Bavaria Ranglist search - Lt. Hans Böhning

[Berlinerbummel]

Could someone with access to the Bavarian Rangliste for 1918 look up this officer: Lt. Hans Böhning and list his Bavarian awards.

Many thanks.

[Naxos]

Leutnant der Reserve Hans Böhning

*born on 6.July 1893 in Grottau, Reichenberg, Austria

On August 14, 1914 as war-volunteer to 4./ 10. bayer. Feldartillerie-Regiment (Erlangen)

May 24, 1915 promoted to Unteroffizier,

Sept. 14, 1915 promoted to officer candidate

Nov. 28, 1915 promoted to Leutnant d.R.

October 1, 1916 he was accepted as Pilot student.

January 1917 to bayer. Flieger-Schützen Schule 4 (Lager-Lechfeld)

1917 bayer. Jagd-Staffel 32

Awards: Bayern Militär-Verdienst-Orden 4. Klasse mit Schwertern, Eiserne Kreuz II. Klasse (24.Dez.1915)

[Berlinerbummel]

Thank you Naxos. So my man was an Austrian volunteer, like Hitler, At 21, I wonder if he had Austrian service as well.

[Naxos]

Thank you Naxos. So my man was an Austrian volunteer, like Hitler, At 21, I wonder if he had Austrian service as well.

I don't think that he was Austrian national; rather he was born in Grottau, Austria. His parents in 1914 lived in Bremen.

What do you have of him?

I can post a list of all his engagements at the front (battle calendar)

[Berlinerbummel]

The only information I have found about him begins with his service as a pilot, so I know nothing of his service with the artillery regiment where he earmed the Iron Cross 2nd Class as a Lt. - 24 December - I suppose that is the award date, not the date he actually earned the medal.

There is a site called the Aerodrome which lists his flying victories and information about injuries and wounds. It also has a photo which seems to indicate three awards on his ribbon bar. The same photo is found in a book about his aircraft type for most of his victories, the Albatross. He had 16 victories so he also had the EKI which is seen in the photos. The center ribbon appears to be the MVO 4th class.

[Naxos]

Yes he must have had more awards as a Pilot, since the Stammrolle I have only goes to Jan 1917

[Naxos]

He must have been awarded the wound-badge too since he was wounded for the second time with a light wound on August 7, 1917

Edited October 8, 2012 by Naxos

[Naxos]

His first wound he received on July 15, 1916

[Berlinerbummel]

He was wounded in an aerial engagement on 20 September 1918 according to the Aerodrome site.

[Berlinerbummel]

The EKI would have been awarded in the summer of 1918 but there is no indication of other awards as a pilot. I wonder where the other two ribbons came from.

[Berlinerbummel]

If our fellow lived in Austria the entire time between his birth and his service in Bavaria in 1914, he would have been subject to compulsory service after he became 19 (1912).

If he lived in Germany at the time he was 19 he would have been required to serve in the German army or one of the states. That means he would have been in a reserve unit in 1914. Could a German reservist simply volunteer to join the Bavarian army or could only an Austrian reservist do that? I don't think so. My paternal grandfather was in a Landwehr unit in 1915 and the unit was simply called to active duty.

Of course there were always ways to avoid service if one had the means to do so.

[Naxos]

Hans Böhning was a German National born in Grottau, Austria - He grew up in Bremen (his parents lived there in 1914). Hans Böhning himself however lived during 1913/14 in Bavaria.

When the war broke out his address was in Erlangen where he studied at the University "Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg". Hence, he joined the Bavarian Army.

After the war he settled in Munich

Edited October 8, 2012 by Naxos

[Berlinerbummel]

Now I am wondering whether the two photos purported to be of Boehning are really pictures of him. The silver wound badge in the later photo is correct, but a three-place ribbon bar with no EKII presents a problem.

Edited October 8, 2012 by Berlinerbummel

[Naxos]

Now I am wondering whether the two photos purported to be of Boehning are really pictures of him. The silver wound badge in the later photo is correct, but a three-place ribbon bar with no EKII presents a problem.

Can you show me the pictures?

[Berlinerbummel]

I'm not sure I know how to download them or even if I am allowed to do so.

I can send a link for the better of the two. The photo is on page 83 of the book.

http://books.google.com/books?id=5qt5DYUzs88C&pg=PA83&lpg=PA83&dq=hans+b%C3%B6hning&source=bl&ots=x-JnfyKS4C&sig=SjL06tVROCKUlUHnz6cIk1AYDFE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=zCBvUMEpiITRAZnYgagJ&ved=0CFEQ6AEwCThG#v=onepage&q=hans%20b%C3%B6hning&f=true

Edited October 8, 2012 by Berlinerbummel

[Naxos]

Yes, that is him!

In Bavarian fashion he is wearing the Iron-Cross II ribbon after the Bavarian bravery awards on his ribbon bar. Also, one can see the scar on his upper left cheek. It is a Mensur (academic fencing) scar that is mentioned on his army recruiting papers.

Edited October 8, 2012 by Naxos

[Berlinerbummel]

What are the awards on his ribbon bar in the photo? If the MVO IV is in the center, there are only three higher ribbon bar medals: (1) Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden / (2) Mlilitär-Sanitätsorden 2. Klasse / (3) Tapferkeits-Medaille in gold und silver.

These three all have the same ribbon with a wide black center stripe. The first ribbon in the photo is light, as is the last one. I do not see the EKII, just the MVO in the middle.

We need a later Rangliste to see what else he earned as a pilot.

Edited October 8, 2012 by Berlinerbummel

[Berlinerbummel]

By the way, please accept my thanks and my gratitude for your help, Naxos. I am in your debt.

[Berlinerbummel]

A friend of mine saw the thread and responded to me by email. He is a German collector. He pointed out that Mensurs were very common during this time period and that a scar alone is probably not iron-clad proof that the photo on page 83 of the Albatros book is Boening, In fact, to my 68-year eyes, the two photos purported to be of him don't appear to be the same fellow.

The information posted by Naxos clearly indicates that Boehning had the MVOI V and the EKII and I do not see the EKII on the bar or in the buttonhole on the photo on page 83.

Edited October 9, 2012 by Berlinerbummel

[Naxos]

He could not have been awarded the Iron Cross I without receiving the Iron Cross II first. Furthermore, the ribbon for the Iron Cross II can be clearly seen in second position on his ribbon bar.

[Berlinerbummel]

The Iron Cross 2nd Class 1914 is black in the center with white stripes on the sides. The center ribbon in the photo has black stripes on the sides and appears to have a device on it. That's why I took it to be the MVO. I don't think that the first ribbon is the MVO - it has no device.

By the way, isn't the chap on the photo an Oberleutnant? My fellow was a Leutnant.

[Naxos]

It is a Leutnant - On the shoulder boards is a winged-prop (device for Air Service)

[Berlinerbummel]

Thank you, Naxos. I was unaware of that device.

[Berlinerbummel]

Is there someone ( of the hundreds of members) out there who has a copy of the April 1918 Rangliste for Bavaria? If not, I guess I'll have to spring for the $13 plus shipping. No candy this month. I may have to drink domestic "beer!" You leave me no choice.

[Soderbaum]

Hi

From one file gives his awards as follows.

MVO4 mit S xx

EKII 241214

FzAbz xx0717

EKI 220917

Brem HK 071117

RK HO Hohenz 130518

MVO4 mit Kr und S 140918

Silb vwAbz xx

Gunnar