...another dedicated blade

[Wessel]

Here's another blade for the researchers to check out, but I suspect far more difficult than the previous ones. There is no date or maker and it sems to be a very ordinary Fusilier Officer's sword, but with a very nice blade.

The inscription reads:

Oesterreich s/l Ohlert

As before any help much appreciated.

[Glenn J]

I should think Leutnant Ohlert (18.11.06 Jj) of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 84 and Leutnant Oesterreich (19.11.08 J2j) of Füsilier-Regiment Nr. 36 who both appeared in the Prussian Army list for the first time in 1909

Ohlert had a Patent two years senior to Oesterreich and was therefore an Abiturient with back dated seniority.

Regards

Glenn

[Guest Rick Research]

It's surprising--even to us--how randomly what is actually easy/impossible plays out. There was only ever one Ohlert in the Prussian army, hey presto!

Presenter Ohlert retired from the army as a Hauptmann (Patent 18.08.16 V1), without turning up on any of the WW1 award rolls we've transcribed so far. But he returned to Wehrmacht service--in January 1939 on the staff of Wehrbezirks Kommando Gelsenkirchen as Major (E) 01.03.35 #61. He vanishes with that seniority (literally) and I cannot find him again until the indexed May 1944 Seniority List, which shows him as Oberstleutnant (S) ("S" being the 1941+ designation for former (E) officers not in combat assignments) with seniority as Oberstleutnant of 01.02.40 #60. Which... I do not find in either the May 1940 (E/zD list) or in the amalgamated 1942 Seniority List. Obviously his seniority had been altered. There is no index between January 1939 and May 1944--and the entire Nazi army was a very big place to go through page by page!!!

Alas, poor Oesterreich! As is almost invariably the case, the poor man did not survive the first week of the war

being killed near Liège (Lüttich to the Germans) 6 August 1914. Highlighted above from the 1939 "Ehrenmal" listing of Great War Prussian officer war dead. Oesterreich went from regular army to reserve status per the Militär-Wochenblatt edition of 19 October 1911, remaining as Leutnant dR in FR 36. However, rather oddly, between the October 1913 Rank List supplement and May 1914 Rank List, he'd been assigned (thinking of a return to active duty?) to Infantry Regiment 74--where another Oesterreich was perhaps a relative. His May 1914 entry--

shows him as still Lt dR with uniform of FR 36 assigned to IR 74, rank dates "(19.11.08 J2j) 02.12.10" probably in preparaation to taking away seniority for his time out in the reserves. That was, however, the end of his career.

[Wessel]

Once again I'm indebted to you guys for making this sword so much more alive for me!

[Guest Rick Research]

Homer Simpson: Doh!!!! I neglected to specifically remark upon the "exception to the rule" here which your blade THANKFULLY leaves absolutely unambiguous--

normal German sword presentation practice is from the giver's name first to the recipient--which strikes at least my old Yankee ears as rather... "it's all about me first" rudeness. But of course the German abbreviation "s/l" is just as easily "TO dear" as "FROM dear..." and in this case since ONLY Oesterreich served in a FUSILIER regiment, who was which is certain.

This is like our favorite local Quebec-ian sentence "throw the horse over the fence some hay." Grammatically wobbly but meaning clear.

Your sword is such an "inverted" piece--which if BOTH men had been in the same arm of service would have left us thinking OHLERT got it and not the other way around.

[Guest Rick Research]

Oh, (old and slow today) one other observation-- presumably Oesterreich had this blade professionally "weaponized" sharpened? If so, it was likely removed from his body for return to his next of kin--since the Imperial Army of 1914 charged into battle brandishing their swords. If not, it stayed home that final fatal week of his life.

On the day Oesterreich was killed, Infantry Regiment 74's commander, Oberst Friedrich Wilhelm Prinz zur Lippe was killed as was Hauptmann Rudolf Freiherr von Dincklage, assaulting and being surrounded by Belgian forces bravely resisting around Liège. The Prince stupidly demanded that the regimental standard bearer next to him brandish the unit's flag like a semaphore at the enemy--bringing on the fatal concentrated volley that made him the first dead German royal of the war. (Shot the standard full of holes less mortlly....)

I'll have to do more rummaging to see if any other reserve officers in IR 74 met their end that day. If not, we can assume your Oesterreich (sorry no first name has turned up yet, etc) was in close proximity to Herr Clueless Shoot-Me-First Royal Dummy.

Edited August 16, 2013 by Rick Research

[Guest Rick Research]

Oesterreich was transferred from the reserves on 1 October 1913 (a huge expansion of the Prussian army, so they must have been coaxing him out for returning to fulltime duty) "for one year" probationary period with Inf Rgt 74-- his new seniority of 02.12.10 to reflect his having been away. In Militär-Wochenblatt issue of 21 October 1913-- I'll get that scanned and post in here as an edit tomorrow.

[Glenn J]

I'll get that scanned and post in here as an edit tomorrow

Save you a job.

Glenn

[Glenn J]

I have not tracked down a first name for Ohlert yet, but it was Werner Oesterreich.

Regards

Glenn

[Glenn J]

This from the Offizier-Stammliste of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 74 published in Hannover in 1913.

Glenn

[Glenn J]

Success! This from panzer-archive.de:

Major (E) 01.03.35 OHLERT Fritz (Stab WBK Gelsenkirchen) Oberstleutnant (01.02.40)

Glenn

[Glenn J]

Obviously his seniority had been altered. There is no index between January 1939 and May 1944--and the entire Nazi army was a very big place to go through page by page!!!

Rick,

he is listed in the 1 May 1940 Dienstaltersliste B (E-Offiziere) on page 30.

Regards

Glenn

[Guest Rick Research]

Can't get MORE on a more OBSCURE short-lived officer!

Never occurred to me that Ohlert's seniority was moved up in the same date!

Was the older Oesterreich in IR 74 a brother? Could that be why Werner ended up there rather than back in FR 36?

Edited August 17, 2013 by Rick Research

[Glenn J]

Rick,

Was the older Oesterreich in IR 74 a brother? Could that be why Werner ended up there rather than back in FR 36?

I think probably cousins, The details of the fathers are different.

Regards

Glenn