Bernhard H.Holst

Bernard, I look foreward to the thread. Did officer in these Jager battalions receive the Tyrol medal? I have a ribbon bar with a Tyrol ribbons and the 25/12 Army long service cross. I have never been able to identify who it belonged to.

Hello Paul.

I could not observe such decoration(s).

My sources are the History of Jg.Btl. (Hann.) 10, the Biblio series on German Army Generals and W.Keilig, Die Generale des Heeres.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Chris.

I just reread the history of the Jg.Btl. ( Hann.) 10 during WW I . Res. Jg. 10 was practically always deployed alongside Jg.Btl. 10. Part of the Alpenkorps in the same Jg.Regt.

I am preparing a thread concerning some officers of both battailons who went on to become highly decorated or otherwise notable General Officers during WW II .

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Kevin.

Thanks for showing this.

Interesting career and a tragic end surrounded by mystery. Apparently taken into custody by soviet authorities and disappeared. One of several retired German General Officers who were killed outright when identified or died while in custody.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Chris.

In a grouping of docs, photos and medals of WW II Oakleaves recipient Ofw. G. Stuehmer in my care is a letter. Signed by Gen. Schmundt, Adj. of Hitler and head of Army Personnel Office to the widow advising of a special donation for the children's education. Dated shortly before mortally wounded during the attempt on Hitler of 20 July 1944..Schmundt died some time later of his injuries.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello,

Can someone help me to identify this officer

Thanks a lot

Christophe

Hello Christophe.

I read it as Otto Nigoldi.

Bernhard H. Holst

The documents shown do not contain any mention of the Luebeck Cross either. He served in THE Hanoverian cavalry regiment which was nearly considered a Guard unit (see Tschapka plate). His civilian trade of farrier gave him a desireable function but not an easy place to earn a distinction.. I have the first part of the regimental history. Past the beginning of the war cavalry regiments were pretty much split and used piecemeal. This regiment served mainly on the eastern front..

I doubt any anti-Prussian attitude though, the Iron Cross would take pride of place in my opinion.. The actual medal group may well have belonged to the other grandfather with the docs having gone astray.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Chris.

Thanks for the link. The opening did not exactly make my day.

Interesting to see the shot in the trenches with the bestowal of a medal to the officer with sabers out and presenting arms ending with the ...on both cheeks.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello.

I came across a mention in a German language book about WW I that training sessions took place to have the gasmask cans carried in a fashion that the masks could be put on in a flash. Covers were disengaged with the mask deployed in the retainer can that it could be removed and put on in one motion. The cans carried in front as many pictures show. The described way could of course only be carried out when in a static deployment and not on the move.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Chris.

Thank you for showing these pictures.

I understand that in WW I with the poison gas introduction severe restrictions on beards were instituted. Gasmasks would not seal properly.

The # 4 and 9 were apparently determined to catch up with Wilhelm II , ( he with the " es ist erreicht" mustache.)

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello.

Just finished reading again "Storm of Steel)" ( 40th edition!) followed by a biography of Ernst Juenger. Had to switch to lighter fare after that.

Sheldon is new to me and perhaps should tackle one for starters.

B.T.W. Old Bismarck knew what it was all about until Wilhelm II knew it all so much better.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello.

Thanks for the nice comments.

As to identification of the recipient that seems impossible to me. Unfortunately no documents came with this group.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello readers.

I found the pictured medal bar from Mecklenburg-Schwerin rather interesting because of the later bestowed Kronen Orden 4.Kl., the Mecklenburg- Schwerin Military Merit Cross 2nd cl.1870 and the infrequently seen miniature bar. I have not pictured the regimental veteran pin.These medals appears to have belonged to a N.C.O. who after his military service with 1. Mecklenburg Dragoner Regt. Nr. 17 made some career in the civil service and received the Prussian Kronen Orden.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Ed.

One possible clue is his civilian occupation which is listed as "Postschaffner" ( postal conductor). That I believe was an entry-level grade in the German Postal Service . Postal service also operated telephone and telegraph services in Germany and the signals branch of the army belatedly got this man and put him into a related occupation.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Chris.

The pictured item seems civilian . The material used IMO as tagged is egypt. cotton of fine quality and for helth purposes, hardly used for military purposes.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Rick.

He complied with residence registration requirements by giving his Bremen address as listed.

Reported his departure from Bremen withdate of 10.Mar.1919 to Rotenburg

BTW: i am familiar with the Bremen street address and his relocation to Rotenburg happens to be to both my wife's and my hometown.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello.

On 17.Feb. 1918 to the listed unit.(Ersatzbatterie)

On 5.Mar.1918 through Stellv.Armeekorps, IX Benefits Section as not fit for war duty discharged to Bremen without benefits.

( following a self mutilation perhaps??)

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello readers.

This document is signed by Oberst Ernst GONNELL, DoB 24. Nov. 1902 and Dod (suicide) 23. Feb. 1945. as Generalmajor and commandant of Fortress Posen. Promoted to that rank with date of 30.Jan. 1945. Decorated with the German Cross i.Gold in January 1945 and the Knightscross of the Iron Cross with date of 22. Feb. 1945 for his service as commandant of the fortress. He was the commander of the officers candidate school in Posen and then made fortress commander.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello.

Ref. Herbert Sulzbach.

This former WW I German officer has written his memoirs:

"With the German Guns. Four Years on the Western Front 1914 - 1918". Published in 1981 in Great Britain and also in 1981 in the USA.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Rick.

It gives particulars such as

- reason for discharge ( here denobisation),

- discharged to lovale and date,

:- clothing issued,

- travel money,

- discharge money,

I am unsure of contents of the reverse which shows a 1919 date.

Was with munitions transport unit, not a safe occupation ( if there was one atall)

Bernhard H. Holst

An interesting article....

"This is all preposterous nonsense. Unlike the second world war, the bloodbath of 1914-18 was not a just war. It was a savage industrial slaughter perpetrated by a gang of predatory imperial powers, locked in a deadly struggle to capture and carve up territories, markets and resources."

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/08/first-world-war-imperial-bloodbath-warning-noble-cause

Hello Chris.

Thank you for drawing our attention to this article. It is worth reading and mulling around in one's mind. But are we learning ???

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Michael.

Thanks for this post. It certainly explains the history of the unit citations this tradition laden regiment has accumulated.

It bears mention that it also received a U.S. Presidential Unit Citation and is together with the former RICM ( Regiment d'Infanterie Coloniale du Maroc, actually an armored regiment) the most decorated regiment in the French Army. This writer served on several occasions alongside different battalions during the French phase of the Indochina War.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello :

I have only a short comment:

blundering and outright lying all around and still going on. A perpetually learning resistant "leadership".

German-born and exposed to many different strains of history writing.

Bernhard H. Holst

I was able to only read the first four..

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello readers.

Here is an update to the above description of the combat to take the village of Tho Lao on May 17/18, 1952.

Thanks are due to the German language web site www.more-majorum.de about German members of the French Foreign Legion during the Indochina conflict. Also the official French web site Memoire des Hommes listing the fatalities of the wars in which French forces were involved, was consulted. In addition the published account by an officer of the 3rd battailon of the 5.REI which first tried to enter the village but failed to take it until the following day was read. Unfortunately the tone of this account is much resented by this writer and fails to honor the loss of life on both sides and certainly the losses of his very own unit. This is an attempt to perhaps rectify that.

So here then are the fatal losses of the III./5.REI on 17 May, 1952.

- Caporal-Chef MACHT, Josef, DoB 31.07.1929, Germany

- Caporal TROUSLIAUX BOTTECHIA GINO, Andre August Pierre, DoB 18.01. 1925 , France.

- Leg. KRAUT, Jeno, DoB 23.09.1926. Hungaria.

- Leg. PUJKON, Ignaz. DoB 19.05.1927, Romania.

- Leg. PIMARE, Joseph Jules, DoB 01.11.1919, France.

- Leg. OLIVIER, Rene Armand, DoB 04.07.1925, France.

- Leg. BOHME, Willi, DoB 05.07.1932, Germany.

- Rifleman Chuong A Bau, DoB 12.03.1930, Vietnam ( most likely the dead rifleman found in the morning of the 18.May in the firing line of the rifle platoon of Vietnamese from the 5.REI which was deloyed adjacent to us as reinforcement. He was probably hit by an errant round during the sporadic firing during the night.)

Intermittenly French artillery fired on the village and adjacent area probably to interdict evasion and /or other activities with a massed firing shortly before the final push

No losses apparently occurred during the final assault on the village against only slight resistance on the 18. May. This is based on the French site. While a number of prisoners were made and bodies found, it seems as if a good number of enemies could make their way through the encerclement during the night as they usually could.

It is hoped that the above is a small token of remembrance due these comrades in arms.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello readers.

Here is the K.C.formal document to the later Oakleaves recipient Ofw. Gustav Stuehmer whose military estate is in my care. The document is unsigned and most likely for that reason found no bidder on an auction.

Bernhard H. Holst

Note: the oakleaves are not part of the estate but were lost post war. Awarded after death.

[