Reitendes Feldjägerkorps - Books?

[Nicolas7507]

Hello,

I am looking for books or longer articles on the topic "Reitendes Feldjägerkorps". Preferably in German.

Does anyone know where to find information like this, except the wikipedia article?

PS: I dont understand their duties in WW1. Did they transport important post and letters to foreign countries? I heard they used the train, so no horse? Military Action? and what has the forest topic to do with it.... Sorry...so many questions.....

Best regards,

Nicolas

 

Edited March 12, 2017 by Nicolas7507

[HeikoGrusdat]

Originally their members were recruited only from foresters (Jäger , Förster) , you can find it in older rank lists on the first sides...only a small number of men , they were the FedEx of their time and transported important documents between higher military positions.....as far as I know it has nothing to do with the later Feldjäger or Feldgendamerie . There is one book about this from the end of 19th century but it is not cheap , you can find it in some antique book stores

[Nicolas7507]

Hi Heiko,

Thanks for your quick answer

That would also explain why they got a lot of foreign decorations.....

Was it possible to see any Frontline Action as Member of this Korps?

[Dave Danner]

Your best reference would be the Geschichte des Königlich preußischen Reitenden Feldjägerkorps von 1740 bis 1919, bearb. v. Otto Heym (Berlin, 1926).

As Heiko noted above, the corps was not large. There were 73 Feldjäger when the war started, along with 8 Anwärter who were soon admitted to the corps.  Another 43 were transferred into the corps during the war.  These usually replaced those who had been transferred or commanded to regular units or were casualties.

Most of those who saw action at the front served with regular units, especially Jäger batallions. 22 members of the corps were killed in World War I, but of these, only one died while in Kurierdienst (Hptm. Gustav Toepffer).  14 were killed with Jäger batallions.  Two were aviators.  One, Hptm. Walter v. Dreßler, was killed in the bomb attack which killed Field Marshal Hermann v. Eichhorn. Hptm. Friedrich v. Reichenau was killed in 1918 as a battalion commander in GGR 3.  47 were wounded, again mostly with regular units.  

Six received the House Order of Hohenzollern and 81 received the Iron Cross 1st Class.  Of the 91 Feldjäger in the July 1919 rank list of the corps, 54 have Austro-Hungarian decorations, 35 have Bulgarian decorations, and 38 have Turkish decorations.  They also had numerous Landesorden from the various states.

Regarding transport, here is an excerpt from the history:

 

[Nicolas7507]

Dave,

Thanks for your fantastic answer.

Yes, the book seems good but 450€ is a bit mich for me.

It seems that this Korps was smaller than I thought. 

As I get a ribbon bar with turkish, bulgarian and austrian awards of the RFK today this should improve the chances for an ID.

 

Regards,

Nicolas

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Dave.

Thank you for a very interesting post concerning this little known unit which had very important missions to fulfill.

I have always been intrigued by it and now my curiosity has finally been satisfied.

Bernhard H. Holst

[Nicolas7507]

As promised here is the bar. A classic Godet with the famous wreath ( Note the 2 different sites).

The awards:

EK2 1914

Österreichisches MVK 3.Kl mit Kriegsdekoration

Liakat - Medaille in Silber mit Schwertern

Eiserner Halbmond

Bulgarischer Ordern für Tapferkeit 3.Klasse

The previous owner told me, that there are 2 possible owners of the RFK:

Hauptmann Kurt Kaehne

Hauptman Friedrich Barchewitz

As the Reichswehr ranklist and the pre-war ranklist are useless in this case...any chance to get an exact match?

 

Best regards,
Nicolas

[GreyC]

Hi,

the Ehrenrangliste lists both officers as serving in the RFK throughout the war, both starting as Leutnant in 1914. Barchewitz listed as Hptm at end of war. Contrary to your statement, Kaehne is listed as Major a.D., if Kaehne ended the war as you stated as Hauptmann, he must have been listed in early Reichswehr Ranglisten which I do not own as the Ehrenrangliste was published in 1926.

GreyC

Edited March 13, 2017 by GreyC

[Dave Danner]

The previous owner is correct.  Both Kaehne and Barchewitz had this combination.  Kaehne also received the Russian Order of St. Stanislaus, but due to the war many German officers would not wear enemy awards, so that does not exclude him.

Both were alive in the 1930s so they would have added the Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer, and both were Forstbeamter so they may have received the Treuedienst-Ehrenzeichen. But they may have had new ribbon bars made rather than tear up the older ones.  Kaehne was killed in an Allied bombing of Berlin on the night of 22./23.11.1943.  Barchewitz died on 7.2.1974 in Lüneburg.

[Nicolas7507]

Thank you Dave.

Well, I think I'll go for Barchewitz for now. Maybe more info will appear in the future....

Did both recieve EK1?

Best regards,

Nicolas

[Dave Danner]

Kaehne had the EK1. Barchewitz just the EK2.

[Dete]

Hello,

i just found this topic and thought i could add some pics of a roup i own.

best regards.

Detlev

Edited April 17, 2017 by Dete

[HeikoGrusdat]

Great group and a great addition to this thread 

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Dete.

Thank you for showing this most interesting group belonging to a member of  very small elite unit. And in such a complete and good condition.

For me first one ever to see.

Bernhard H. Holst

[Militaria Hunter]

Hello,

For my first post on GMIC, here a pair of epaulettes of a Leutnant der Reitendes Feldjägerkorps, circa 1900-1912

David

[dedehansen]

12 minutes ago, Militaria Hunter said:

Hello,

For my first post on GMIC, here a pair of epaulettes of a Leutnant der Reitendes Feldjägerkorps, circa 1900-1912

David

Hi David, 

these are epaulettes from a Major, a Leutnant had no bouillons.

Kind regards
Andreas

Kind regards
Andreas

[Militaria Hunter]

Hi Andreas

Yes, forgive my mistake, of course a Major pair

David

[Glenn J]

Hi David,

I am not sure the field officers' epaulettes could belong to a Major in the RFJK. In peacetime the highest rank held was that of a Premier-Lieutenant/Oberleutnant. Both the Chief and Commander of the Corps were General officers. There were no field officers on the establishment. 

Regards

Glenn

[Nicolas7507]

 

On 13/03/2017 at 19:21, Dave Danner said:

The previous owner is correct.  Both Kaehne and Barchewitz had this combination.  Kaehne also received the Russian Order of St. Stanislaus, but due to the war many German officers would not wear enemy awards, so that does not exclude him.

Both were alive in the 1930s so they would have added the Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer, and both were Forstbeamter so they may have received the Treuedienst-Ehrenzeichen. But they may have had new ribbon bars made rather than tear up the older ones.  Kaehne was killed in an Allied bombing of Berlin on the night of 22./23.11.1943.  Barchewitz died on 7.2.1974 in Lüneburg.

 

By coincidence I found this nice photo on eBay today. Possibly Major a.D. Kurt Kaehne as an Oberleutnant (?). The ribbon bar matches mine (just a different order) and the EK1 rules out Barchewitz.

 

It was also taken in Berlin-Charlottenburg, the residence of Kaehne.

 

Major a.D. und Oberforstmeister Kurt Kaehne
* 08.04.1883
+ Nacht vom 22.-23.November 1943 (Bombenangriff)

 

15.05.1905 Leutnant
18.09.1915 Hauptmann
Major a.D.

 

Charlottenburg, Spandauerstraße 1 

 

Regards,

Nicolas

 

Edited June 16, 2022 by Nicolas7507