EK 1914 A very special Langemarck EK1

[webr55]

Today is the 94th anniversary of the battle of Langemarck - famously known as the "Slaughter of the Innocents". I take this occasion to show you a piece I am very proud to own.

[webr55]

I came from a certain source in Massachusetts (thanks Stogie! ). I am heavily worn, some paint has gone. Nobody wanted me....

Edited November 10, 2008 by webr55

[webr55]

My pin broke off, got resoldered, broke off again. Not a pretty sight...

... BUT: I hold an engraving on my back....

Edited November 10, 2008 by webr55

[webr55]

You think I belonged to some Vizefeldwebel dR Müller, never to be found...

Well, my engraving is extremely difficult to read --- let's shed some light on it...

Edited June 2, 2022 by webr55

[webr55]

The third to fifth line read...

Res Inf Reg 26

Okt

1914

RIR 26 was one of the Langemarck regiments...

[webr55]

Those were the first lines I could make out - after some heavy cleaning. The last line (probably the location) seems unreadable - at least for me. But the second line is:

Oberstlt u. Kdr

An Oberstleutnant and commanding officer? Who?

[webr55]

It took me some time.... and a look into the regimental history of RIR 26. After that, it became clear what the first line reads:

G. v. Westernhagen

[webr55]

This is the EK1 of a Prussian General:

Generalmajor Gustav Udo Julius von Westernhagen (1868-1942)

He was commander of RIR 26 during the battle of Langemarck.

[webr55]

This is the plate in the Langemarck Hall at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, commemorating the regiments at Langemarck, with RIR 26 among them:

[webr55]

Anyone seen my EK?

[Naxos]

Very nice !

I believe that the last line of the inscription reads:

Langemark

Hardy

Edited November 10, 2008 by Naxos

[Naxos]

Langemark was spelled by the German Army during the war without the ck

[Guest Rick Research]

Prussian Crown Order 2X (KO2X) gazetted on 7.1.17

Baden Z?hringen Lion Commander X (BZ2bX) awarded 11.12.16 as Oberst commanding Baden IR 169

:cheers:

[webr55]

Many thanks Rick!

Hardy --- that simply didn't occur to me! I just checked the cross itself - and you could be right indeed!

Any idea whether this might have been personally handed out by the Kaiser?

Regards

Chris

Edited November 10, 2008 by webr55

[Naxos]

Chris, this the the published entry of Gustav von Westernhagen's award of the EKI

Stand: Dezember 1914

Hardy

Edited November 10, 2008 by Naxos

[gregM]

Congratulations on a very nice piece of history. :jumping:

[webr55]

Many thanks for posting that entry Hardy!

[nesredep]

Congratulations on a very nice piece of history.

Hello!

I agree.

All the best

Nesredep

[Ulsterman]

Wow!!!!

Hidden treasure there old man.

Well done and congratulations!

[Mike K]

Some great research on a nicely worn (early) WS marked EK1. A true piece of history!

Regards

Mike

[Steve campbell]

That's a great find. Makes you wonder who the original owners of the items in our collections were. Most pieces have no personalized markings, but someone owned them. Chances are some of the items that are held in collections of members here belonged to famous or infamous people.

[PKeating]

What a wonderful piece! Thank you for sharing it with us.

PK

[webr55]

Many thanks to all for your kind comments!

So that is a Wagner & Sohn piece - I didn't recognize that, thanks.

[Steve campbell]

Many thanks to all for your kind comments!

So that is a Wagner & Sohn piece - I didn't recognize that, thanks.

Yes, it is hard to make out, but if you look to the right of the catch you can see a faint WS stamped on the rear. This faint stamping is not uncommon and is in the same spot that my own WS EK1 is stamped, which incidentally I bought from Mike K, who pointed it out originally.

[Alex K]

Congratulations on a nice researchable piece of history

Alex K