Stijn David

Hi Dave

Thank you! A wonderfull job for sure.  As i understand it correct the Silver Medals are not yet listed seperatly at this point?  If not i might do it in the future to get this one also completely listed. (I have done it before on a more extensive roll => the Altenburg Bravery medal)

Cordial greetings

Hi Dave

Thank you for this additional information! Are the ROlls actually listed and written down for researchers for these medals at this point? I can probably get my hands on them.

Cordial greetings

Hello

And here is also a picture from the original medal award case and the medal entry in the "Militärpass". 

Cordial greetings

Hello

Thank you guys! When i have the time i will show the "Militärpass" and Original Award case of the Bavarian bravery Medal that go's along with this bar.

Cordial greetings,

Hi

Thank you!  There where approx. 2840 awarded of these during WWI. These medals don't have a engraved inscription on them (The Baden Ones had them!). This medal is the so called "Tongue" variant.

This soldier was awarded this medal as he did not abandon his Gun, despite they where overrun and he kept firing it. As a result the previously collapsing defense by the Infantry troops did fight back instead of folding back. For this fact he was awarded this medal.

Along with the medalbar the "Militärpass" and the original Award case of the Bravery medal are also still in existence and i will present them within a few weeks ;).

Cordial greetings,

Hello Guys

Just want to share you this recently aquired Silver Bavarian Bravery Medal (TKM) Bar, it belongs to a known Artillery Unteroffizier who was awarded the TKM on October 1919 for his actions performed on the battlefield in France in September 1918.

He earned wartime the following orders/decorations:

Iron Cross 2 nd Class (1915), Bavarian war Merit Corss 3 Class with Crown and Swords (1918), Wound Badge Black (1918), Iron Cross 1 Class (1918) and Silver Bravery Medal - Bavaria (1919 for heroic actions performed in 1918)

Cordial greetings and enjoy

Hi Tomasz

Here are some more Shots of the Hanseatic Cross.

Cordial greetings

Hello,

Thank you both! Indeed the R.I.R. 212 was a Hanseatic Rgt, as such the former owner probably got his Hanseatic Cross! He might have been a former Landwehr Soldier (Bavarian Born) who was reactivated for WWI Service and then served in the R.I.R. 212 throughout the War.

If the Mark shows his "Kriegsstammrollen" Nr. (21), then it go's into the direction of a older soldier (Uffz or alike?) who was drafted in the 10 Kp./R.I.R. 212

The "YPERN" Bar also points into the direction of a soldier who was active with the Rgt. during 1914/1915 Period.

Cordial greetings

Hello

And the Reverse of the Medalbar.

Cordial greetings

Hello,

Today i was lucky to have received the following big medal bar, along with the Medal bar a kind of Dogtag was also included, this has the following "R.J.R. 212. 10 K 21". This stands for the 10./Reserve Infanterie Regiment 212 and the Nr. 21 might stand for the former owners Kriegsstammrollen Entry.

All opinions are welcome.

Cordial greetings,

Hi

THank you and thank you for showing your late war example. Stunning piece also!

Cordial greetings,

Hello

This Iron Cross 1 Class belongs to a WWI Soldiers Legacy. It is a unmarked example, can the former Producer of this be identifyed by the Crosses Characteristics?

Thanks in Advance

Hello

Please find attached a small medalbar from a brave WWI Soldier who has his origins in the small "Fürstentum"of Schwarzburg-Rudolfstadt. Any opinions on the medal itself? Early Issue? late Issue? etc.  The Medal is non magnetic and appears to be silver.

Thanks in advance

Stijn

Hello

As the commemoration (100 Year start) of the beginning of the battle named after the town of "Passchendaele" starts in my homecountry Belgium i tought it would be nice to show some pieces out of the legacy from a former German Soldier, Ludwig Seitz who fought bravely in the named battle (wich was actual several battles), he was severely wounded and awarded the Baden Silver Militär Karl Friedrich Verdienstmedal (Only 1.282 awarded during WWI).

Fw. Ludwig Seitz stands with his Unit (III./I.R. 185) near Poelcapelle.

20 September 1917: The battlearea is nothing more then rubble and trenches are no more in existence due to intensive shelling and Artillery. The troops are without cover hiding in this muddy battlefield. There is no rest and the English are firing with all types of Artillery and Gasgrenades. 

The troops of the IR 185 are subject of a very strong attack of the 51 (Highland) Division in the morning of 20 September 1917, starting from 5 H Clock. In the right wing of the area the enemy assault is beaten back by the 1 and 2nd Kp./IR 185. The first assault is as such beaten back near the place called "Jungburg" of in English Literature = "Pheasant Farm"  During a second try this fortifyed place and its occupants are overrun and the remnants has to fold back. The English troops can as such pierce the German frontline and and reach as such the SOuth of the former village of Poelkapelle.

The German units of the III./IR 185 counterattack (composed out of 10/12 and one Zug MGK). Their counterattack is beaten back as they receive strong flanking fire, the objective to recapture the lost stronghold named "Jungburg" is not met.  They can't do anything as such as to dig in. The  9 and 11 Kp (Ludwig Seitz Unit) are now in turn and brought forward to form a defensive line in order to prevent a English breacktrough.

21 September: The fighting continues and the German's try again to reconquer lost strongholds or trench position. These counterattacks fail once again. During the rest of the early day the battle becomes quiet.  The German's can see that the English bring in more troops and fortify the gained ground and positions.  During the evening the Artillery fire intensify's and this is followed by a strong attack. The troops of the IR 185 can beat it back shortly before their own defensive line.

22 September: Heavy artillery fire that flaws down a bit during the late afternoon. It is on this day that Fw. Seitz Ludwig is heavely wounded in his forward position by Shrapnell Fragments in his legs. He is lucky and can be evacuated to the the rear positions and into the hospital.

His superiors have seen his efforts and bravery and they recommend him for the Baden Silver Carl Friedrich Bravery Medal. He is awarded it as one the soldiers of the German units that stood in this battle with the following words "

"Seitz gehört seit 01.03.1916 dem Regiment an. Er hat während dieser Zeit sämtliche Gefechte des Regiments ausnahmelos in vordere Linie mitgemacht. Ganz besonders in der letzten Flandernschlacht im September 1917 hat Seitz als stellvertretender Zugführer durch Umsicht und Kaltblütigkeit hervorragend gewirkt und Angriffe der Engländer wiederholt abgewiesen. Am 22.09.1917 wurde Seitz vor Langemark schwer Verwundet.  Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 185/11 Kompanie“"

Transliterated this means "Seitz belongs to the Regiment since 01.03.1916. He has during this time taken part to all battles from the regiment, each time in the forward frontline. Quite exceptional during the last Flandersbattle in September 1917. There he was active as a replacing Zugführer and he had a major part in beating back several times the Englisch attacks due to his actions. He was wounded severely near Langemark.

Togheter with Seitz, 2 other Non commisioned officers received the SMKFVM for the same battle.

The losses on the English side for this particular succesfull battle, they described it as following "This battle affords an admirable illustration of the economic use of troops". They lost 45 officers and 1110 Soldiers. The gains where several 100 meters of terrain. The Allied artillery shot 87.553 Grenades at the German positions. The Divisional History of the 51 (Highlander) Division describes the German efforts as :

“ Their left company was engaged by three machine-guns firing from Pheasant Trench and from a pill-box west of it. These where all knocked out, but not before thirty Germans had been killed who fought most gallantly round the pill-box” und “When one remembers the amount of Shells  wich had been deluged on the Germans in the Pheasant Trench position,  one cannot but admire the resolute manner in which they resisted our attack”

The losses for the IR185 between 23.08 and 04.10.1917 are counted as following: KIA 4 officers and 160 soldiers, WIA: 9 Officers and 469 Soldiers, MIA: 4 Officers and 196 Soldiers. As such a total loss for the Regiment during their part of the larger Passchendaele battle of 842 losses.

L. Seitz never returned to his unit due to his wounds sustained on 22 September. He counts as one of the highest decorated soldiers from his unit and in the Baden Military for his actions in WWI.

Thanks for reading and lets not forget the sacrifice of all soldiers - whatever side they where on.

Cordial greetings

Hey GreyC

Thank you for this information!

Cordial greetings

Hi Guys

Thanks for the comments! As a Altenburger Resident (Born and lived in Meuselwitz) he was eligable for the Altenburg Bravery Medal as regulations said as such

"Voraussetzung für die Verleihung ist, dass der Vorzuschlagende das Eiserne Kreuz 2 Klasse besitzt oder von seinen Truppenteil hierzu eingegeben ist, es aber nicht bzw. noch nicht erhalten hat."

As for Uffz/ Gerhardt, as he was awarded the EK2 on 21.06.1917 he fulfilled from that point on the regulations to be awarded the Altenburg Bravery medal.

With 15.586 awards a not so common award IMHO compared to the IC 2 :).

Cordial greetings

Hello dear Forumfriends

Christmass came early this year - and hence my newest and most probably last aquisition for 2016. A Altenburg Bravery Medal Grouping from a "Frontschwein".

The grouping of Uffz. Gerhardt Ernst consists out of the following

- Award Document Iron Cross 2nd Class  (1917)

- Award Document Altenburg Bravery Medal (1917)

- Award Document Hindenburg Cross  (1935)

His original awards also came along with the small grouping, his EK 2, Zink Altenburg Bravery Medal and Hindy Cross (Maker Marked G11). I love this small grouping as the soldier was part of the 1 MGK/Inf.Rgt. 93 and during WWI they saw quite some action on the Western Front. The Altenburg medal is really in excellent shape and has much of its Bronze finish still left and it is one of the only 15.586 Awarded pieces.

Uffz. Gerhardt was wounded twice during his service, once in 1917 and once in 1918. He should have reached the criteria for the black wound badge - no sign however if this was ever awarded to him.

He survived the Hell of WWI and returned to his hometown where we know that he was at least still alive in 1935.

Cordial greetings,

Hi Chris

Thank you once again. Fun to see is that the cityname of Roulers (documents 1915 and previous) changed in 1916 to Roeselare. The last is the Flemish name, the previous "Roulers" is the French. This might have had something to do with the so called "Flamenpolitik" in a attempt to get the Flemish people on the German side.

I look forward to see more (if more is available).

Thanks again

Hi Chris

Superb and a big thank you! That is already quite a collection and very interesting to see the different types.

Cordial greetings,

Hello,

I am wondering howmany styles of preliminary award documents for the Iron cross 2 nd CLass does exist from the XXVI Res. Korps.

I have two in my collection:

1. Dated 1914 - and the HQ was based at that time at Westroosebeke

2. Dated 1916 - the HQ was based at that time at Roeselare

I look forward to see more of these documents!

Thanks in advance

Hello,

Can anyone help with the following? Does anyone know if the Kriegsstammrollen of the following units are still in existence?

If so, can they be viewed online or any other way?

·         R.I.R. 233

·         R.I.R. 234

·         R.I.R. 235

·         R.I.R. 236

·         R.I.R. 237

·         R.I.R. 238

·         R.I.R. 239

·         R.I.R. 240

Thanks in advance

Hello Gunner

Thank you very much! Both very brave individuals, the grave of Lt. Chantrill is positioned at the left of both graves. 

Cordial greetings

Hello,

While underway in my homeland i visited the Solferino Farm Cemetry near Ypres. These 2 Tombstones did draw my attention, both officers died or where KIA on 26 th October 1917 and belonged to the Royal Field Artillery.

Who can shed some light on the carreers of both brave and well decorated officers who found their final resting place in the Ypres Salient?

* Major L Field, DSO & MC (Age = 30)

* Captain P.S. Barker, MC

Thanks in advance and lets not forgett!

Cordial greetings,

Hello Jan

Thank you = i would love to read that DIvisional History and that bataillon war Diary. Mayby some info on my Leutenant can be found in them?

Cordial greetings,

Hi Jens

I owe you! When once in Belgium give me sign ;).

Cordial greetings

Hi jens

Superb! Thank you a thousand times

Any idea if there does exist Regimental History's from the 21 bay. Inf.Regt. & 7 bayer.Inf.Regt.

Cordial greetings