Wehrpass.(Late WW1 western front battles)

[robert39]

Hello,

I have a Wehrpass that has some WW1 battles listed (....Aisne,Champagne and Argonne ).

The soldier was born in Oldenburg and was awarded the FA cross and the Bremen cross. He might have possibly served with the Infanterie-Regiment Bremen Nr.75 or the Oldenburg Infanterie-Regiment Nr.91....

Can it be possible to associate the locations listed on the Wehrpass with one of those two Regiments ?

Thanks in advance for your help.

___________

Robert

[attachmentid=59380]

[Dave Danner]

Those dates and actions don't correspond well with the battle calendar for the 19. Infanterie-Division, to which IR 91 belonged. They are reasonably close to that of the 17. Infanterie-Division, to which IR 75 belonged.

17. Infanterie-Division:

4.8.-3.9.1918: Stellungsk?mpfe an der Vesle.

3.-18.9.1918: K?mpfe vor der Siegfriedfront 1918.

19.-27.9.1918: K?mpfe in der Siegfriedstellung.

28.-30.9.1918: Stellungsk?mpfe n?rdlich der Ailette.

1.-9.10.1918: Abwehrschlacht in der Champagne und an der Maas.

10.-12.10.1918: K?mpfe vor der Hunding- und Brunhildfront.

13.-17.10.1918: K?mpfe an der Aisne und Aire.

17.-25.10.1918: Abwehrschlacht in der Champagne und an der Maas.

Note that there were a number of other units raised in northern Germany with Oldenburgers and Bremeners in them. Some are easily ruled out on the dates in question. IR 75 or another unit of 17.ID seems like a good possibility.

[Dave Danner]

In case anyone's wondering, the Siegfriedfront, the Siegfriedstellung and Ailette are all in the Aisne region; the Hunding- and Brunhildfront were in the Champagne; and the Argonne forest is between the Champagne region and the Maas (Meuse) River. So the more detailed division descriptions do match the Wehrpass ones.

Edited November 3, 2006 by Dave Danner

[David Gregory]

Robert,

The awards are certainly typical for a member of IR 75, but could equally have been given to men of many other units who served in the same areas, including any units attached to IX. Korps, to which both 17. Infanterie-Division and 18. Infanterie-Division belonged.

Another factor worth considering is that a number of units were disbanded and their men transferred to other formations in the final months of the war, so your man may have been entitled to the battle entries of more than just one unit.

Page 12 should indicate the units he was assigned to. Does it contain any details of his pre-1918 service?

David

[robert39]

Dave and David !!!

I can't thank you enough for the outstanding info. that you have posted.

The young soldier was barely 18 years old at the time,( there are no details of his 1918 service on page 12 ).

As you can see on the Wehrpass ,there is a Kurland entry.He was also given the baltic cross for his service with the Freikorps in 1919.

In his "grouping", there was the photo of a PLM winner ( WALTER CASPARI ,IR. 75 and later formed "FREIKORPS CASPARI" FROM IR.75 )

I was quite certain that he was related in some way to the young man . I now know for sure that he was his commander.

Dave has provided me with the key to the puzzle .

Here are some interesting links.

FREIKORPS CASPARI

axis history

Cheers

_________________

Robert

Edited November 4, 2006 by robert39

[robert39]

W. CASPARI (photo from the grouping)

[attachmentid=59581]

[robert39]

Young Erwin with his parents, see the way he wears his crosses on his tunic ( just like his hero W. CASPARI)

Thanks again

_____________

Robert

[attachmentid=59582]

[David Gregory]

Young Erwin with his parents, see the way he wears his crosses on his tunic ( just like his hero W. CASPARI)

Thanks again

_____________

Robert

[attachmentid=59582]

Robert,

Nice photos!

Could you post a close-up of Erwin's crosses?

The photo suggests he was an officer, which means he may be mentioned in the regimental history. What is his full name and what were his wartime listed ranks, if known?

TIA

David

Edited November 5, 2006 by David Gregory

[Guest Rick Research]

The officer in the Litewka appears to be wearing an Iron Cross 1st Class and Mecklenburg-Schwerin Friedrich Franz Cross 1st Class, which do not match what you have revealed.

[robert39]

David,

I figured that I had all of the important pages from the Wehrpass kept in a file in my computer , but today I had another look at the book and guess what....

_____________

Robert

[attachmentid=59862]

[Chris Boonzaier]

David,

I figured that I had all of the important pages from the Wehrpass kept in a file in my computer , but today I had another look at the book and guess what....

_____________

Robert

[attachmentid=59862]

Hi,

From the Ersatz Batallion of a regt the men could land up in any of the other regts in the same division.

i.e. a soldier in the 155 I.R. ersatz batallion could land up in the 37. R.I.R. or vice versa. the erstaz batallions seem to have been a personel pool for their respective divisions, more than for their respective regiments.

[robert39]

David,

Erwin ....???

I do not really wish to bring up the TR stuff in this Imperial forum but there you go ,see this link ;

Erwin Koopmann

I still have a LOT to learn about this soldier (and his family),and you will see why on my next post.

Regards,

_________

Robert

[robert39]

Rick,

E.K. had three older brothers, one was killed in action in 1914. I have a photo of the second oldest in full combat gear for a studio shot . NOTHING would please me more to know that the photo posted is of the third brother, I had nothing on his military life.

It would be dated prior to oct. 1924 (the father's death ), everything would make much more sense.

Erwin does have three ww1 medals besides his baltic cross , I figured that I was missing a first class FA cross .

I will post two more pics.

__________

Robert

Edited November 6, 2006 by robert39

[robert39]

MOTHER AND SON (ERWIN), dated 1927

[attachmentid=59865]

[robert39]

Second oldest boy from the Koopmann family.

[attachmentid=59867]

[robert39]

To Rick and Chris,

THANK YOU very much for your comments , It will make the E.K. grouping that much more interesting.

Cheers

____________

Robert

[David Gregory]

Hi,

From the Ersatz Batallion of a regt the men could land up in any of the other regts in the same division.

i.e. a soldier in the 155 I.R. ersatz batallion could land up in the 37. R.I.R. or vice versa. the erstaz batallions seem to have been a personel pool for their respective divisions, more than for their respective regiments.

Chris is right, the Ersatz-Bataillon of IR 75 supplied men to the recruit depot of 17. Infanterie-Division, so they may also have been assigned to IR 76 (before it was assigned to 111. Infanterie-Division), Grenadier-Regiment 89 or F?silier-Regiment 90.

The regimental history of IR 75 would be the first place to look for a mention of his exploits during before 1918. There is probably also a reference to him and his previous service as a KC holder in one of the KC books.

[robert39]

David,

I should have done this before... after doing close-ups of the crosses and facial features , I can verify that the photo was not Erwin's but most certainly of his third oldest brother.

Looks like that he has two ribbons at a tunic button hole, and I hope that you have an idea about the two crosses.

[attachmentid=59884]

Thank you for your help,

____________

Robert

[Dave Danner]

Image is too fuzzy, but lower cross has a ring in the center, so is either a Mecklenburg-Strelitz Cross 1st Class for Distinction in War or a Lippe-Detmold War Honor Cross for Heroic Deeds.

[Dave Danner]

Hi,

From the Ersatz Batallion of a regt the men could land up in any of the other regts in the same division.

i.e. a soldier in the 155 I.R. ersatz batallion could land up in the 37. R.I.R. or vice versa. the erstaz batallions seem to have been a personel pool for their respective divisions, more than for their respective regiments.

Ersatz battalions could also sometimes supply regiments in other divisions. For example, the 238. Infanterie-Division was raised at the end of 1916 and the beginning of 1917 from the IX and X Corps areas. Its infantry regiments - IR 463, IR 464 and IR 465 - had as ersatz battalions respectively 1.Ers.Btl./IR 76 (Hamburg), 1.Ers.Btl./GR 89 (Mecklenburg) and 1.Ers.Btl. IR 164 (Hannover).

The 240. Infanterie-Division was also raised in the same period in the XIV and XV Corps areas. Its infantry regiments - IR 469, IR 470 and IR 471 - had as ersatz battalions respectively 2.Ers.Btl/GR 110 (Baden), 2.Ers.Btl/IR 170 (Baden) and Ers.Btl./IR 172 (Rhineland).

[robert39]

Dave,

A Mecklenburg-S. cross on the photo would make sense, all within the same 17th division .

GRAND DUCHY OF M-S

You guys are amazing

_____________

Robert

[robert39]

Hello again,

There is an entry on the promotion page, " wegen knappheit? von dem ....????" ; " because of the shortage...."

This is as far as can get and I am not even sure about the second word ,may I ask for help on the translation ?

Thank you,

____________

Robert

[attachmentid=61634]

[Dave Danner]

Hello again,

There is an entry on the promotion page, " wegen knappheit? von dem ....????" ; " because of the shortage...."

This is as far as can get and I am not even sure about the second word ,may I ask for help on the translation ?

Thank you,

____________

Robert

wegen Tapferkeit vor dem Feinde zum Uffz. bef?rdert. - "due to bravery before the enemy promoted to Unteroffizier."

[robert39]

Thank you Dave,

It always seems so evident afterwards.

Regards,

_________

Robert