Decorative Death certificates

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

Ages ago we had a thread on the large decorative death certificates sent to the families of those killed in action in WW1. David Gregory and I are doing a small project on these and I wanted to ask if anyone has any to contribute. So far we have the Prussian, Saxon and Bavarian as well as a special one from the city of Frankfurt, but there must be a few more out there?. Can anyone help on these? All pics will be credited of course, also needed are all documents etc related to the death of soldiers.

Thanks

Chris

[Tony]

Not very decorative and I'm not sure if it counts but here you go, my only piece of evidence apart from online records and books that a certain soldier was killed.

Wonder who got there with the bad news first, the telegram boy or the postman with this letter.

Tony

Edited January 9, 2006 by Tony

[David Gregory]

That might not be a huge poster, but it is still a tangible reminder of what the consequences of war meant to the family.

This postcard was sent to Vizefeldwebel Klohn (spelling?) of 10. Kompagnie, IR 75, 17. Infanterie-Division on 14 December 1915, just before Christmas. Unfortunately it never reached its intended recipient and was stamped "Zur?ck - Auf dem Felde der Ehre gefallen".

The death card shown below lacks the typical Iron Cross motif, but the circumstances of Vizefeldwebel der Reserve Bruno Ramminger's death will provide some perspective for British readers. Born on 11 June 1897, Ramminger, like many other men of Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 119, was a native of W?rttemberg. He was a volunteer and on the way to becoming an officer, had served for two years and had been awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class.

He was killed by a shot to the head (or so the family was led to believe) in Delville Wood on 24 August 1916. The regimental history describes the day's events as follows:

With untiring effort, the front-line trench had been fully cleared again on 24 August and could be defended.

The enemy was working hard on his positions, too.

At 4:15 p.m., the front-line trench and the area behind it was hit by a heavy barrage of all calibers, also by heavy trench mortars; Flers was under heavy fire. At 5:10 p.m. the entire sector held by the regiment was under fire, everything was surrounded by smoke and dust. When the enemy shifted the barrage slightly to the rear at around 5:45 p.m., weak infantry fire could be heard in Delville Wood. The sectors held by 5. and 7. Kompagnie were hit by the heaviest fire of all calibers with an intensity hitherto unknown, and reported this at 6:20 p.m.; at the same time, strong movements and groups of British were identified opposite 5. Kompagnie/GR 119 and the left wing of IR 121. Our screening barrage was launched at once. The enemy barrage rose to hurricane strength by 6:35 p.m. The situation on the regiment's left wing (7. Kompagnie/GR 119) became critical at 6:50 p.m. when the neighbouring troops on the left avoided the barrage by pulling back. At the same moment that the enemy moved his barrage back from our front-line trench, the waiting enemy infantry stormed forwards as the first red flares rose above the regiment's and its neighbour's sectors. The German defensive barrage increased to its greatest intensity. But the hordes of attacking enemy succeeded in penetrating the completely levelled sector held by 5. Kompagnie and the left wing of IR 121 after defeating the trench garrison, which had been depleted and defeated by the strong barrage. The enemy immediately turned to roll up our position and advanced along the front-line trench. Our men there were either dead or wounded or had been buried. The last defenders assembled on the left flank of 7. Kompagnie desperately resisted the enemy. By this time, all of the telephone lines leading to the front had long been destroyed. Any information could only be received from runners or returning wounded who managed to pass through the enemy barrage, which surrounded everything in smoke. 35 enemy aircraft were seen circling above our positions.

The regiment ordered an immediate counterattack to be launched. Under the dedicated leadership of Leutnant der Reserve Issler and despite heavy losses, 3. Kompagnie worked its way forwards into and along Grenadier trench through the still very heavy barrage at around 7:30 p.m. The company succeeded in approaching to within 150 metres of Delville Wood and in preventig the British from advancing any further; Issler was wounded during this.

In the meantime, the also depleted 8. Kompagnie had been involved in bitter fighting in its trench since 6:30 p.m. Together with the remnants of 7. Kompagnie, it drove back the enemy on its right flank from one traverse to another. At around 9:30 p.m., artillery activity was still very heavy on both sides. 7., 8. and 6. Kompagnien had their trenches in Delville Wood; together with the remnants of 6. Kompagnie, 7. Kompagnie had turned the right flank back. 2. Kompagnie was also brought into the front line in the evening; at the same time, it brought urgently needed rifle ammunition and hand grenades, but lost its experienced commander Leutnant der Reserve Schmidlin. 1. Kompagnie/GR 119 also soon arrived to secure the unguarded right wing. Two companies of IR 88 that were assigned to IR 121 were ordered to close the gap between GR 119 and IR 121 at around 10:40 p.m.

Edited May 31, 2007 by David Gregory

[David Gregory]

The Battle of Delville Wood started in earnest on 15 July 1917 when the South African Brigade was tasked to attack following a heavy artillery barrage. They managed to clear the southern edge of Germans, but were withdrawn on 19 July after having lost more than 700 men. The fighting continued in poor weather for more than a month before the wood was finally taken on 25 August, the day after Ramminger was killed.

His company was still holding its part of the front-line trench on the day he died. The approximate situation of a week earlier is shown by this map taken from the regimental history.

Today the wood and nearby memorial is looked after by the South African Government. Delville Wood Cemetery contains 5,493 burials. Almost two-third of these are unknown.

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