FAR111 Oberst Kleiner Rock

[ccj]

Here's a nice display I'm just now able to put together. The visor cap is for Technical Troops and is very worn and made of a summer weight and material. The Kleiner Rock is very worn with a few holes and fading from both use and improper storage/display. It has one shoulder strap button that needs to be replaced if anyone has a spare.

The loops are for two badges and are very close together. I'm not sure what would actually be best suited under the EKI so I placed a cut-out silver wound badge underneath.

I'm running low in EKIs. I need 3 to have EKIs on my tunics that have loops for such an award. I'm looking but I won't pay what I think to be unreasonably high prices for 'common' EKIs. Maybe I AM getting old because I just can't see why prices for EKIs are going up like they have in the last year.

[Deruelle]

Hi Charles,

Nice rock, can you show us the ribbon on button please !!!

Regards

Christophe

[ccj]

Shoulder Board

[ccj]

Sorry for the poor quality

[Guest Rick Research]

From what pre-war unit/where was FAR 111 raised? That might give some clue as to what the lower award would be. It should be snug in the loops but NOT touching. Things that small would be rather limited.

I'll try finding any Obersten listed as COs of FAR 111 in the Honor Rank List.

[ccj]

Rick, from Wikipedia

The 56th Infantry Division was formed on March 5, 1915 and began organizing itself over the next two months. It received the 35th Fusilier Regiment (F?silier-Regiment Prinz Heinrich von Preu?en (Brandenburgisches) Nr. 35) from the 6th Infantry Division, the 88th Infantry Regiment (2. Nassauisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 88) from the 21st Infantry Division, and the 118th Infantry Regiment (Infanterie-Regiment Prinz Carl (4. Gro?herzogl. Hessisches) Nr. 118) from the 25th Infantry Division. ^[1] The 35th Fusiliers was a Prussian regiment from Brandenburg, the 88th Infantry was a Prussian regiment from the former Duchy of Nassau, and the 118th Infantry was from the Grand Duchy of Hesse. The 56th Infantry Division's order of battle on March 7, 1915 was as follows:

• 112.Infanterie-Brigade:
  • Infanterie-Regiment Nr.35
  • Infanterie-Regiment Nr.88
  • Infanterie-Regiment Nr.118
  • Radfahr-Kompanie Nr. 56
• 4.Eskadron/Braunschweigisches Husaren-Regiment Nr. 17
• 56.Feldartillerie-Brigade:
  • Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.111
  • Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.112
  • Fu?artillerie-Bataillon Nr.56
• Pionier-Kompanie Nr.111
• Pionier-Kompanie Nr.112.

_{^{Apparently, infantry regiments are the main interest for an infantry division and artillery and cavalry don't seem to get much mention.}}

Combat chronicle

After organizing and training in the Champagne region of France, the division was transported to the Eastern Front. It participated in the Gorlice-Tarn?w Offensive of 1915, and the Battle of Lemberg. At the end of June 1915, the division was transported back to the Western Front.

The division saw action from September through November 1915 in the Second Battle of Champagne. After a period in the trenchlines and then rest in the army reserve, in May 1915, the division entered the Battle of Verdun, fighting in the struggle for the Dead Man's Hill. The division joined the Battle of the Somme at the end of August 1916. In October 1916, the division received the 47th Ersatz Infantry Brigade as reinforcement, and returned to the final phase of the Battle of the Somme in November. The 47th Ersatz Infantry Brigade was transferred from the division in January 1917. The division remained in positional warfare along the Somme and in Flanders in early 1917. It faced the British offensive at Arras in April and May, and then after more time in the trenchlines, it returned to Verdun in August. The division remained at Verdun into early 1918, and then returned to the Flanders region. It ended the war in battle before the Antwerp-Maas defensive line.

Allied intelligence rated the division as a second class division, mainly due to the heavy fighting it had seen and the losses it had taken.

Late-war organization

Given its late formation, the division underwent fewer structural changes than other divisions by late-war. It became more Hessian in nature, losing the 35th Brandenburg Fusiliers to the 228th Infantry Division and receiving the 186th Infantry Regiment (Infanterie-Regiment Nr.186), a regiment formed from the Grand Duchy of Hesse and the Prussian Province of Hesse-Nassau. The division's order of battle on October 19, 1918 was as follows:

• 112.Infanterie-Brigade:
  • Infanterie-Regiment Nr.88
  • Infanterie-Regiment Nr.118
  • Infanterie-Regiment Nr.186
• 4.Eskadron/Braunschweigisches Husaren-Regiment Nr. 17
• Artillerie-Kommandeur Nr. 56:
  • Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.112
  • Fu?artillerie-Bataillon Nr.56
• Pionier-Bataillon Nr.139
• Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur Nr. 56

Edited December 16, 2007 by ccj

[Chip]

Charles,

What size is the button you need? 18mm?

Chip

[Guest Rick Research]

EXCELLENT! That suggests awards possible from Hesse (the 1917 "Iron Ludwig"?) or Waldeck-- but nothing from Waldeck would fit that tight.

The only officer I found listed as a commander of FAR 111 was char Oberstleutnant aD Kersten, a Hauptmann in FAR 3 when the war started.

That suggests that whoever this was, was a Major or Oberstleutnaant when the war started, was probably the first rather than final regimental commander-- and is now "invisible" in the Honor Rank List because everyody of this senioprity was a DIVISIONAL artillery commander by 1918. Regiments were down to majoprs as commanders. So what the Honor Rank List shows are divisional rtillery commands when the war ended and not when this officer was at the head of the 111th circa 1915-16 or so.

[ccj]

Charles,

What size is the button you need? 18mm?

Chip

Yes Chip, 18mm is the size.

Does anyone have the proper tanish-green thread for these. I don't know what to use to restore in unleass I can find some 100% cotton thread in a color that is very close to the rest of the button thread.

[ccj]

EXCELLENT! That suggests awards possible from Hesse (the 1917 "Iron Ludwig"?) or Waldeck-- but nothing from Waldeck would fit that tight.

The only officer I found listed as a commander of FAR 111 was char Oberstleutnant aD Kersten, a Hauptmann in FAR 3 when the war started.

That suggests that whoever this was, was a Major or Oberstleutnaant when the war started, was probably the first rather than final regimental commander-- and is now "invisible" in the Honor Rank List because everyody of this seniority was a DIVISIONAL artillery commander by 1918. Regiments were down to majors as commanders. So what the Honor Rank List shows are divisional rtillery commands when the war ended and not when this officer was at the head of the 111th circa 1915-16 or so.

Thanks Rick. I was hoping a colonel's tunic would be identifiable. The boards are Prussian not Hessen. Prussian unit or Prussian officer?

Edited December 22, 2007 by ccj

[Guest Rick Research]

Prussian officer in close service with Hessians. I can't imagine what could "fit" the loops, so am simply speculating based on where the unit was assigned.

[ccj]

I never really thought about this before but when officer's were send to other units to command or fill positions did they change their boards, keep their original unit boards, or was it a matter of choice?

If a Prussian went to a Hessen or Mecklinburg unit did he change boards to reflect the states colors? Did a Hessen going to a Prussian unit wear Prussian or Hessen boards?

What about generals?

[Chip]

Charles,

Normally, they would change their boards, as this would be the only unit insignia that they would have worn. If an officer was transferred to another branch, especially during the war, he most likely would have continued to serve in the uniform of his previous unit. I know of one order which authorized officer's who were transferred out of cyphered grenadier regiments to continue to wear the cypher on the shoulder board with the new unit number superimposed. It made for a odd looking insignia, but it was done and I have an example in my collection. Regarding the state colored darts (Faden), I would think that would be a personal choice, influenced to a great degree by opportunity to get replacement articles.

Chip

[ccj]

Charles,

Normally, they would change their boards, as this would be the only unit insignia that they would have worn. If an officer was transferred to another branch, especially during the war, he most likely would have continued to serve in the uniform of his previous unit. I know of one order which authorized officer's who were transferred out of cyphered grenadier regiments to continue to wear the cypher on the shoulder board with the new unit number superimposed. It made for a odd looking insignia, but it was done and I have an example in my collection. Regarding the state colored darts (Faden), I would think that would be a personal choice, influenced to a great degree by opportunity to get replacement articles.

Chip

Well,

The boards are Prussian and the 111 seems to be original. Maybe he was the first commander and maybe he was Prussian. I don't know for sure if the unit was made up of Hessen men or available units from other areas.

[Chip]

Charles,

If the unit was Kurhessen, then they would have worn Prussian insignia.

Chip

[ccj]

Charles,

If the unit was Kurhessen, then they would have worn Prussian insignia.

Chip

Chip, is that a province of Prussia?

[Chip]

Charles,

The name Kurhessen comes from the former Electorate of Hesse-Kassel (1803-1866), which Prussia annexed following the Austro-Prussian War to form part of the Province of Hesse-Nassau.

From Wikipedia.

Chip

[ccj]

Still searching and hoping for a name for the kleiner rock.

FAR111. Oberst

[Glenn J]

Charles,

this chap commanded from March 15 to November 17 and retired as a Colonel. Perhaps your man?

August Richard Moeller.

Regards

Glenn

[ccj]

Nice Glenn,

Can you tell his rank or regimental numbers on the board on the photo?

Charles

[ccj]

A bit blurry... So do want to find more.

Do you have his awards list? He has a rather rare neck order.

[Glenn J]

Charles,

In 1914 he was a Major in FAR 61 with an RAO4 and a Long Service Decoration. He became Artillerie-Kommandeur 64 picking up an Hohenzollern House Order 3 with Swords and a Sachsen Ernestine House Order Commander's Cross 2nd Class with Swords on the way. Can't make out the number on his boards but I would assume he would have continued to wear the number 111 as ARKO 64.

Regards

Glenn

[ccj]

Hello Glenn,

Could you post August Richard Moeller information from your source? If you have more on the man or the unit that would be great.