Help with Militarpass needed

[Rich]

Just wondering whether anyone can confirm what I think reads the award of the Iron Cross 2nd Class in January 1915 and also the wound badge in July 1918 (less certain, does not seem to fit with German script but cannot think other than 'verw. abzeichen' would fit), but cannot make out in what grade. I have highlighted these areas. I cannot make sense of the remainder of the script, so if anyone could have an attempt it would be appreciated. Does it show any other medals or distinctions?

 

It is to a a soldier of the 175th West Prussian Infantry - more of the other documents are (mistakenly) in the AH section.

 

Thanks,

 

Richard

[Mike Huxley]

You are correct for the EK2 and I think you are correct about the wound badge, but I can't be sure about that from the bad hand writing.

 

Mike

Edited October 23, 2023 by Mike Huxley

[bolewts58]

EkII and Black Wound Badge.

[Rich]

That's marvellous. Thank you both. 

 

I'm not a native German speaker, so contemporary handwriting, especially when untidy, is a real killer to decipher!

[bolewts58]

Also a little bit of interesting info...on October 12, 1918 he transferred to Minenwerfer Kompanie 343. Although a bit late in the war, he presumably would have had shoulder boards with MW and 343 below it in red.

[Mike Huxley]

Rich, I'd be interested in seeing some more of his Pass, can you post further scans of it please?

 

Mike

[The Prussian]

Hello!

Yes! The name could help.

9.3.-19.3.17: Revierbehandlung (sick or wounded-treatment in the regimental area.

25.4.17 Sanitätskompagnie (Medical company) N°86.

In March/April 1917 the regiment was at the Somme and  the "Siegfried-Front".

But why? I can´ t read.

Edited October 24, 2023 by The Prussian

[spolei]

18 minutes ago, The Prussian said:

Hello!

Yes! The name could help.

9.3.-19.3.17: Revierbehandlung (sick or wounded-treatment in the regimental area.

25.4.17 Sanitätskompagnie (Medical company) N°86.

But why? I can´ t read.

19.3.17 Schürfwunde l. Unterarm
25.4.17 Zahnbehandlung

[The Prussian]

Many Thanx!

But that was not enough for a wound badge...😁

And I have a problem with Minenwerfer-Kompagnie 343. An MWK with that number did not exist!

But I´ve got some crazy ideas in my crazy head...

The Inf.Rgt.343 was formed by:

I.Btl. of Ers.Btl./IR129

II.Btl. of Ers.Btl./IR141

III.Btl. of Ers.Btl./IR175

 

August 8, 1918 a Minenwerfer-Kompagnie was set-up in that regiment (formed by Minenwerfer-Kompagnie 86)

 

Maybe he was transferred to Inf.Rgt.343 and came in their MWK?

 

Note: The Inf.Rgt.343 belonged to the 86th Infantry Divison.

And the medical company 86 was in that Division too!

Edited October 24, 2023 by The Prussian

[Rich]

Thanks everyone for the help, here is the rest of the Militarpass over several uploads - has a very long list of where his unit was stationed inside it, glued to the pages.

 

His name was Otto SEMRAU. I can find one entry for someone of that name who was married in 1912 in Wissek, Wirsitz, Posen, West Prussia - ties in with the 175th's recruitment area. Born 4.4.1887.

 

Cheers

Richard

 

 

And the remainder. I also have his certificates for his German, Austrian and Hungarian awards. No EK2 or Wound Badge papers, unfortunately.

Edited October 24, 2023 by Rich

[VtwinVince]

Interesting paperwork, this guy sure saw a lot of action on the eastern front.

[The Prussian]

A hit in the bull´s eye! Minenwerfer-Kompagnie of Inf.Rgt.343!

He served from 2.5.1915-12.10.1918 in that regiment

Before he served with IR175.

Casualty list of Otto Semrau:

http://des.genealogy.net/search/show/1123965

Edited October 24, 2023 by The Prussian

[Rich]

Thank you very much.

 

Semrau did seem to have a very busy war to come through it unscathed. That list of battles and frontline duty is immensely long.

 

So he was with 343 IR for much of the war, 1915-18, in the mortar section? He had a very early EK2 award, so it is a pity it does not elaborate about why he received it.

 

I wonder what he received the Wound Badge for - presumably not for the abrasion or the dental treatment? - EDIT:  Thanks Andy, I have just seen the casualty list you posted. I assume he got the medal retrospectively when it was introduced in 1918. I also wonder whether he received the EK2 following being WIA (presumably at the Battle of Lodz)?

 

 

And, for completeness, here are the medal certificates that came with the book. 

 

Unfortunately no Iron Cross or Wound Badge certificates with them.

 

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by Rich

[Christian1962]

I would assume he received his Verw.Abzeichen for this injury:

 

 

It reads: "Am 22.11.14 verwundet, Alexandrow,

But I can´t decipher the abbreviations within the brackets: (G. G. b or l. U.-Arm) - they are typical medical abbreviations I think.

Regards

Christian

[The Prussian]

Hello!

G.G. means "Gewehr-Geschoß".

Rifle-bullet.

l. U-arm = linker Unterarm = left forearm.

That was the reason for the wounded badge.

By the way. The 1934 Cross was not a war medal. It was awarded to all front-line soldiers who took part in the war.

Edited October 24, 2023 by The Prussian

[Rich]

Thank you both - remarkable help from all involved and much appreciated.

 

So, Otto Semrau was injured 22.11.14 by a rifle bullet at Alexandrow, which would have been right during the Battle of Lodz, in which the 175th Regiment was involved. Confirmed on the casualty list published some weeks later, which Andy shared. (The German list shows a remarkably similar delay between injury and reporting to the official lists in the British Army during WW1.) Received the Wound Badge in July '18 after it had been established.

Edited October 24, 2023 by Rich

[Mike Huxley]

This is the part of military collecting I enjoy the most along with the medal collecting and research.

I have approx 150 Militarpas that I'm slowly going through and trying to trace the backgrounds of the people in them, along with award documents.

My main area of interest is the Saxon Regiments that were on the Flanders front as this ties up with my Grandfather who was with the 23rd London Reg at the battle of Messines on the 7th July 1917 and was wounded there. Finding out about the  Saxon forces that were opposing the attack and the guys in the battalions is a fascinating insight into history.

 

Mike

[Rich]

I mainly collect British medals, but I have always had a soft spot for the paperwork that comes with the medals from other nations, mostly WW1 and the German side most especially - I think it was from watching All Quiet on the Western Front so many times when I was younger. The Militarpass is a remarkably good document. 

 

It's unfamiliar territory for me, but I've been amazed what can be unearthed about the individual soldiers.

 

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by Rich

[Mike Huxley]

1 hour ago, Rich said:

I mainly collect British medals, but I have always had a soft spot for the paperwork that comes with the medals from other nations, mostly WW1 and the German side most especially - I think it was from watching All Quiet on the Western Front so many times when I was younger. The Militarpass is a remarkably good document. 

 

It's unfamiliar territory for me, but I've been amazed what can be unearthed about the individual soldiers.

 

 

Your right Rich, with the German pass everything is contained in them, unlike those from the British in WWI. For more information on our troops you have to trawl through masses of archive references just to find out anything on their service record or awards. But, at least our medals are impressed with the name, rank and service number, unlike German awards.

[VtwinVince]

Mostly true, the exceptions being the Kingdom of Hannover and the Baden Merit Medal.

[The Prussian]

6 hours ago, Mike Huxley said:

This is the part of military collecting I enjoy the most along with the medal collecting and research.

I have approx 150 Militarpas that I'm slowly going through and trying to trace the backgrounds of the people in them, along with award documents.

My main area of interest is the Saxon Regiments that were on the Flanders front as this ties up with my Grandfather who was with the 23rd London Reg at the battle of Messines on the 7th July 1917 and was wounded there. Finding out about the  Saxon forces that were opposing the attack and the guys in the battalions is a fascinating insight into history.

 

Mike

Hello Mike!

I assume, you know this page?

https://www.royalsaxonarmy.co.uk/index.php/our-publications

[Mike Huxley]

10 hours ago, The Prussian said:

Hello Mike!

I assume, you know this page?

https://www.royalsaxonarmy.co.uk/index.php/our-publications

Hi, Yes I do and I have the book "Fighting the Kaiser's War, and very good it is. But thanks for asking.