Possible late Verdun Wound for Bavarian

[Chris Boonzaier]

Just got these.... the regt was on the edge of the fighting on hill 304... so it is possible from the date that he was wounded at Verdun....

[Naxos]

9./30 I.R. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Im Felde, 3.11.1917

An den Unteroffizier Johann Schmitt, 9.3/30IRz.Zt. im Res. Lazarett, Oberrealschule Würzburg, Zimmer 14.

Beiliegend empfangen Sie das Ihnen am 31.10.17 verliehene Pr. Eis. Kreuz II. Kl.

Ausweis folgt noch.

Die Kompanie gratuliert Ihnen zur Auszeichnung.

Very nice!

The EKII was sent to him on November 3, 1917 while he was recuperating in a field-hospital in Würzburg. The award document followed later.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Yup indeed.... and from the date of the award, it is possible that the wound was when they were holding the line at Hill304. :-)

Best

Chris

[Naxos]

Yup indeed.... and from the date of the award, it is possible that the wound was when they were holding the line at Hill304. :-)

Best

Chris

Chris, did you look him up in the Bavarian Stammrollen on line? In there you will find the reason for his time in the field-hospital.

:cheers:

[Chris Boonzaier]

hi,

do you mean ancestory.com? I have asked a friend to look. best, chris

[Naxos]

hi,

do you mean ancestory.com? I have asked a friend to look. best, chris

Yes!

[AOK4]

I din't find Johann Schmitt immediately in the Kriegstammrollen of 9/BIR 30... He may have had another official first name perhaps (or I didn't look carefully enough).

[Chris Boonzaier]

as the 3rd Battalion was formed from the EB of the 12th Bavarain aInf Regt, it is possible he was there first.

Best

Chris

[Dave Danner]

I din't find Johann Schmitt immediately in the Kriegstammrollen of 9/BIR 30... He may have had another official first name perhaps (or I didn't look carefully enough).

He is there as "Hans Schmitt", born in Bamberg on 18.6.1894. He came to the regiment from the ILR and went back to the ILR after recovering from this wound, so he was only in 30.IR for about a month.

[AOK4]

According to what I read if I check his Kriegsstammrollen, he must indeed have received the EK2 for being wounded. This was not uncommon (you know that the wound badge didn't exist yet at that point).

I have researched once a machine gunner who also received an EK2 for being wounded.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

usually the EK was awarded to guys who were wounded badly enough to be invalided out of the service as opposed to a "regular" wound.

When you find a wound EK in a group you can usually see in the Militärpass that they are no longer be returning to the front .

Dave dug out the following...

He wasn't the luckiest of guys (though luckier than many). A Hafner in Bamberg, he enlisted 25.11.14. He went into the field with 4./ILR on 24.3.15 and was wounded by Peronne on 20.5.15 (rifle grenade to the upper left leg and lower right leg). He was out of commission for a while (hospital and Ers./ILR) and returned to the field with 5./ILR on 21.11.16. He was back in the I. Ersatz battalion on 10.4.17 (it doesn't say why but maybe NCO training as he was promoted to Uffz. on 24.1.17) and then went to 9./30.IR on 19.7.17, where he lasted a little over a month.

After the August 1917 wound, he was in the hospital until 8.5.18, when he went back to the Ers./ILR. I don't see a Stammrolle with entries any later than that, so I don't know what became of him thereafter.

[Chris Boonzaier]

The wound...

The wound: "24.8.17 v. Verdun durch Schrappnellschuß am linken Unterarm schwer verwundet". Someone added just above that entry: "nördl. Höhe 304, ?????. Malancourt".

See following passage

"On the night of the 21nd-22rd the Germans abandoned the Height 304. On the 24th the French swarmed over the hill and pushed down into the Forges valley. German artillery and a counter attack by the 30. Infanterie Division knocked the French back causing heavy losses amongst the Poilu. The German divisions established themselves to the North of the river in the old positions they had held in early 1916. The slopes in front of them leading down into the valley gave them good observation possibilities and fields of fire. The French contented themselves with the southern bank of the Forgesbach. On the West bank of the Maas the fighting now died down.

"

Here...

http://www.kaiserscross.com/136501/235801.html

Basically the last day of the fighting on hill 304...

I have visited that about 10 times in the last 10 years....

[Chip]

Chris,

You might want to fix this page you linked to. You have the same two paragraphs before and after the first photo and then again at the end of the page. Also, asses is spelled assess.

Regards,

Chip

Edited October 1, 2011 by Chip

[Chris Boonzaier]

thanks chip... will do :-)

[AOK4]

usually the EK was awarded to guys who were wounded badly enough to be invalided out of the service as opposed to a "regular" wound.

When you find a wound EK in a group you can usually see in the Militärpass that they are no longer be returning to the front .

Hello,

I researched the history of a soldier who got the EK2 obviously for being wounded (in the Verdun area as well), but he was able to return to active duty again after a few months. (This was in 1917, before the wound badge was introduced)

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hello,

I researched the history of a soldier who got the EK2 obviously for being wounded (in the Verdun area as well), but he was able to return to active duty again after a few months. (This was in 1917, before the wound badge was introduced)

That is still a huuuge anamolly. How do his documents specify that he recieved the EK for that fact that he "was wounded", as opposed to "for being brave", in the attack that he was wounded in ? It is a major difference.

I have many dozens of groups where guys were wounded and got nothing, got the EK 1-2-3 years later, then a wound badge in 18.

best

Chris