Bavaria A Bavarian Teacher's Mathematical Odds Ribbon Bars

[Guest Rick Research]

This seems to be a good example of the process (almost always of elimination) by which "common" awards' in very uncommon COMBINATIONS can sometimes lead to an identification.

As the trans-Atlantic research collaborative’s work on German WW1 award rolls continues growing, more and more results which were never previously possible have become a reality. Württemberg’s Friedrich Order rolls for 1914-18 are intact. Surprisingly, only 122 WF3aXs were bestowed on Bavarian Captains and—in keeping with the lower the rank, the less likely to be rewarded—a mere 45 WF3bXs went to Bavarian Lieutenants. So—once again—we have common awards that were quite extremely rare…in combination!

This set of three matching 10 ribbon bars tells us that the original wearer was either a junior regular or Reserve/Landwehr officer. Either status could have been possible with the ribbon for the 1905 and 1911 army Luitpold Jubilee Medals. The presence of that medal (and no Bavarian long service award) meant that the recipient was most likely an Oberleutnant or Hauptmann during the war. Presence of the Tyrol WWI Commemorative Medal shows that this Bavarian officer had to have been able to demonstrate actual service on the Italian front—the other Central Powers Commemoratives were handed out as simple courtesies on application. Finally, the Third Reich 25 years Treudienst civil service cross tells us that he was a government employee with under 40 years of combined civil and military service by January 1943, when those awards ceased.

The plump upper set was actually an 8 ribbons tab back, which was “budget upgraded” with a two ribbons extension. Tightly sewn down on the ends, it appears to have had extra ribbons laid down over the existing ones. No way to tell which two ribbons were added, but awards of the Tyrol Medal ceased (oddly enough) in 1940, and the Hungarian and Bulgarian Commemoratives were still being awarded at least into 1943.

Edited August 1, 2013 by Rick Research

[Guest Rick Research]

Of course, to WEAR these racks, our still unknown recipient had to be wearing SOME sort of uniform.

By eliminating all those who had OTHER ribboned awards so could NOT have had ONLY the combination of BMV4X and either WF3aX or WF3bX with a Jubilee Medal, the short list of potential suspects is reduced to that shown.

The remaining WF3aX suspects seem extremely unlikely from their ages they would have been in 1939—all three would certainly have had one of the Bavarian long service awards after 1918.

That reduces the plausible suspects to FIVE—

Hauptmann aD Adolf Däumling and Hauptmann aD Karl Schulz of K.B. Inf Rgt 4—which never served in the Tyrol;

Char. Major aD Krafft von Oelhafen of K.B. Inf Rgt 7—which also never served in the Tyrol;

Char. Major aD August Dittmar of K.B. Inf Rgt 9—which never served in the Tyrol; or

(Last known rank) Oberleutnant der Reserve Johann Kaufmann of K.B. Fußart Rgt 1. Kaufmann was an Oberreallehrer in Horb, Württemberg from at least the 1909 Hof- und- Staats Handbuch. He is thus the only KNOWN civil servant of these five. From the “Waffengedenkbuch der Königl. Bayer. Schweren Artillerie” (1928) his wartime position as Adjutant of K.B. Res Fußa Bn 6 from 1 December 1915 to 27 May 1918 can be determined. He does not seem to have ever actually served in K.B. Fußart Rgt 1 from Stellenlisten given in this book, so his service 02.08.14 to 30.11.15 remains unknown, as does his assignment from 28.05. to 11.11.18. He did NOT transfer over to I. / K.B. Fußart Rgt 6 when Res Fußart Bn 6 was renumbered as such 28.05.18.

Edited August 1, 2013 by Rick Research

[Guest Rick Research]

Now HOW, obviously, can we connect the Bavarian reserve officer with a teacher in Württemberg?

Well, from multiple contemporary sources.

Bavarian Militär-Handbuch 1914 gives unit and date of rank:

Württemberg Hof- und Staats Handbuch 1914 gives "day job"

But... what connects these "two" as "one"?

That would be THIS, the Bavarian 1912 directory of dR and dL officers... with rank dates and... day jobs.

So: CONCLUSIVE proof? Not... quite yet. But lots (and lots!) of confirmed circumstantial evidence, from many period sources, all of which have to be looked through and compared for what may sometimes seem an unlikely or even "impossible" result.

[Guest Rick Research]

As it stands, school teacher Kaufmann is the most likely—out of 167—to be “the man.” 140 of all holders have been eliminated. Five are likely, three are possible, and 19 cannot (at this point) be eliminated.

Sources:

Bavarian Army Rank Lists 1914 and 1918

Bavarian Army Stellenliste 1916 (full details only on regulars)

1912 Bavarian Reserve/Landwehr Officers Directory (giving civilian addresses and employment)

Württemberg Court and State Handbooks 1909 and 1914

Württemberg Friedrich Orders Roll 1914-1918 courtesy of Daniel Krause

And “elimination sources”—

German Army Stellenlisten 1935, 1937, 1939, 1944 (latter Majors up and all only regulars)

Polizei (SchuPo and Gendarmerie) Seniority List 1941

National Labor Service Seniority List 1938 (“Majors” up)

Wer Ist’s? 1935 edition

SS Seniority Lists 1935, 1938, 1944 (latter only “Majors” up)

National railways Stellenliste 1934

“5000 Köpfe”

[Dave Danner]

Kaufmann, Johann, born 5.5.1881 in Reuendorf, Oberamt Ulm, Kgr. Württemberg. Horb is crossed out in the Kriegsrangliste, as he moved at some point during the war to the Rosenbergrealschule in Stuttgart. He was released from service on 26 November 1918 to Stuttgart.

1.10.06-30.9.07 Einj.-Freiw. 1. bayer. Fußart.-Regt.

28.5.09 Vfw.d.R.

10.1.11 Ltd.R. (Pat. #97)

5.8.14 Adj. 1. Landsturm-Fußart.-Btl. I.b.AK

10.9.14 z. bayer. Res.-Fußart.-Btl. Nr. 6

9.9.15 OLt.d.R. (Pat. #63 v. 1.7.15)

15.5.16 z. Ers./3. bayer. Fußart.-Regt.

23.6.16 Battr.-Fhr. 7.Battr. bayer. Res.-Fußart.-Regt. Nr. 3

26.11.18 entlassen nach Stuttgart (Bez.Kdo. Mindelheim)

EK1&2, BMV4X, WF3bX, PRLM

At the front for almost the entire war. His entry for "mitgemachte Gefechte" ends with "1.1.18-8.1.18 eine Reihe Schlachten i. Westen". I guess the clerk got tired of writing individual battles. It looks like all his service was on the Western Front. Might he still have wrangled the Tirol Medal?

[Guest Rick Research]

Thanks very much indeed, Dave! Kaufmann--if these DID belong to him--should NOT have been able to wriggle into a Tyrol Medal if he hadn't been there. But bizarrely, that provincial (!!!) "official" WW1 service medal was still being handed out... in 1940--two years after Austria had ceased to exist! So maaaaaaybe standards had slipped, and that was one of the two ribbons tacked on.

Or I'm chasing another red herring here. That's happened before!

When you return---

Dave is on THE major Research Gnome Expedition for 2013

drop me a line with Kaufmann's 3 WW1 awards' dates please.

I'm not QUITE ready to abandon him as my Chief Suspect just yet.

I've got another group where the fellow deceptively listed a PREVIOUS unit he had indeed served in--and that served on the Eastern Front when he never did--in order to claim his free Hungarian WW1 Commemorative Medal. That guy need not have bothered--it was any German's for the asking. But the sneaky little group padder in that case had a guilty conscience and knew he was doin' bad.