Request for help in identifying the unit (1918 Italian Front)

[preemxx]

Hello, for some time I have been looking for information about the unit in which my great-grandfather served, what I know for sure is that it was a unit of the Austro-Hungarian army, and that he took part in the battles of the Italian front in 1918, on the back of one of the photos, written there is " Komp 13" and on the other one: "Haiterwank in Tirol"  but it is possible that it is misspelled or I am reading something wrong, would someone be able to help me identify this branch and the area of its operations? If I posted in the wrong section, I apologize and please move it to the correct one, thank you, also i can upload more photos if needed

Edited May 12, 2023 by preemxx

[Farkas]

Welcome Preemxx,

You’re in the right place.

This is indeed the section on GMIC for all things Austro Hungarian…

We are a bit low in numbers in this section but hopefully we’ll help you add to what you know about your Grandfathers service.

May I suggest you turn on notifications so you get an email if someone replies, it won’t be always be an overnight answer so stick with it.

 

I too had a Grandfather that served in the AH army, I know there is information to be found if you stick with it, maybe about the unit & maybe specifically about your GF if you’re lucky 🤞 There is more to find if you speak German, which I don’t sadly, but with his unit identified you can find out when and where they were at least.

——-

The picture is a beauty!

——-

 

And yes… Please post the other pictures you have, front and also the backs especially if annotated or marked, & particularly the writing you mention.

 

Also do you know any details about your GFather?

Name or Date of Birth?

& importantly his ‘place of birth’ if you know it or can find it out.
The Austro Hungarian Army recruited locally, so the answer to your initial question ‘which unit was he in’ may be as simple as that to answer, 🤞

 

For example - My GFather was born in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary so was in Infanterie regiment 83 (IR83), the local regiment with a garrison there.

 

——-

 

We look forward to seeing the pictures and hearing what you know. There’s no time pressure from us, whenever you are ready, you’ve taken the first step, stick with it…

 

Best wishes

tony

 

 

[Farkas]

PS it is 
‘Heiterwang’

[preemxx]

There's More photos

Also grandfather was from Zakopane, Poland

[Felix Echt von Eleda]

Bergf. Komp. 13: high mountain company number 13! I'm going to search more information this evening.

Best Regards

[Farkas]

 

Felix - I spent a while looking the other night in various ways… I really wish I spoke German. 

Preemxx - The studio picture of your GF shows they have edelweiss collar badges which confirms he was a mountain trooper.

I know Infantry Regiments were split into 4 battalions, each with 4 companies, numbered in order.

So I believe it’s likely that komp 13 would have been in the 4th battalion of his regiment.
The fact he is in a jaeger battalion is, apart from being ‘cool’ in itself, helpful by narrowing the options.

 

On 18/05/2023 at 15:47, Felix Echt von Eleda said:

I'm going to search more information this evening.

I’m really glad to see 👆this Felix 👍

 

 

tony 🍻

 

Edited May 20, 2023 by Farkas
Totally confused myself - rewrite needed.

[Felix Echt von Eleda]

The 13 BF komp. fought on the Adamello, on the the highest front of the First World War, do you have more information about him? What was his name?

 

Best Regards

Leo

[preemxx]

His name was Stanisław Szczepaniak Krupowski, if i remember correctly, he was born in 1899, maybe it will help.

I'll try to find more photos and data when I'll return home

[preemxx]

I am very sorry for the long absence, unfortunately I did not find anything else at home, thank you very much for your time and help, but if I find any things from my great-grandfather, I will post them here

[The Prussian]

Hello!

There are different ways to wear the Edelweiß-Badge.

It is was worn only at the cap, it was XIV.Army Corps Innsbruck. If it was worn at the cap and at the collar it was Tiroler Landesschützen (since 1917 "Kaiserschützen"). If it was worn only at the collar it was Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment 4 or 27 (since 1917 Gebirgsschützen-Regiment 1 and 2)

Heiterwang is a place in Tyrol. There was the 44th Inf.Div. In 1918 it included the 88th Schützen-Brigade with Mountain-Regiments 1 and 2, earlier "Tiroler Landesschützen", see above..

So probably the guys have an Edelweiß at the cap too.

Later in the war there wered dirfferent "Bergführer-Companies".

Mountain Guide Companies

In order to provide the troops deployed in the high mountains, which often consisted mainly of soldiers who were not used to the mountains, with competent advisors and guides, so-called mountain guide companies were set up from 1916 onwards. However, these were only administrative units, as the mountain guides were assigned to the respective troops on a patrol basis. Ice axe, climbing rope and climbing shoes were obligatory parts of their equipment. If necessary, they also had skiing equipment at their disposal.

For the training of military mountain guides, there were separate mountain guide replacement and instruction companies. Soldiers from various regiments or other troops, most of whom had already acquired mountaineering skills before the war through civilian practice of mountain sports, were trained there as mountain guides. Authorised Alpine Club mountain guides often acted as instructors. Analogous to the mountain guide courses of the Alpine Club, the lessons of the military alpine courses comprised the practical subjects: rock and ice technique, first aid, map reading and orientation in the terrain, rope use and learning or perfecting skiing. War-related innovations included the insurance of alpine climbs, blasting and storm training. The aim was to enable the military mountain guides to carry out militarily and alpinistically difficult undertakings themselves, on the one hand, and to teach the troops the most elementary alpine principles as instructors, on the other. In contrast to individual mountain guides who had already been assigned to various troops or districts since the beginning of the war, and who were often members of the Imperial and Royal Landsturm or the Tauern. Landsturm or the Tyrolean Standschützen, members of the mountain guide companies administratively belonged to the regiment of a Tyrolean Kaiserjäger regiment or an Kaiserschützen regiment.

 

In 1918 there were 10 mountain-guide-companies identified. They had the numbers 1-4, 7-12. Unfortunately no 13.

Bergf. also means the rank: Bergführer

Maybe here we have the Alpine-Company N°13. There were Alpine-Companies 1-4, 6-7, 9-33, 35, 37 and 40.

 

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by The Prussian

[Farkas]

On 11/06/2023 at 21:45, preemxx said:

I am very sorry for the long absence, unfortunately I did not find anything else at home, thank you very much for your time and help, but if I find any things from my great-grandfather, I will post them here

You are honouring the memory and service of your family, no one else will.

There is no rush preemxx, don’t lose interest or hope, we won’t!

 🍻 tony 

———//

 

Hi Gents,

I had another look for him tonight.
There are a lot of matches for his name on this site 👇

Preemxx, try to take a look at the list on the site, perhaps you’ll be able to find one with names of children/relatives that you recognise as family 👍

 

On 22/05/2023 at 10:05, preemxx said:

His name was Stanisław Szczepaniak Krupowski, if i remember correctly, he was born in 1899, maybe it will help.

I'll try to find more photos and data when I'll return home

I may be wrong but I’m tempted to say on his service record he is known as ‘Stanisław Szczepaniak’…

Turns out that Krupowski/a is an area in Zakopane, it seems to have often been adopted as an additional name but then not used consistently in some other cases I’ve been seeing.

 

The two cards addressed to ‘Stara Polana 15a’ use it but the other does not. Possibly it was of use locally but not when elsewhere, also possibly they are addressed to his father or someone other than him?

———//

 

This 1917 card is surely taken during/after training as a new recruit, I doubt the uniform is even his…

 

This great photo with his unit shows him in a more basic uniform.

He noticeably still lacks any medals at this point 👇

 

 

This equally great photo 👇 from 1918 shows a different environment and he is in a prominent position this time…

He is ‘front & centre’ with the officers…

That’s it for now…
It’s 5.58am & ZZzz time now.

 

tony 🍻
 

 

[Graf]

17 hours ago, Farkas said:

You are honouring the memory and service of your family, no one else will.

There is no rush preemxx, don’t lose interest or hope, we won’t!

 🍻 tony 

———//

 

Hi Gents,

I had another look for him tonight.
There are a lot of matches for his name on this site 👇

Preemxx, try to take a look at the list on the site, perhaps you’ll be able to find one with names of children/relatives that you recognise as family 👍

 

I may be wrong but I’m tempted to say on his service record he is known as ‘Stanisław Szczepaniak’…

Turns out that Krupowski/a is an area in Zakopane, it seems to have often been adopted as an additional name but then not used consistently in some other cases I’ve been seeing.

 

The two cards addressed to ‘Stara Polana 15a’ use it but the other does not. Possibly it was of use locally but not when elsewhere, also possibly they are addressed to his father or someone other than him?

———//

 

This 1917 card is surely taken during/after training as a new recruit, I doubt the uniform is even his…

 

This great photo with his unit shows him in a more basic uniform.

He noticeably still lacks any medals at this point 👇

 

 

This equally great photo 👇 from 1918 shows a different environment and he is in a prominent position this time…

He is ‘front & centre’ with the officers…

That’s it for now…
It’s 5.58am & ZZzz time now.

 

tony 🍻
 

 

Nice work Tony

[preemxx]

Thank you very much for your commitment, I have to show my mother the results you sent and ask for more information, By the way "Krupowski" is a nickname to distinguish one highlander from another, there are many "Szczepaniaks" so it may come from some location in Zakopane. Thanks again and when I have less work I will try to find out more on my own