Multiple Zippers; Pionier=Offiziere

[bob lembke]

Gentlemen;

I am trying to work out what is possible to figure out about the German volunteer Pionier=Kompagnie at Gallipoli in 1915, which I never tire of mentioning as a unit that my father fought in. Previously our sainted Rick Research gave me excellent help in this regard, with the Hildemann father and son, and also about a pioneer officer named Zipper, who seems to have been the commander of this company for a while. Here are my notes on what has turned out to be multiple Zippers.

-quote-

Zipper, Hauptmann - Klaus Wolf, Gallipoli 1915, in the text and in Anhang 2, mention that "Hauptmann Zipper" was the "F?hrer der Pionierabteilung auf Gallipoli", but due to dysentery had to be returned to Germany in August 1915.

In the 1914 preuss. Rangliste there are three Zipper's, Hauptmann "A", Oberleutnant "B", and Leutnant "C". A and B are Pioniere=Offiziere, while C is an Infanterie=Leutnant (20. 6. 1908 K) in IR 14. and presumably would not be commanding a pioneer company in mid-1915.

From 1910 p./w. Dienstaltersliste, p. 163, there seems to be another Pionier=Offizier Zipper, Datum des Patent als Oberleutnant 14. 6. 1906, als Leutnant 18. 4. 1896, detailed to 1. Ing. Insp. on 5. 5. 1910. Let's call him "Zipper D".

(Note: In March 2009 the blessed Rick Research responded to a query of mine about The two Hildemann Pionier=Offiziere quite usefully, and also wrote about a pioneer officer named Zipper that I mentioned, who seemingly was, for a while, the commander of the German volunteer pioneer company at Gallipoli. He wrote:

"Zipper was on active duty as an Oberstleutnant in the Reichsheer in 1925, then disappears. He had awards for which the rolls exist from Bavaria and Saxony-- the first not in the published rolls but hopefully to be found in Bernd's massively expanded new Rolls also due out this year I hope. The Saxon roll omits his first name. All he got from the Turks was their War Medal star suggesting either not there long or not in an active post. "

Looking at the question in more detail, and looking over the period from about 1895 to 1918, it turns out that there seems to have been three Zipper Pionier=Offiziere that could have been the man at Gallipoli, plus one or two infantry officers that almost certainly were not, and also a senior Zipper, who we could call "Ur=Zipper", who might be a relative of the younger pioneer Zippers, possibly a father or uncle. As the Zipper Rick mentioned received a minor Turkish medal, and as he may only have been in Turkey for a matter of weeks, it would seem that the officer he wrote about is our man. However, was he "Zipper A", "Zipper B", or "Zipper D"?

Ur=Zipper:

6. 5. 1906 Oberstleutnant Zipper 27. 1. 1906 X on the staff of IR (8. Brandenburg.) Nr. 64, from the 1906 p. Rangliste, p. 213.

5. 5. 1910 Oberst Zipper 27. 1. 1909 is Kommandeur der IR (4. Westfaelisches) Nr. 17, Oberstlt. 27. 1. 1906, Major 18. 8. 1899, Hauptmann 17. 4. 1889, Oblt. 8. 3. 1887, Leutnant 17. 10. 1876, from the 1910 p. Dienstaltersliste, p. 13.

6. 5. 1910 Oberst Zipper 27. 1. 1909 J is Kommandeur der IR (4. Westfaelisches) Nr. 17, from the 1910 p. Rangliste, p. 170.

6. 5. 1912 From the 1912 p./w. Rangliste, p. 79, General=Major Zipper 22. 4. 1912 S was the Kommandeur der 30. Infanterie=Brigade, Coblentz.

Zipper A: ( Leutnant 18. 4. 1896, Oblt. 15. 9. 1904, Hauptmann 1. 10. 1912 H14h )

1. 5. 1906 Oberleutnant Tag des Patent 15. 09. 1904, Geburtstag 10. 3. 1873, Adjutant der Pion. B. 21, Diensteintrittstag 11. 12. 1894, from k. p. 1906 Pionier Rangliste, p. 42.

6. 5. 1906 Oberlt. 15. 09. 1904 P=B 21., Adj. Ern. from 1906 p./w. Rangliste, p. 471.

1. 12. 1910 The 1911 Deutsche Rangliste has two Pionier Oberleutnante, Oblt. Zipper 22. 3. 1910 of Pionier=Bataillon Nr. 3, detailed to the Kr. Ak. (This is Zipper B); and Oblt. Zipper 14. 6. 1906, senior Oblt. of five by DOR in 1. Nassauisches Pionier=Bataillon Nr. 21, and CO of its 4. Kompagnie. (He was Zipper D.)

5. 5. 1910 From 1910 p./w. Dienstaltersliste, p. 163, 11 Pionier officers made Oberleutnant on 15. 9. 1904 were already Hauptleute, with DOR of 10. 4. 1908 to 10. 9. 1908.

1. 5. 1911 - Hauptmann Zipper 27. 1. 1911 "Ern.", P=B 21. Kommandeur 4. Kompagnie, from 1911 p. Rangliste, p. 490.

6. 5. 1912 Hptm. Ern. (Ernant?) 27. 01. 1911, CO of 4. Kompagnie, Pion.=B. Nr. 21., from 1912 p. Rangliste, p. 491.

6. 5. 1914 Hauptmann 1. 10. 1912 H14h, CO 4. Komp., P=B 21. Fr. 1914 p. Rangliste, p. 514.

1. 1. 1918 Hptm. Pion. B. 21 " " Lt. 18. 04. 1896 1918 Dienstaltersliste, p. 201.

Zipper B: ( Leutnant 27. 1. 1901, Oberleutnant 22. 3. 1910 T11t, Hauptmann 2. 8. 1914 )

1. 6. 1901 This Leutnant Zipper is not in the 1901 p. Rangliste.

1. 5. 1906 Leutnant Tag des Patent 27. 01. 1901, Geburtstag 30. 8. 1882, Pion. B. 3, Dienst= Eintrittstag 1. 10. 1900, k. z. Art. u. Ing. Sch., Ing. L., from k. p. 1906 Pionier Rangliste, p. 48.

6. 5. 1906 Leut. 27. 01. 1901 Ww P=B 3. k. z. Art. u. Ing. Sch., fr. 1906 p. Rangliste, p. 463.

5. 5. 1910 Oberleutnant 22. 03. 1910 P=B 3, from 1910 p./w. Dienstaltersliste, p. 164.

1. 12. 1910 The 1911 Deutsche Rangliste has two Pionier Oberleutnante, Oblt. Zipper 22. 3. 1910 of Pionier=Bataillon Nr. 3, detailed to the Kr. Ak. (This is Zipper B); and Oblt. Zipper 14. 6. 1906, senior Oblt. of five by DOR in 1. Nassauisches Pionier=Bataillon Nr. 21, and CO of its 4. Kompagnie. (He was Zipper D.)

1. 5. 1911 - Oberleutant Zipper 22. 3. 1910 T11t P=B 3. "k. z. Kr. Akad", from 1911 p. Rangliste, p. 482.

6. 5. 1912 Oberleutnant 22. 3. 1910 T11t, P=B 3 von Rauch, sec. To the War Academy, from

1912 k. Rangliste, p. 483.

6. 5. 1912 - Oberleutant Zipper 22. 3. 1910 T11t, P=B 3. "k. z. Kr. Akad", from 1912 p. Rangliste, p. 483.

6. 5. 1914 Oberlt. 22. 3. 1910 T11t, P=B 3 von Rauch, seconded to the Great General Staff, Berlin for "service training", from 1914 p. Rangliste, pp. 506, 26.

1. 1. 1918 Hptm. 2. 8. 1914 Pion.=B. Nr. 3., Lt. 27. 01. 1901, k. b. Gr. Gen. Stabes , from 1918 Dienstaltersliste, p. 202.

Zipper D: (Leutnant 18. 4. 1896 F3f, Oberleutnant 14. 6. 1906 )

4. 5. 1897 - Sous=Lieutenant Zipper P=B 3. im 3. Kompagnie, his company CO was a Hauptmann Sturm, from 1897 p. Rangliste, p. 441.

2. 5. 1899 - Lieutenant Zipper P=B 3. im 3. Kompagnie, his company CO was a Hptm. Rotte, from 1899 p. Rangliste, p. 442. (The only Zipper Pion.=Off. In this Rangliste.)

7. 5. 1900 Leutnant 18. 4. 1896 im P=B Nr. 3, 7. 5. 1900 "k. z. Art. u. Ing. Sch., fr. 1900 p. Rangliste, p. 465. This is the only Leutnant Zipper in the 1901 p. Rangliste.

1. 6. 1901 Leutnant 18. 4. 1896 F3f im P=B Nr. 3, 3. Kompagnie, fr. 1901 p. Rangliste, p. 467. This is the only Leutnant Zipper in the 1901 p. Rangliste.

6. 5. 1906 This Leutnant Zipper not in the 1906 p. Rangliste, Zipper "A" and "B" are, above.

1. 12. 1910 The 1911 Deutsche Rangliste has two Pionier Oberleutnante, Oblt. Zipper 22. 3. 1910 of Pionier=Bataillon Nr. 3, detailed to the Kr. Ak. (This is Zipper B); and Oblt. Zipper 14. 6. 1906, senior Oblt. of five by DOR in 1. Nassauisches Pionier=Bataillon Nr. 21, and CO of its 4. Kompagnie. (He was Zipper D.)

5. 5. 1910 From 1910 p./w. Dienstaltersliste, p. 163, Pionier=Offizier Zipper, Datum des Patent als Oberleutnant 14. 6. 1906, als Leutnant 18. 4. 1896, was found in 1. Ing. Insp. on 5. 5. 1910.

6. 5. 1912 This Zipper not in 1912 p. Rangliste, .

6. 5. 1914 This Oberleutnant Zipper not in the 1914 p. Rangliste, Zipper "A" and "B" are, above.

- end quote of my notes -

So it seems that "Zipper D" sort of fades away after 1910, and my guess is that Zipper A, more of the well-experienced field engineer, was probably our man, not the staff-officer-type Zipper B.

Anyone have any insight into this interesting (to me) puzzle? Can Rick identify which Zipper got the Turkish medal? Any help gratefully received.

Bob Lembke