Help needed: Oberst d. R. Kurt Albrecht (1889--1959)

[Deutschritter]

Gentlemen, when searching the WWW, all I can find about Kurt Albrecht (1889--1959) is that he served in WWI, apparently joining 1911. I have found three possible Albrechts from the infantry in the Rangliste 1914: Leutnant Albrecht from the Infanterie Regiment General-Feldmarschall Prinz Friedrich Karl von Preußen (8. Brandenburg.) Nr. 64, promoted with effect from 20 August 1909 (Oberleutnant on 18 August 1915, Hauptmann on 20 September 1919), which would maybe mean, he came from the Kadettenkorps. The second and third ones are  Leutnant Albrecht (Leutnant on 17 February 1914) and Leutnant d. R. Albrecht (Leutnant on 2? March 1914), both from the Infanterie-Regiment Freiherr Hiller von Gaertringen (4. Posensches) Nr. 59 and probably promoted to Oberleutnant (d. R.) in or at the end of WWI. Any help would be very much appreciated. Can anyone identify the WWI decorations except for EK II and I, of course? Thanks!!!

 

One source even has a death date 1968: https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/1315/Albrecht-Kurt.htm

[chuck]

Hi Deutcshritter, 

 

  The third ribbon appears to be a Württemberg. The Military Merit Order has a Green enameled wreath, and the Gold Military Merit Medal had a silver wreath attached to the ribbon in order to distinguish the difference in awards as the ribbon was the same yellow with black stripes.

 

v/r

Chuck

Edited November 13, 2022 by chuck

[Deutschritter]

Thanks, Chuck, I was thinking maybe something Austrian.

 

[Dave Danner]

The Kurt Albrecht born in 1889 in Dahme was wounded as a Lt.d.R. in IR 19 in early 1915. The third ribbon is the Austro-Hungarian Militärverdienstkreuz 3. Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration 3. Klasse, which he received as a Lt.d.R. in IR 329.

 

The second ribbon might be Hessen or Oldenburg. The colors of the ribbons tend to wash out in black & white photos.

[Deutschritter]

Thank you, Dave!!! Would you say it was unlikely he joined 1911?

Edited November 13, 2022 by Deutschritter

[Dave Danner]

It depends on his career path and education. Typically, a university student would do his Einjährig-Freiwilliger year after the first few semesters of educations, so age 22 would fit. So he could have been an Einjährig-Freiwilliger in 1911-12, then after his annual exercises been commissioned in 1914 or so. Glenn might be able to find his promotion date, since he's more familiar with the Militär-Wochenblatt.

[Deutschritter]

Thanks so much, Dave. Probably not a career officer, that would make a lot of sense. Also no Reichswehr service. Yes, I also hope Glenn might be able to add some data.

[arb]

Here are the particulars for the two infantry reserve Lts. named Kurt Albrecht and the active Lt. Albrecht in IR 64.  It does  not look like any of them is the man you are researching.

 

Andy

 

 

Alexis Albrecht  (??-??)

1955                                                   Geschäftsführer, Hannover, Podbielskistr. 323

1942                                                   Major z.V., Hannover, Rühmkorffstr. 12

1940                                                   Hptm. a.D., Hannover, Rühmkorffstr. 12

00.03.15                              in MG./Res. Inf. R. 24 lei verw.

01.10.13-02.08.14                             in 12./Inf. R. 64  (Angermünde)

1913-01.10.13                    in 10./Inf. R. 64  (Angermünde)

01.10.12-1912                    in 4./Inf. R. 64  (Prenzlau)

18.08.11-01.10.12                             in 2./Inf. R. 64  (Prenzlau)

18.08.11                              Leutn. m. Patent v. 20.08.09

18.10.10                              Fähnr.

 

 

Name    Vornamen    Rang  Regiment  Patent  geboren

 

Albrecht, Kurt     Daniel Kurt Egon              Leutn. d.R.          IR 59      22.03.1914          11.10.1889

Albrecht, Kurt     Kurt Erich            Leutn. d.R.          IR 88      18.12.1913         

Edited November 15, 2022 by arb

[Glenn J]

Hi Dave, Andreas,

 

proving a little tricky at the moment. The one Leutnant d.R. Kurt Albrecht of IR 19 which I can find was promoted to that rank on 24.12.14. However, he was a former Feldwebel-Leutnant which does not seem plausible for someone born in 1889.

 

Regards

Glenn

[GreyC]

Hi,

if Dave Danner is right (and much speaks in favour of it), and "your" Albrecht is this one:

 

The Kurt Albrecht born in 1889 in Dahme was wounded as a Lt.d.R. in IR 19 in early 1915. The third ribbon is the Austro-Hungarian Militärverdienstkreuz 3. Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration 3. Klasse, which he received as a Lt.d.R. in IR 329.

He was quite lucky to get wounded when with IR 19. The usual timespan between getting wounded and this being reported in the loss list was approx. 4-6 weeks, so that he must have been wounded in January 1915. After that he seems not to have returned to IR 19. There are two regimental history, one of which is online. I checked it and there is no mention of him throughout. However the lists with serving officers initially do not give Kompanieoffiziere. They are mentioned only after February 1915. In those lists he is not mentioned. So he was probably transferred to IR 329 after his release from hospital. Good for him. Because his former regiment was then fighting at Verdun, the Aisne and other high profile battles with heavy losses while IR 329 was busy on the Eastern front until March 1918 when the regiment was transferred to the Western front. In the East the regiment probably fought together with Austrian units, hence his Austro-Hungarian Militärverdienstkreuz.

GreyC

PS: The 2nd regimental history of IR 19 is much more detailed and may mention him. Will try and find out.

GreyC

Edited November 15, 2022 by GreyC

[Deutschritter]

Thank you so much, Gentlemen!

[GreyC]

With the help of a colleague from another forum and some additional research on my part I can tell you, that Kurt Albrecht worked as Vermessungsrat (surveyor) and Katasteramts-Direktor in Hirschberg/Schlesien from at least 1935 until at least 1938/9. No mention 1941.

Best,

GreyC

Edited November 16, 2022 by GreyC

[Deutschritter]

This is great, GreyC, thanks so much. I have him as Hauptmann d. R. since 8.6.1937 with effect from 1.7.1937 (rank seniority or RDA from 1.2.1929) and commander of the 2nd Company/Infanterie-Regiment 83/28. Infanterie-Division at the beginning of the war. This would all make sense, he took part in Reserveübungen, worked as a Katasteramts-Direktor and was called up to duty in 1939. The staff of the Infanterie-Regiment 83, which I just looked up, had it's headquarters in Hirschberg ... this is great! I wonder, if the young Vermessungsinspektoranwärter in Königsberg Kurt Albrecht, who was KIA in Russia on 1 December 1941 as Oberleutnant and Kompanieführer, was his son ...? There was also from 5.05.1924 to 31.01.1950 a Albrecht, Kurt (Reg.-Verm.-Rat) in the Vermessungsamt / Katasteramt Gandersheim ... that is the problem with a name like Kurt Albrecht.

Edited November 16, 2022 by Deutschritter

[GreyC]

26 minutes ago, Deutschritter said:

Kurt Albrecht, who was KIA in Russia on 1 December 1941 as Oberleutnant and Kompanieführer, was his son ...?

I doubt it. He was born in Lettland and his father would have been quite young (underage). The other Kurt A. at Gandersheim can´t be him as he worked continously there.

Unfortunately there doesn´t seem to be a personal military file at the Bundesarchiv?

GreyC

 

Edited November 16, 2022 by GreyC

[Deutschritter]

Thanks to you, I now found our Kurt Albrecht (b. 24.2.1889) as Direktor of the Katasteramt Hirschberg II since 1 June 1921 and Leiter of the combined Katasteramt Hirschberg (I and II) since 1 September 1937, owning the house (Eigentümer) in the Hermann-Stehr-Straße 10.

[GreyC]

Well done!

GreyC

I have asked a friend to search the 2nd regimental history of 19. IR for his name. Might know more tomorrow.

There is no RG for IR 329 unfortunately.

GreyC