Uncategorised Storm of Steel medal group

[Chris Boonzaier]

And that is why my Drill Sergeants instilled a no smoking in the foxhole policy into all of us.

I misspoke... Jünger visited him at the field hospital where he lay, badly wounded in the arm and leg, he lay on the stretcher looking close to death, but puffing away on a ciggie...

[Dave Danner]

He does not appear in the 1914, 1915, 1919 or 1925 Adressbücher for Bremen and Vegesack. So his Kontrollbezirk may have been Bremen, but I don't know where he actually lived. I can't find an Adressbuch for Bremerhaven, so I can't check that. So, no help on figuring out his civilian job.

I will be in Bremen next month. Maybe I can get a copy of his award recommendation.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Apparently he was a Bremen boy, his father a ships captain.

Andy had found this...

"What I discovered then was that there was an Offizier-Aspirant des Beurlaubtenstandes Haverkamp (von Landwehr Bezirk Bremen) who was promoted Leutn.d.R. d. Inf. R. 75 on 22.05.1915. I believe this is the man in question even though it appears he never was assigned to FR 73."

Although we now know he did transfer to FR73, albeit for a few months, in the last half of 1917 till he was wounded.

There may also be a RIR78 connection of some sort... Will dig out the letter tomorrow.

If you could find anything on the Bremen cross, it would be a huge help!!

[Chris Boonzaier]

It may be a big coincidence... but there was a Musketier Fritz Haverkamp of the IR75 who was badly wounded on the 5th till 11th of November in Bailly... He was from Bremen.

I wonder if there were two with the same name?

[Bernhard H.Holst]

I misspoke... Jünger visited him at the field hospital where he lay, badly wounded in the arm and leg, he lay on the stretcher looking close to death, but puffing away on a ciggie...

Hello readers.

Perhaps to put any misconceptions aside which may have arisen.

Chris never stated that Lt. Haverkamp was wounded while carelessly smoking. Lt. Juenger encountered him while Lt. Haverkamp and also Lt.Zuern ( who later died of his wounds as Lt. Juenger feared when he saw him) were evacuated and were then close to the collection and treatment point ( Verbandsplatz ) Lt. Haverkamp smoked a cigaret and had severe wounds in a leg and arm.

The regimental history states:

At the end of the Flanders deployment in early November, 1917 the regiment had lost 8 officers killed, missing were 6, wounded 13.. Other ranks: 80 killed, 260 wounded plus a large number of sick personnel and missing in action were approx. 300, how many of these were made prisoners could not be determined by the available records.

Lt. Juenger and some of his comrades sometimes had a very youthful approach to warfare and seemingly dared fate, I believe the hard fighting in Flanders did not lead to attempts to collect parachute flares for the silk or similar jaunts into no-mans land.

Bernhard H. Holst

Edited July 16, 2014 by Bernhard H.Holst

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hello readers.

Lt. Juenger and some of his comrades sometimes had a very youthful approach to warfare and seemingly dared fate, I believe the hard fighting in Flanders did not lead to attempts to collect parachute flares for the silk or similar jaunts into no-mans land.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hi,

The Flare incident is in the Regnieville chapter.

The next evening Kloppmann recced the same position but this time he was greeted with rifle shots and French Citron grenades, which we called "Enteneiern". As he lay pressed to the ground one of the grenades landed next to his head, but did not detonate. He was forced to beat a hasty retreat. The evening after that the two of us went out. The forward position was once again occupied and we were able to establish that there were 4 sentries. One whistled a very nice tune. Eventually we came under fire and had to make our way back.

(Upon our return) I found myself alone in the trench. Suddenly Voigt and Haverkamp appeared. They had obviously been celebrating and had the sudden urge to leave the comfortable "Stumplager", make a pilgramage through the pitchdark forest into the forward lines to "go on patrol" as they called it.

I have always been a firm believer that every man has a free will and is responsible for his actions so I made no effort to interfere with their plans. Although the enemy was still very lively I watched them exit the trench. Their "patrol" however was limited to hunting for the Silk Parachutes attached to the French Rockets. Waving these white clothes they chased each other backwards and forwards in front of the French barbed wire. Naturally the French fired on them but some time later they returned unharmed, Bacchus had them in his care.

I think I got the meaning right with "und sich, diese weißen Tücher schwingend, vorm Feindlichen Draht gegenseitig hin- und herhetzen."

[Dave Danner]

It may be a big coincidence... but there was a Musketier Fritz Haverkamp of the IR75 who was badly wounded on the 5th till 11th of November in Bailly... He was from Bremen.

That Fritz was listed as born in Bremen, though the earliest casualty lists often messed that up, putting the home station rather than the birthplace.

But I doubt it is him. From what I can tell, many or most of those 22.5.15 Lts.d.R. were from the October 1913 and April 1914 Einjährig-Freiwilliger classes, who were still on active duty at the time of mobilization. They were already Unteroffiziere or at least Gefreite by November 1914.

There was a Friedrich Haverkamp in the Bremer Adressbuch. He was a gardener before and after the war, so I ruled him out as the Leutnant Fritz, but he could be the Musketier Fritz.

There was a Private Fritz Haverkamp, from Augusta, Missouri, who died of pneumonia on 10 September 1918 while serving with C Company, 349th Infantry Regiment, 88th Infantry Division. In his case, I am going to go with coincidence.

Edited July 16, 2014 by Dave Danner

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Chris.

Ref. # 31 You did get the meaning across quite well.

One can only wonder what went on in their heads even though befogged by alcohol that made them go out chasing the left over parachute silk from burned out flares.

Ref. # 32 Dave, you must be surrounded by mountains of reference material. I am always astounded how you come up with results.

Bernhard H. Holst

[Chris Boonzaier]

I just realised Ernst Jugers diaries have also been published... I must order one and see if there is a mention...

[Chris Boonzaier]

I have the diaries, basically just an unpolished version of the book.

[Chris Boonzaier]

OK, all mounted together.... I think thats important to have them sealed in a frame, you never know what happens in life, if they were loose in a box, or a displaycase you can open, they could be seperated by someone who does not know they belong together....

[Chris Boonzaier]

Its taken ages, but finally the write up.....

 

http://www.kaiserscross.com/167501/544601.html

[dond]

Nice work.