ErwinZ

Analog photographers may have heard of reciprocity failure, also known as the Schwarzfield effect. To counter this failure you have to increase exposure according to the Schwarzfield law. That's how I know him as a photo collector. But he is probably more famous for his involvement in Einstein's relativity theory. Now the popular believe is that he did the calculations for field equations as an artillery officer in a trench at the eastern front. And he died later in combat. While we know he died of complications of an autoimmune disease. So without going into details what he did exactly as a physicist, I thought it would be interesting to find out what his military career path was. In which unit did he serve and where did he saw combat?

After a bit of researching I found that Hauptmann Kienast was in de 21 RID. In the divisional record he, then already Hauptmann, commanded the Minenwerfer attached to RIR 80 in the defence of the Briqueteriestellung. Which was stormed by the French on 24/25 Sept. 1915.

Ah lovely. Might it be possible to name him with only 366 recipients? The date of the photo is 1 sept. 1918. He is one of the (commanding) officers of M.W.K. 221.

My knowledge of medals is very limited. I thought about the Ehrenkreuz or the Oldenburger Haus- und Verdienstorden. But imo it's not an exact match with both. If anyone can shed some light on this? (Obviously the bottom left one ) The person might be Leutnant d. R. Knell, M.W.K.221

Thx. Most likely it is one of the abteilungen which formed the Minenwerfer Kompanie 221. So the number might be 19 or 113. Too bad there's a crease right on the number.

He looks like Graf Zeppelin.

That was the plan, but something went wrong I guess. Here's the full soldier.

Anyone has an idea what unit? If it helps the soldier is reading a leaflet from Köln (the city).

I never even heard of him. You learn something everyday. In that case the post can be removed/moved.

From the regimental book „Das Württembergische Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 54 im Weltkrieg 1914-1918“

Lovely, that was the piece I needed. I was searching for an Infantrie reg. but it's from the artillerie. Pesky German fonts In the regimental book there's a whole story on the accident.

It would be nice if the location can be found of this graveyard near a church. Maybe the date of death gives a clue? Uoffz.Kriegsfr. Ludwig Thierauch. 6.2.1893-14.9.1916 Fahrer Jacob Irion. 8.11.1896-14.9.1916 Kanonier Land. II Emil Held. 19.3.1883-14.9.1916 RFGR/II.54/6.Batt

Sorry for digging up an old post. But is this Walther Gustav Lothar von Kielmansegg?

A very interesting image. Oberstleutnant Graf Walther Gustav Lothar von Kielmansegg. Kdr. des RIR 222 July 14, 1869, July 28, 1918 (49) Dounai am dem Somme. He was the patron of the prolific german composer Paul Hindemith during the war. Graf von Kielmannsegg was a great music lover and allowed the formation of a string quartet, which he had to play regularly. Hindemith spends most of the day with intensive rehearsals for the quartet and the regimental band. A very interesting image. Oberstleutnant Graf Walther Gustav Lothar von Kielmansegg. Kdr. des RIR 222 July 14, 1869, July 28, 1918 (49) Dounai am dem Somme. He was the patron of the prolific german composer Paul Hindemith during the war. Graf von Kielmannsegg was a great music lover and allowed the formation of a string quartet, which he had to play regularly. Hindemith spends most of the day with intensive rehearsals for the quartet and the regimental band.

Two winter trenches in France.