The Lehr Infanterie Regiment and its documents

[Chris Boonzaier]

This is an interesting one... does anyone know who signed? and the unit?? is it xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxtrupp ?

Thanks

Chris

[arb]

I can't decipher the signature, but he was a "Hptm u. Komdr. d. Sicherungstruppe" in the Oberkommando der Heeresgruppe Kronprinz

Andy

[Naxos]

Hauptmann von Kricher

[The Prussian]

Hello!

That´s interesting. The top is dated dec.8, 1918 (as I see), one month later than in the middle. The unit is strange too. Maschinengewehr-Kompanie ??? Inf.Rgt.

The Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz was in that period the 7th, 1st and 3rd army (Commander Kronprinz Wilhelm)

[Naxos]

The unit is strange too. Maschinengewehr-Kompanie ??? Inf.Rgt.

The Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz was in that period the 7th, 1st and 3rd army (Commander Kronprinz Wilhelm)

2. M.G.K. Lehr Inf. Regt.

Edited November 21, 2013 by Naxos

[The Prussian]

Oh, I haven´t seen the forest because of the trees... Of course, it is! I´m getting old. Thanx, mate!

Edited November 21, 2013 by The Prussian

[Naxos]

Andy,that happens to me all the time

[Chris Boonzaier]

yup, it is the Lehr Infantry Regiment.

[The Prussian]

...

Well, the Lehr-Inf.Rgt fought in that period (from september - november):

Reims

Laon

Champagne

Argonnen and Maas

Ailette and Aire

Aisne and Maas

Antwerpen - Maasstellung

I have the regimental history of that regiment. Schütze Stössel is not mentioned in the casualty list. So fortunatley he survived.

Edited November 21, 2013 by The Prussian

[Chris Boonzaier]

At this time the SB Rohr was guarding the Kaisers HQ, so the Kronprinz probably also got a "loyal troop" to guard him. Which would explain why he was awarding the EK.

[The Prussian]

Not surely, Chris. The LIR fought heavy fight against the americans in that time. The "History of the 251 divisions" recorded:
"... after two days in reserve it entered the line on the 12th (oct.), now opposing the first American Army. In this sector it fought vigorously, making perhaps the stiffest resistance encountered in the offinsive.

The division went out on oct, 17 and rested until the 26th.

Reengaged northeast of Attigny on the 26th, the division co ntiniued in line until the armistice. The last identification was southeast of Mezières on nov., 7. 500 prisoners were lost by the division during their last period in line."

So I assume, he earned the cross for the fights between 12th and 17th oct.

[The Prussian]

STOP MATES! I GOT IT!!!!!!!

I just read a little bit in the regimental history! And what did the old Prussian find???? I try to translate:

On 8th november 8am the regiment had to line up. It shal detach a bataillon with three companies and one MGK to defend the HQ of the Crownprice. Only special soldies should do that. Each company had a strength 10 NCOs and 45 "Guard-fusiliers"

One soldier wrote: "In the HQ we got new uniforms and relieved the staff-guard. At the 10th Admiral v. Hintze came, we presentated and asked for the military-passes. The Admiral said:"Wow! These ones really are STILL soldiers!"..."

Well, and, who led that bataillon? Hauptmann v. Kröcher (E.K.I. 1st of march 1915)

The MG-Kp. was led by Lt.d.R. Anker and Lt.d.R. Nauendorf

Am I good or am I good???

I attached a photo of the LIR from 1916

Edited November 21, 2013 by The Prussian

[arb]

Great job, Andy.

I think the von Kröcher in question is Jürgen from the Garde Füsilier Regiment. In May 1918 he was a battalion commander in the GFR. He had a relative, Adolf, in 3. GFAR, but I do not think he would have been placed in charge of a security detail.

Andy

[Naxos]

STOP MATES! I GOT IT!!!!!!!

Am I good or am I good???

I was close .... but, Andy

Edited November 21, 2013 by Naxos

[The Prussian]

I go red with shame...

There is one thing that makes me puzzle...

Why is the unit the LIR, when all soldiers of that bataillon were from the Guard-fusiliers?

Well, the battle-ordre of the 3rd guard-inf.div. was in july 1918:

Gren.Rgt.9

Garde-Füs.Rgt.

Lehr-Inf.Rgt.

But why was the LIR mentioned?

[Auseklis]

Why is the unit the LIR, when all soldiers of that bataillon were from the Guard-fusiliers?

Do I get your question right: Why is it not the LFR then?

The designation Füsilier was only a traditional honour since 1808.

Since the LIR had no traditional roots to draw a Füsilier designation from, it was raised as infantry.

[The Prussian]

Hi Auseklis!

There were both regiments in the division. The Lehr-Inf.Rgt. and the Garde-Füsilier-Rgt.

The bataillon was built from 45 men Garde-Füsiliere, so the owner of the document (probably) was a Garde-Füsilier. Why was there written "Lehr-Inf.Rgt.", instead of Garde-Füs.Rgt?

[Dave Danner]

Great job, Andy.

I think the von Kröcher in question is Jürgen from the Garde Füsilier Regiment. In May 1918 he was a battalion commander in the GFR. He had a relative, Adolf, in 3. GFAR, but I do not think he would have been placed in charge of a security detail.

Andy

Yes, it was he.

Jürgen v. Kröcher was commanded to Heeresgruppe B, formerly Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz, on 9 November 1918 and returned to the GFR on 12 December.

[Chris Boonzaier]

What was the composition of the LIR?

I have a few LIR regiment EK documents, one to a guy who joined the regiment in 1915, his 1917 EK doc has him as "Garde Füsilier".

The guy above is Schütze (MG man), the 3rd doc is an Uffz....

So the bog standard Infantryman is "Garde Füsilier".....

[The Prussian]

Ah, ok. I´ve seen him in the Ehrenrangliste. He was Major a.D. after the war. Now I know, because they wrote Lehr-Inf.Rgt. It was set-up by soldiers from different units. If v. Kröcher did serve in the LIR, his base-unit was still the Garde-Fusiliers.

[The Prussian]

Chris.

When they built the bataillon for the crown-prince, the rest of the regiment formed another bataillon. Called "Bataillon Follenius" (b ecause of the commander Hauptmann Frhr. v. Follenius)

The bataillon v. Kröcher had 3 companies (1., 2., 3.) and one MG-company

The bataillon v. Follenius had two companies (1., 6.), one MG-company and one Minenwerferzug

The bataillon v. Kröcher came by cars and lorries to Vielsalm. The crown-prince lived in Château Salm

Edited November 21, 2013 by The Prussian

[Chris Boonzaier]

I dont know, as I said above, guys in the LIR WERE called Garde Füsilier.

As they were in the same division, they shared a Feld rekruten Depot... often the Rekruten Depot distributed soldiers where they were needed, and not to their regiments of origin.

[The Prussian]

Yes, you´re right. I´ve checked the casualties lis.t. Each enlisted man of the regiment was called "G.F."

[Dave Danner]

In case anyone's interested, here is a picture of Kröcher:

[Chris Boonzaier]

There were a number of reasons to suppose these guys were attatched to the HQ, not least because the Lehr Inf regt had during the war developed the practise of delegating the filling out of documents to the lowest possible officer ;-)