 (XXXVIII) would have been hard to fit on a collar, so maybe they had to go to Arabic numerals. I think that the Landsturm was organized by battalions, e.g., XII. Bataillon, within an army corps district. or Bezirk. Do you know where he was living in 1914? If you have a town someone here will be able to give you his army corps.

Do you read German, and Suetterlin? Do you have any little booklets about, 20 to 40 pages, say about 2 1/2" by 4 1/2", in different colors, like blue and tan, with Militaer=Pass or Soldbuch on the cover? If you do these will be a treasure trove of information, especially the former.

Bob Lembke

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Hi Erika !

It took me some times to answer.

I have nothing right now about IR 74. But i might soon get something that might help you.

--------

About Bobs post according your other grandfather.

Bob is right. Regular Infantry carried the regiental number on the shoulders and the helmets. Collar numbers indicate usually Landsturm Battalion. The numbers for the Landsturm Bats. consisted of a roman type number designating the Corps and then an arabic number beeing just a counter.

e.g. XIV / 12 is the 12th Landsturm Battalion of the 14th (XIV) Corps !

The 38 could have maybe an roman number on the collar too (with some luck) maybe above the 38 and a lot smaller. Do you have any more pictures ?

I will have a closer look on possible Units with the number 38 this weekend.

Bobs tip is also very good. You have any paper documents written in fractural or sütterlin in the size Bob mentions. You would almost get all answers from these little booklets. Postcards or letters also would help a lot !

----

You also might find a grave of Reinhold. The Volksbund online webpage has a grave list. With some luck you might find his present place of burial on a war cemetery somewhere in France.

so far ....

i'll send you an email when i find out anything ..

Patrick ;-)

Hi Patrick,

Your list of books on CD is impressive... I congratulate you....

I am new at military history, but have started to write my (german) family history for my (english) children. And obviously this includes the military history of my grandfathers and father. My father and my grandfathers were soldiers and I hope you can give me some information on their regiments, battles, etc. Any information, or links to particular websites would be gratefully received.

My grandfather Konrad Reinhold joined the 1st Hannoverian Infantry Regiment No 74. He was a musketeer and died at Somme-Py on 7 October 1915. I was told that his regiment travelled to Somme-Py just the day before from the 'east'. Do you know where I can find out more about his regiment and where he may have been before Somme-Py?

My grandfather Reinhard Mittelstaedt served from 16th October 1895 to 23 September 1897 in the 9th Company Infantry Regiment von Voigt Rhetz (III Hanoverian) No 79. Would he have seen active service? Was there a general conscription at the time or did he join voluntarily?

On one photo I have he wears a uniform with a number 38 on the collar. I presume this was when he became a soldier at the Great War. Any idea where I can find out more about what regiment or battles he may have been in? He survived the war and died in 1955.

Many thanks, Patrick. I have surfed the net for hours without much luck, until I found your superb list of books on CD. Hence, I thought, here is a man who may know.....

Erika

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Patrick wrote:

You have any paper documents written in fractural or sütterlin in the size Bob mentions. You would almost get all answers from these little booklets. Postcards or letters also would help a lot !

You also might find a grave of Reinhold. The Volksbund online webpage has a grave list. With some luck you might find his present place of burial on a war cemetery somewhere in France.

Erika;

I had forgotten to mention postcards, which Patrick thought of. Perhaps you have pictures, perhaps in an albumn, and if inspected you might find that they were sent as postcards. Under the postal regulations of the Prussian Army, and other German units that followed Prussian regulations, such as the army of Wuerttemburg, all postcards and letter covers had to have an Absender block, a block of abbreviated symbols and words, usually in two lines, that will give the soldier/sender's last name, rank, and detailed unit description, usually including at least his company, battalion, and regiment, and sometimes other unit levels. There also will be two or three stamped (inked stamps, not postage stamps) stamps from his units, usually at the company level, battalion and/or regiment, and a postal system cancellation that will usually give the division, or a Feldpost=Station, plus date and hour of cancellation. (the Bavarian Army had its own, different postal regulations, and did not require the Absender block. Additionally, the person and address that the postcard was sent to will often give interesting information about the sender's family or friends.

So, a single postcard written by a soldier will usually give a wealth of information about his unit, etc. Likewise, family members were allowed to send Feldpost to a serving soldier, and not pay postage, would of course give his address, which would usually include his unit. Old letters are great, but usually give less of this hard information, especially as the envelope has usually been thrown away.

The graves society on-line database also is certainly worth trying, even if you already know where his grave is. I don't have its web-site address at hand.

Bob Lembke

PS to Patrick: Thanks for your kind and interesting offer. However, I have about 55 or 60 copies of books of the Schlachten des Weltkrieges 1914-1918 series, different editions, usw. already on the shelf.

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Hi Patrick,

Fritz Beckhardt was a soldier, later Vizefeldwebel in the RIR 86 / 18. Reserve-Division from 1914 til 1916 (then he became a pilot). Do you have information on what the RIR 86 was doing?

Thanx, Lorenz

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@ Erika

I was searching the online grave database for "Konrad Reinhold"

The only one listed there is

Reinhold , Konrad - Oberleutnant , Death : 17.05.1917 , Place of Death : Fourdrain Bovette

For "Conrad Reinhold"

Reinhold , Conrad - Kanonier , Death : 22.03.1918

Only Death named Reinhold and date : 7.10.1915

is Reinhold , Reinhard - Soldier , Death : 7.10.1915

Place of burial : Séchault War Cemetery , Block 1 Grave 406

@ Bob

Just to be exact ;-)

I am not yure but I think you mean my Valbois Monument Donation Email. I am not only offering the Reichsarchiv. Actually my offer applies to ALL the books I offer. 10 Books 1 DVD , 1 Price , 35 Euro Donation for the Monument. => More information and pictures http://www.military-books.de.vu

@ Lorenz

In the book about the 18. Res. Div. is in general written what the whole Division did. Sometimes you have specific information about the Regiments. I doubt that you'll find Beckhardts name there.

What are you exatly interested ?

Patrick

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest Erika Trueman

Hi Bob,

Sorry I'm only now replying... I have been away.

Thanks for checking out the Volksbund Database. I have already done that and found the same Reinhard Reinhold, who died on the day my grandfather Konrad Reinhold died. I wrote to the Volksbund and got some information back on his regiment and it is NOT the same, so must be pure coincidence. As I have also now received my grandfather's death certificate, and got his regiment confirmed from two other sources, I must continue looking.

Greetings from a cloudy Yorkshire,

ERika

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Guest Erika Trueman

Hi again, Bob,

Until recently I knew nothing of my grandfather except his name and that he died in the Great War, and a rumour of the town from which he came. One photo is all the hard evidence I had. Oh, how I envied those who had boxes full of material, letters, medals, photos... It took me a couple of years to find out the little I know now, but I have no postcards or letters.

What I do have now are some field postcards (Feldpostkarten) from the Great War. These were given to me recently by a relative who had kept them when her great aunt died. This great aunt was the sister in law of my grandfather and brought up my father when he became an orphan, aged 9. The field postcards are blank and I hope they are from places my grandfather had been to. I posted a request under Great War Forum > Documents, photos, art > Document repository > Reference books. (Probably a poor choice for the posting, but couldn't find a better one). I hope someone will recognise these and can tell me where the postcards originate from.

Thanks for your help, Bob.

ERika

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What I do have now are some field postcards (Feldpostkarten) from the Great War. These were given to me recently by a relative who had kept them when her great aunt died. This great aunt was the sister in law of my grandfather and brought up my father when he became an orphan, aged 9. The field postcards are blank and I hope they are from places my grandfather had been to. I posted a request under Great War Forum > Documents, photos, art > Document repository > Reference books. (Probably a poor choice for the posting, but couldn't find a better one). I hope someone will recognise these and can tell me where the postcards originate from.

ERika

ERika;

It is not at all clear what these Feldpostkarten are. What comes to mind as a "field PC" would be a printed form issued to troops (sometimes; there was a shortage of writing materials, as well as everything else) with lines printed for the sender's unit, etc. and the recipient's address, as well as a space for a message. Judging from my family Feldpost a letter form that was folded into a little letter with the text message on the inside. With these, if blank, there would be almost no information.

Or do you mean regular picture postcards that were intended for use as Feldpost? This would make more sense.

By "blank", do you mean that there is absolutely no address or text written on the PC? Many or most personal photos were routinely printed on photographic paper with guide lines on the reverse for its use as a PC, if the possessor desired. Also, people of course kept commercial PCs as keepsakes.

So, please completely describe what these are, or post scans of them, so we can glean as much info as possible.

A final suggestion; if you are pursuing a topic, if you wander off and add more on the topic on another sub-forum, the people interested in what you are posting about will not be informed by e-mail that you have posted again. Also, some of these sub-fora are not visited a lot, and/or by a different streak of forumite.

I am sorry that I sound like a pedant. I am a pedant. Please do not be put off, we are very interested in helping you find out more about your grandfather. Some kind soul has just led me to a lot of wonderful information about my grandfather, and these discoveries have strongly confirmed the accuracy of the rest of my family oral history.

Best Regards,

Bob Lembke

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Guys;

I have taken the liberty of copying Erika's post in the other corner of the forum and will paste it below. It, for me, clarifies what the PC situation is.

(Erika wrote:)

I have been given a collection of postcards from the field, apparently from the Great War. They were printed by Heinr. Knobloch, Blasewitz, Tolkewitzer Strasse 3, and contain no information on where the photo for the postcards was taken, only a number on the top left hand side of the postcard (picture). The numbers I have are 201, 203, 205, 209, 210, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, as well as one numbered 43 (although this looks more like a photo than postcard, with a handwritten number on it).

Can anyone tell me where I can find out what places are depicted on these postcards from the field?

In German:

Ich habe eine Sammlung von Feldpostkarten, die wahrscheinlich aus dem 1. Weltkrieg stammen. Sie wurden von Heinr. Knobloch, Blasewitz, Tolkewitzer Strasse 3 gedruckt und es ist keine weitere Information auf den Karten angegeben ausser einer Nummer auf der oberen linken Seite des Bildes. Die Nummern die ich habe sind 201, 203, 205, 209, 210, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, sowie eine Nummer 43 (allerdings sieht das Bild mehr nach einem Photo aus, auf dem handschriftlich eine Nummer 43 geschrieben wurde).

Kann mir jemand sagen, wo ich herausfinden kann, welche Stellen/Gegenden auf den Feldpostkarten abgebildet sind?

Vielen Dank,

Erika

(Bob, again:)

My 1934 German Lexikon says that Blasewitz is an eastern part of Dresden on the left bank of the Elbe. ("oestl. Stadtteil v. Dresden am l. Elbufer.") Does that ring any bells? Dresden is, of course, quite distant from Hannover. Perhaps he had a friend there. What sort of pictures? (I am assuming that these PCs are domestic picture postcards.) Thousands of photo studios produced post cards, and the burning of Dresden will not be a help. I have been in contact with the Stadtarchiv vom Hamburg about my maternal grandmother, and there is a 18 year gap in all public records from the firebombing of Hamburg.

Bob Lembke

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Patrick.

I know I'm pushing my luck here!!! :D , but do you have and German regimental/Divisional histories from pre-WW1 available?

Thanks,

dave.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Patrick,

I just noticed your original post. Any chance that you could help with the following:

1) who commanded the German Reserve Infanty regiment Nr 99 on 1 July 1916 (defending Thiepval)?

2) How many casualites did the unit suffer on that day?

Thanks in advance

Robert

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Robert

Commander RIR 99 was Major Hans von Fabeck, a nephew of Fied Marshal Hindenburg and former commander of the Guards Jaeger Battalion (photo attached).

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Robert

Sorry I hit the wrong button! Fabeck above. Casualties is a tricky one. If you want the total for 1 July 1916 for the Thiepval area, which stretched from St Pierre Divion to the Leipzig Redoubt, you need to include casualties from units such as Bavarian Infantry Regiment 8 and the Recruit Companies of IR 180, who lost heavily in the Schwaben Redoubt counter-attack - and there were others, such as 'Musketen' teams, MG teams from RIR 119 and an MG 'Detachment Fasbender'. (2nd Recruit Coy, for example had 23 killed, 98 wounded and seven missing). Unfortunately the history of RIR 99 did not include a full casualty list, but if Ralph Whitehead sees this post, he has got a great deal of knowledge on this subject. Suffice it for now to say that by about mid afternoon 1 July, 52 Res Infantry Brigade, having issued an order: 'RIR 99 must hold its position, even if it bleeds to death', reported to 26th Res Division tht it had lost 50% of its strength. Post-war, the unpublished history of the brigade states that the total casualties during the ten days from the start of the bombardment amounted to 70% of the regimental strength- and this was a four battalion regiment. At the start of the bombardment battalion strengths in the division ranged from 850 - 900 men, so you can see that it is a large figure overall.

Jack

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