dante

An interesting pass to Hartwig Pohlman Oberst a.D, his father was Generalltn of Engineers Friedrich Wilhelm Pohlman and he himself served in the Great War winning both 2nd (13 July 1917) and 1st class (10 June 1918) Iron cross with Grenadier Regiment 5 Question; Has anyone got the history of the Regiment to find out how the EKs were won? Serving throughout the interwar period and promoted Lt Colonel in 1939 and Colonel on the 1st December 1941. Winning the EK 1& 2 Spanges in 1939, West wall in 1940, a Bulgarian order in 1941, Silver wound badge and silver infantry assault in 1943, he was appointed Kommandant of Festung Gironde On the 25th of May 1944 (according to his records) an incident concerning an Oberleutnant Walter Dressel of the 2. Leiche Flak-Abteilung 999 (v) at the Hotel de Franc in Fontenay in which Dressel was shot by Pohlman?? "In May 1944. Pohlmann and a Major of Generalstaff returned from a visit at Feldmarschall v. Rundstedt and were met by a riotous Oberleutnant in their Hotel and tried to calm him down. But it seems that the Oberleutnant didn't want to follow any orders and Pohlman and the Major tried to arrest him. Later the Oberleutnant loaded his pistol and in the end he was dead. Pohlmann was accused for shooting him". I have confirmed the death of Dressel as the 25 may 1944 Pohlman was found guilty and removed from post....pending going to court Pohlman after the incident wrote; "that he is deeply disappointed because of getting no War decorations since 1939 although being in active service as well as being offended in his honour as officer". Additionally he is angry about being put in for the German Cross in Gold two times without it being awarded as well as not being promoted although many younger officers were already Generals. Furthermore it seems that he was imprisoned in Giessen and the Wehrmacht prison in Torgau. Later at the Reichs War Court of Justice he was absolved. He then went onto the Fuhrers reserve until the end of the war? Later he then went into the Bundeswehr as a Colonel and wrote a number of books Welcome any other information on Pohlman, thanks, Paul

Been packing my collection, found these what have I got...anything interesting? thanks, Paul

Cheers Hucks, appreciate your comments

Sorry I missed this exchange (been away) Kevin, here is some further details,

Further to my comment above I do have a picture of two ex officers, one is the Brigadier, but I do not know which one???

Major Geoffrey Biddle GM. MBE(Gallantry) Metropolitan Police explosives expert. The George Medal is still with the family.

Brigadier William Ellis Clark CMG DSO RFA, single 1914 star; Major Clark was battery commander of 16 battery during the battle of Nonne Boschen 11 November 1914 retired as a Brigadier and became Kent Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Lived Elrnstead House, Chislehurst and resigned his Cmmission as a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Kent with effect from the 1st October 1965. Kent County Commissioner of the Boy Scouts and gave the V&A more than 80 pieces of furniture between 1946 and 1968 "11th November 1914. in the final act of the battle with the Prussian Guards coming out the North side of Nonne Boschen Wood (just East of Westhoek) they were in rifle range of the artillery lines .. including 41st Brigade Royal Field Artillery.... gunners of the 3 batteries of 41st Brigade engaged and halted the Prussian Guards with guns and rifle fire at 100 yards .. Major Clark and 16th Battery were famously the final line with nothing behind them in front of divisional headquarter" So did the Germans actually have any chance of winning at Nun's Wood? Certainly! "An injured English-speaking German prisoner being escorted to the rear turned to ask an artillery officer, whose battery he was passing, where the British reserves were. Major Clark just pointed to the guns. The German couldn't believe what he was hearing - there had to be more British reserves; so he asked what troops were behind the gun position. "Divisional HQ", he was told". "That was it. The Germans had come to within a few hundred meters - and the very few minutes it would have taken to traverse them - from achieving the breakthrough they had intended. Through the British lines at Nun's Wood and they would have had nothing to stop them reaching the Channel ports and cutting off the BEF. With their superior numbers the Germans could then have destroyed that magnificent little army, then the French, winning the war in the west in 1914." Sadly have no idea what happened to the rest of his medals and have been unable to find a photograph of him

Thanks Mikko, if you have details of the estate, can you add them to this http://gmic.co.uk/forums/topic/56295-kapitanleutnant-franz-weidgen/#comment-519840

Hi Mikko I have some of them, I posted them on here some time ago

Here is a couple of mine.....and the document to Kapitanleutnant Franz Weidgen

Not yet been able to find out.....

PS my money would be on 3rd yellow epaulettes

Yep 2nd 3rd or 4th Garde zu Fuss, brass and silver eagle and white plume (1/2 bataillion)

Sorry, trying to do it from memory, you are right it's not, sorry unknown to me but would pitch at South Africa

Yes not uncommon for officers, the last four are; 1937 jubilee, RN auxiliary service medal The two underneath are unknown...not South African or Indian. The large bar is a CB, missing two ribbons, ( my guess is WW1 pair) 39 star, Africa star (missing number 1 or 8) France and Germany star, War medal missing a mention in despatches, Korea missing mention in despatches, UN Korea missing two medals ( I would guess a coronation and a foreign award)

What others do you need?

1/ Victory,1911Coronation, Egyptian order of the Nile 2/ War medal,Victory, 1911 3/ BWM, 1953 coronation, RN Long service

Cheers Glenn

Can anyone help??? Cheers Paul

Cheers Dave, great information

Glenn many thanks, Paul

Like wise would like to see a photo, cheers, Paul

Sorry I should have been clearer, the chevron (cuff) lace does not conform to British Chevron lace of the period (no chevrons) nor does the rank pips, the lace was not fixed directly on to the tunic but on a separate piece of scalloped cloth I have attached a picture your lace and known period lace to compare

Here is the other entries for the record, thanks for looking, PS nice signature of Hans Stieler von Heydekampf later Police and Lt General and PLM winner Curt von Beerfelde

Nice tunic Chris and it conforms to the period....for my money the holes on the epaulettes that Monsieur Hulot has are for a single metal rank pip.....and conforms to a post war piece