Bernhard H.Holst

Hello Chris: The penciled notation "A.V.O.FWerf" I read as "an Verbindungsoffizier Flammenwerfer" ( to liaison officer of flamethrowers). The pictured report is an activities/situation report (Taetigkeitsbericht)gathered by the "Nachrichtensammelstelle" or reports gathering point. The contents of which may have been deemed of interest to the subordinated flamethrower unit(s). Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Chris: Just my two cents worth : The few wide-brimmed hats worn here seemingly do not show white piping which would indicate German East Africa and show on the photo. German South West blue piping or Cameroon red piping would probably be hard to tell on a black and white photo. (Togo only had police forces). BTW: casual dress is the uniform of the day(observe the slippers) Also the man on the stretcher hangs on to his headdress. Ah the feared sunstroke, what with spine pads worn in the British African areas and other contraptions. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Stew: As Paul already pointed out service records if in existence would normally be made available to family by the Wast. Here is what the 1944/45 Rangliste des Deutschen Heeres 1944/45 gives as tentative data.(most entries give only the last names): Vogt, peace-time unit II./Art.Rgt.52, date of rank Obst.Lt.1.Apr.1942, promoted to Oberst 1.Feb.1944. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Prosper: I believe the clasp is notable for the battle of Bir Hacheim in North Africa during which Free French Forces under command of Gen. Koenig broke out of an encirclement by German troops. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Stuart. Thank you for your clarification of the different headgear worn by the Royal Marines. Also your mention of "How can man die better" by Lt.Col. Mike Snook. I found it can be gotten via Amazon US but the price tag of $US 100 to 300 is somewhat excessive. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello: I thought the Royal Marines wore/wear such headgear? Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Chris. I also read "Otto Fricke". The inscription appears to be for "s.l." ( seinem lieben) ..Gerhard etc The 1926 Ehrenrankliste lists many Fricke which name is much represented in Northern Germany. Note the location given "Wilhelmshaven" Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Joe: In addition to Gordon's valuable and correct reading of the officer's name as "Stoevesand", ( first name Martin) it may be of some interest that the named officers were of the officers complement of the Auxiliary Cruiser "Thor" (also known as Schiff 10), commanded by Kptn.z.S.Otto Kaehler (later Konteradmiral)from Mar.1940 until Jun.1942. He received the Knights Cross on Dec. 22 1940. As Gordon pointed out Martin Stoevesand was a signals officer. Perhaps the ship's signal officer, a very important position on bord of an aux.cruiser. The identity of the person wearing a party uniform is unknown to me but could be connected with shipping matters as was the Gauleiter of Hamburg , Kaufmann. Decorations seen on the picture appear to indicate prior military service. Perhaps the above adds some information. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Kevin. The envelope indicates a request to forward (Bitte nachsenden) which it most likely was. Addressed to Herrn F...? Oberlt.d.R. Werner Fechtmann, followed by what may well be his home address. It seems a request for renewal of his membership in the officers association. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Brian. The postcard has an imprint from Luxembourg, so it may have been obtained there. My impression points toward a pre-WW I scene. Translation: My dear Betty. have received your parcel with the cigarettes and the sausage today. Best thanks for it. So far I am doing well which I hope of you . Heartfelt greetings and kisses from your Arnold. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Mathew. Per the Biblio Ref. book on Knightscross recipients , vol.1: Gen.Maj.Dipl.Ing. E.E. Bolbrinker received the K.C. in 15.May 1941 as Maj. and commander of I./Pz.Reg. 5 in the 5.Leichte Division of the Afrika-Korps. The citation lists as major accomplishment his actions in the Battle of el Mechili even though the strength if his battalion was reduced to 7 tanks.This entailed the defeat of an attempt to break out of the strong point and then attacked the fort and occupied it. The results are described as the entire enemy defense system then collapsing with the capture of the staff of the 2.British Armoured Division incl. two generals and two colonels, approx. 3000 prisoners and the capture of considerable material incl. 30 anti-tank guns.. Additional actions included a combat at Agedabia on the 31.Mar.1941 and the piercing of the defense perimeter of Tobruk on the 13. 1nd 14. Apr.1941. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Simon. Your understanding is correct, Bernhard H. Holst

Hello: I read it as follows: 12.Lehrgang der Kreisschule ???( name of the location, something ending in ..muende) Bernhard H. Holst

Hello : This uniform looks OK to me. Jacket is typical of issue in 1951-56 worn during winter season in North Vietnam as this writer can confirm from experience. It is outfitted for parade or similar occasion with the epaulettes in NCO version to which this caporal-chef was entitled. Unit is the 1er B.E.P.(1. Bataillon Etranger des Parachutists))destroyed twice while in Indochina. It was renamed 1er R.E.P. (1.Regiment ...)when transferred to Algeria after rebuilding in Vietnam and was dissolved after the "events" of Spring 1961. It built a splendid record and the fouragere of the Medaille Militaire is testimony. Bernhard H. Holst formerly of the 1er R.E.C.in Vietnam

Hello readers: I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to British orders or decorations but here is an observation by Frank Richards D.C.M., M.M. late of Second Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers in his book "Old Soldiers Never Die" ( introduction by Robert Graves, he of "Goodbye to all that"also of the R.W.F.): in early 1916 the Military Medal was introduced which did not have any grants or allowances with it and ranked below the D.C.M. F.Richards states that he had no doubt of its introduction being based on thus saving on grants and allowances. For one D.C.M. about fifty M.M. were awarded. The old soldiers thought very little of this new decoration. For those not having had the opportunity to read these books they cannot be too highly recommended. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Dante. It is a congratulation to the bestowal of the Iron Cross 1.Class. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Gordon. Thank you for showing this interesting group. the person was 2.Officer for the then shipping line North German LLoyd. This line is still well known to this writer . This explains the picture on the license. He was indeed the captain of a small craft belonging to a Harbor Protection Flotilla . Most probably Steuermann Wode died during a strafing/bombing attack on the harbor and its facilities and/or the shipping therein. It appears that not all personnel who served as officers in the Merchant Marine were given officers rank while on active service with the Kriegsmarine. Thanks again for showing these documents, they demonstrate the thankless tasks these small units had to perform every day. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Rick. Based on my reading in prior referred to works no mention of a Hanoverian officers commission purchase system is made. Also in hanover a universal national service was instituted already in the early 1800's (mind you the UK did not resort to that until 1915 I believe). No mention is made of delay or diddling with the wound compensation or other delay in payment of half-pay which also did not seem to have adversely affected the staffing of Hanoverian units. It was reported that a good mumber of former officers did draw that pay for many years indeed. Delays in salary payments while on active operations were quite common though (up to several months) as were the supply of food stuffs through the official channels . I found no mention of any procedure or similar for promotion from the ranks. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello readers: I have earlier mentioned Oberst a.D. Bernhard v.Poten's little publication which includes the above subjects. - Half-pay conditions were much relaxed and by July 1814 or so officers of the KGL received the same benefits as British officers. After the dissolution of the Legion in 1816 the United Kingdom even had a paymaster residing in Hanover. Even those officers transferred into the Hanoverian Army kept receiving half-pay which with prevailing exchange rates put those officers in a favorable financial situation over their Hanoverian comrades without prior service in the Legion. veteran officers also established a welfare fond into which a four day half-pay was entered to support needy former members incl. other ranks - Wound compensation was paid and graded by rank of recipient and severity of wound .The service situation i.e. still on active service or pensioned off had no bearing on eligibility . -Prize money was paid similar to what was the custom in the British Navy. Family survivors also benefited thereof. The Battle of Waterloo generated a good amount as did the Peninsula Campaign.A captain of the 1. Heavy Dragoons received for his participation in the Peninsula Campaign from the middle of 1812 to April 1814 61 Pounds and 2 Shilling. For a wound to the face which did not disable him from further service, he received one year salary and from the National Subscription after Waterloo another 60 Pounds. However a 2% fee was levied due two officers who acted as agents.Special allowances were sometime paid to compensate good services. These could be onetime payments or amounts tagged on pensions or such. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Rick: I have not yet come across that. But Beamish in his listing of officers has entries showing whether the officer comes from the ranks. There are quite a number of them. I will post something on compensation such as half-pay, prize money and wound compension soon. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello readers: A small volume contains a lot of interesting subjects and is titled " Des Koenigs Deutsche Legion, 1803 bis 1816. Darstellung ihrer inneren Verhaeltnisse" by Oberst a.D. Bernhard von Poten, 1905, Or " The Kings German Legion, Description of its internal conditions." Appeared as the Eleventh Supplement to the Militaer-Wochenblatt in 1905 and was reprinted by the Biblio publisher in 1984. The author makes an interesting listing of the frequency of names prominent in Hanover among the officer corps as follows: - 16 with the name of Meyer (surprise, surprise); -13 named von der Decken as well as Heise ; -10 named von Hodenberg; -9 von Uslar; -8 Baring; -7 each von Doering and Poten; ( the last one with 6 brothers and one cousin, the latter as the only officer of the Legion participating in the Battle of Nations , also called the Battle of Leipzig. This has already been mentioned. Assigned to the 7th Line Btl. Served as interpreter with the British Rocket Battery; -the name of Scharnhorst appears twice. I am certain that some bells may ring reading the above. During the last years of its existence officers with English names appear more frequently on the rolls, apparently from families unable to come up with the considerable amounts of money necessary to support a career in the British forces. At the time of its dissolution there were still a total of 775 in its ranks of a grand total of 1350 who were entered on the rolls.the attrition was as follows: Died in action or of wounds 105; died at sea 28. Died of illness 115. pensioned off as invalid 88. Resigned without pension 136. Stricken from the rolls because AWOL 28. Were gazetted but did not enter active service 24. Transferred to British regiments or to staff positions 44. Discharged under military law 7 of which 4 were paymasters. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Rick: I have somewhere in my disorganized library a book about many aspects of daily life in the KGL incl. pension matters. I will dig and report. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello readers: I have mentioned Beamish' "History of the Kings German Legion"before and A. Pfannkuche " Die Koenigliche Deutsche Legion" of 1910 give the following losses and strength data: Of a total of 1,350 officers accepted in the Legion,which includes surgeons, pay-masters and vets 66 were killed in action, 39 died of wounds , 28 died in ship wrecks while 115 died of illness. Because of wounds or illness 88 were pensioned off. For various reasons 195 left the service. 44 including 15 surgeons transferred temporarily to the British Army. The Hanoverian Army accepted 415 officers after the end of hostilities (which caused much dissatisfaction ) while 360 retired. A grand total of 28,000 personnel were entered in the rolls of which a total of 5,600 died of all causes or 20%. The strength from its formation in 1806 until 1811 was an average of 12,000 men. It rose to its greatest strength during 1812 of 14,175 men and still counted 10,442 at the end of 1815. In 1866 there were still four officers on active service namely the War Minister, Gen. von Brandis, commissioned 1807 ( 7th Line Btl.),Gen. Pfannkuche commissioned 1810 (Arty), Gen.Gebser, commissioned 1814 (1st Hussars) and Gen. von Sichard , officer in the 2nd Line Btl. in 1815. The last surviving officer was Hptm.a.D. Friedrich Scharnhorst who entered service as Ensign in 1813 in the 5th Line Btl. who died 80 years later. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Rick: The "h.p." per Beamish in his much detailed "History of The Kings German Legion" stands for Hanoverian Pension. Congreve's rockets were not yet very effective. Mainly utilised on the continent they were soon discontinued but the fore runners of the ground to ground rockets ( Nebelwerfer, Stalin Organs and other Allied hardware) Bernhard H. Holst