Infantry regiments

Musketier Hermann Hansen served with 10. Kompagnie Reserve-Ersatz-Regiment 3 from September 1915 to July 1917 as part of 5. Ersatz-Division, and 3. M.G.K. of the same regiment as part of 87. I.D. until August 1918, and then with 1. M.G.K. until he was released from active service when demobilised in November 1918. He saw action on the Western Front in 1916 (Yser, Somme, Champagne), the Eastern Front in 1917 (Dünaburg) and then the Western Front again in 1918 (Champagne, Soissons, Reims, Oise, Aisne, Marne, Peronne, Cambrai, St. Quentin, Lothringen, Antwerpen-Maas). Promoted to Gefreiter in November 1917. Wounded by shell splinters in August 1918. Awarded the EK II.

Gefreiter Otto Warmuth was inducted into the replacement battalion of Infanterie-Regiment Markgraf Karl (7. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 60 as a Landsturm soldier in February 1915. In June he joined 9 company of the active regiment in the field, part of 241. Infanterie-Brigade, 121. Infanterie-Division, fighting in the Priesterwald between the Maas and Mosel. In August he was wounded by a shell splinter and sent to a field hospital and then a reserve hospital in Dillingen on the Donau. After returning to the replacement battalion in October, he was posted to 6 company Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 30, part of 15. Reserve-Division fighting on the Aisne from December. He had probably not fully recovered as he was only fit for working duties. In August 1916 he was posted to Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment No. 16, part of 32. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade, 25. Landwehr-Division, fighting on the Aisne. At the end of January 1917 he fell ill and entered the field hospital in Chevignon. Discharged in June 1917. Awarded the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz.

Gefreiter Heinrich Firnbach joined the replacement battalion of Königlich bayerisches 17. Infanterie-Regiment in June 1916 and was posted to Königlich bayer. Ers.-Maschinen-Gewehr-Abteilung in September. In January 1917 he was assigned to 1. Ers.-Maschinen-Gewehr-Kompagnie II. A.K. and then 2. Maschinen-Gewehr-Kompagnie bayerisches 31. Infanterie-Regiment, part of 23. bayerische-Infanterie-Brigade, 15. bayerische Infanterie-Division in February. He saw action in Lothringen, Aisne-Champagne, the fighting for Chemin des Dames and defensive fighting near Verdun in 1917 and 1918. Awarded the bay. M.V.K. 3. Klasse mit Schwertern.

Unteroffizier Richard Suhr was inducted into 6. Kompagnie, Großherzoglich Mecklenburgisches Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 89, part of 17. Infanterie-Division, in October 1913. He saw action on the Western front with his unit until he was captured by the British near Miraumont (Somme) in mid February 1917. Awarded the EK2 and Mecklenburg-Strelitz Kreuz für Auszeichnung im Kriege.

Hauptmann Hans Georg Freiherr von Ende joined Königlich Sächsisches 1. (Leib-)Grenadier Regiment No. 100, part of Saxon 23. Infanterie-Division, as a Leutnant in October 1914. Except for two spells in hospital in October 1916 and May to June 1917, he served as a company commander from the beginning of 1915 and remained with the regiment until he was killed in action near Mailly-Raineval on 31 March 1918. Awarded the Austrian Franz-Josef-Orden, Knight's Cross 2nd Class of the Saxon Albert Order, Sachsen-Meiningen Ehrenkreuz für Verdienst im Krieg 1914/15 and Crown to the Knight's Cross 1st Class of the Saxon Albert Order.

Reservist Hans Bruns served with 6. Kompagnie Infanterie-Regiment Lübeck (3. Hanseatisches) Nr. 162, 18. Reserve-Division, from August 1914 until he was wounded at Pozières at the end of July 1916. After a period of convalescence, he joined 5. Kompagnie Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 426, part of 88. Infanterie-Division, near Riga on the Eastern Front in March 1917. Shortly after the division was transferred to the Western Front, he was shot in the shoulder near Mézières during the spring offensive in late March 1918. Awarded the Lübeck Hanseatenkreuz on 9 August 1916 (20 August 1916 according to his Militärpass) and the EK2 on 27 January 1918.

Sergeant Rudolf Osbahr served with 1. M.G.-Kompagnie Infanterie-Regiment 163, 81. Infanterie-Brigade, 17. Reserve-Division. The division spent the entire war on the Western front. Awarded the EK II in December 1916.

Landsturmmann Heinrich Leispau served with Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 75 and 10. Kompagnie Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 216, part of 92. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade, 46. Reserve-Division, from July 1915 to November 1918. He served with the division on the Eastern and the Western fronts. No awards recorded.

Musketier August Steinhardt was inducted into the replacement battalion of Infanterie-Regiment 113 in December 1914 and posted to 8. Kompagnie Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 249, part of 75. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade, 75. Reserve-Division, which was fighting on the Eastern Front, in April 1915. In October 1916 he was wounded in the leg and shoulder by shrapnel at the battle of Kowel. He spent the rest of the war in various hospitals and with a replacement company of Füsilier-Regiment 40. Discharged in April 1919. Awarded the Hohenzollernsche silberne Verdienstmedaille mit Schwertern.

Copyright © 2003–2009 David Gregory

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