heer Requesting Information for: Hauptmann Dr. Adolf Frank was the Kompanie Chef for 2nd CO / I. Battalion / GJR 137

[ostprussenmann_new]

Recently my friend acquired a GJR 137 Waffenrock for  Adolf Frank (name in tunic).  We are trying to find out if this officer was awarded any medals or badges either from WW1 or WW2.  This is what we have found so far:

ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED!!!

This website lists all the key leaders for GJR 137 in early 1939, and confirms that Hauptmann Dr. Frank was the Kompanie Chef for 2nd CO / I. Battalion / GJR 137
http://gliederungundstellenbesetzung.blogspot.com/2008/07/gebirgsjger-regiment-137-gebjgrgt137-d.html
 

However I hit the jackpot with this research from the Axis History Forum.  This guy in Austria compiled a master list of all the Austrian officers from the Bundesheer who transferred into the Wehrmacht in 1938.  

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=208886
 

After looking through all of his spreadsheets I found a Dr. Adolf Frank who must be the same guy.  According to the spreadsheet, Dr. Adolf Frank lived from 14 June 1901 - 12 September 1939.  His date of ranks are: Oberleutnant on 1 September 1934 (Austrian Bundesheer), Hauptmann on 1 April 1937 (Austrian Bundesheer), and Major on 1 January 1939 (German Wehrmacht).  Last known assignment was GJR 137.  Former unit in the Austrian Bundesheer was AJR 10.  

 

This article on Feldgrau.com lists what Austrian units were incorporated into the Wehrmacht in 1938.
http://www.feldgrau.com/articles.php?ID=7 

According to this website, in 1938 the Steiermarkischen Alpenjäger-Regiment 10 "Feldmarschall Conrad von Hötzendorf" (5th Austrian Division) re-flagged to become III./GJR 138

 

This is from his email:

 

"So what I learned from all this is that Dr. Adolf Frank was an Austrian officer from at least 1934-1938, in 1938 his unit (AJR 10 5th Austrian Division) transferred to III./GJR 138, and then shortly thereafter (late 1938/early 1939) he transferred to 2./I./GJR 137 as Company Commander.  Then apparently he died in the Polish campaign after only two weeks of war???
 

What doesn't make sense is that according to the spreadsheet he promoted to Major in January 1939, however according to other sources he was still Kompanie Chef in early 1939.  In addition the tailor label in the Waffenrock says it's from 1939 and the rank on the shoulders is still Hauptmann.  I wonder if he was still a Company Commander when the Polish campaign kicked off.....or maybe he promoted to Major and got bumped up to a staff position?   

If he was really born in 1901 then he was a fairly old Company Commander (38 years old).  This means he would have been only 17 when WW1 ended, so I wonder if he would have been too young to participate in that war?  Was the Austro-Hungarian Empire drafting 17 year-olds in 1918? 

That sucks if he died in the second week of the Polish campaign.  I looked up the history of the 2nd Mountain Division in the 1939 Polish Campaign in Kaltenegger's history of the Gebirgsjager and it seems that 2nd GJ DIV and 1st GJ DIV both jumped off from Slovakia and marched nearly 300km to capture Lemberg in far southeastern Poland (modern-day Ukraine).  I understand that 1st GJ DIV took a lot of casualties capturing Lemberg, and apparently GJR 137 was re-assigned to 1st GJ DIV during this operation.  However the battle for Lemberg occurred at least a week after this officer died (supposedly 12 September 1939). At any rate they lost a ton of guys fighting for Lemberg, and then had to hand it over to the Red Army as per the secret diplomatic agreement with the Soviets.      

 

Now I just need to figure out what awards were appropriate for an Austrian officer in peacetime (1934-1938), and if this guy served in WW1 as a young teenager.  Also if he died in the Polish campaign then maybe there is a record somewhere of the casualty lists by unit, and maybe awards he might have received.  Would it have been standard practice if you are an infantrymen who dies in active combat that you receive the Infantry Assault and Wound Badge posthumously?  (and maybe EKII if you are a combat leader like a company commander?)" 

 

Thanks.  

Edited August 12, 2016 by hucks216

[hucks216]

Dr Adolf Frank was indeed killed in action on the 12th September (see attachment from the Volksbund). It wouldn't be standard practice to be awarded anything just for being killed n action but it isn't beyond the realms of possibility that he was killed carrying out an action that would see him being posthumously awarded an EK II.

Unfortunately the files held in NARA for 2.Gebirgs-Division are plentiful but don't start until January 1940. It might be worth looking into the Officer Files held at NARA (and BA-MA I believe) although there is no guarantee that his personnel file is still available. They are in the A-3356 series and his file (if it still exists) would be in Roll 191 (Fort to Frank, Willi). As the Rolls cost approx $120 each (CD-Rom) it might be worth employing a researcher to have a look to see if his file exists and to get a copy of it - but depending on his costs and how many (if any) pages need copying it might be cheaper getting the Roll.

[ostprussenmann_new]

14 minutes ago, hucks216 said:

Dr Adolf Frank was indeed killed in action on the 12th September (see attachment from the Volksbund). It wouldn't be standard practice to be awarded anything just for being killed n action but it isn't beyond the realms of possibility that he was killed carrying out an action that would see him being posthumously awarded an EK II.

Unfortunately the files held in NARA for 2.Gebirgs-Division are plentiful but don't start until January 1940. It might be worth looking into the Officer Files held at NARA (and BA-MA I believe) although there is no guarantee that his personnel file is still available. They are in the A-3356 series and his file (if it still exists) would be in Roll 191 (Fort to Frank, Willi). As the Rolls cost approx $120 each (CD-Rom) it might be worth employing a researcher to have a look to see if his file exists and to get a copy of it - but depending on his costs and how many (if any) pages need copying it might be cheaper getting the Roll.

Huck, thanks for the reply.  I will pass this to my friend.

 

[Christian1962]

Frank Adolf Dr. (14.06.1901 – 12.09.1939)

ÖBH1:      Zugsführer

15.08.1929 Wachtmeister (HSch) [VBl. 10/1929]

01.10.1929 vers. zur InfFachSch [VBl. 15/1929]

15.08.1930 Leutnant [28] (AJR 9) [VBl. 10/1930]

01.09.1934 Oberleutnant [VBl. 20/1934]

26.03.1935 Silbernes Verdienstzeichen [VBl. 4/1935]

01.09.1935 vers. zum IR 11 (Bruck a.d. Mur) [VBl. 14/1935]

01.11.1937 vers. zum AJR 10 [PVBl. 13/1937]

DWM:     

14.03.1938 übern. als Hauptmann mit RDA 1.4.1937 [103]  (Chef 2./Geb.Jäg.Reg. 137)

01.10.1939 Major [posthum]

12.09.1939 gefallen bei Borownica (PL) [1400]

Silbernes Verdienstzeichen des österreichischen Verdienstordens, Dienstzeichen für zeitverpflichtete Soldaten 2. Kl.

[ostprussenmann_new]

13 hours ago, Christian1962 said:

Frank Adolf Dr. (14.06.1901 – 12.09.1939)

ÖBH1:      Zugsführer

15.08.1929 Wachtmeister (HSch) [VBl. 10/1929]

01.10.1929 vers. zur InfFachSch [VBl. 15/1929]

15.08.1930 Leutnant [28] (AJR 9) [VBl. 10/1930]

01.09.1934 Oberleutnant [VBl. 20/1934]

26.03.1935 Silbernes Verdienstzeichen [VBl. 4/1935]

01.09.1935 vers. zum IR 11 (Bruck a.d. Mur) [VBl. 14/1935]

01.11.1937 vers. zum AJR 10 [PVBl. 13/1937]

DWM:     

14.03.1938 übern. als Hauptmann mit RDA 1.4.1937 [103]  (Chef 2./Geb.Jäg.Reg. 137)

01.10.1939 Major [posthum]

12.09.1939 gefallen bei Borownica (PL) [1400]

Silbernes Verdienstzeichen des österreichischen Verdienstordens, Dienstzeichen für zeitverpflichtete Soldaten 2. Kl.

Thanks Christain

Edited August 24, 2017 by ostprussenmann_new