"Ha, Ha! I got one too!" Part Two: FRONTLINE Award Photos

[Rick Research]

Here is Saxon Feldwebelleutnant Curt Beyer of 9th Company/Reserve Infantry Regiment 241 (53rd Reserve Division), all excited on 29th January 1916 writing home about getting HIS Iron Cross 2nd Class on the Kaiser's birthday-- two days earlier

This unit left the Tahure sector in the Champagne to rest in November 1915, spending the winter of 1915-16 in Ingelmunster (where this and the next photo were dated from) north of Courtrai.

[Rick Research]

And again, same day, same basic "Hey! Look what I got on the Kaiser's birthday!" message home again.

Two days delivery time for photos near the front... pretty darn speedy!

Note the two widely spaced empty ribbon bar loops.

[Rick Research]

And here he is again, a mere couple of weeks later, chin fuzz gone and looking a lot more like Richard Attenborough. (OK, maybe a straight Nathan Lane with a mustache.)

He and all his Feldwebelleutnant buddies of the 9./RIR 241 (this is unique in my experience for ALL platoon officers to be, apparently, active former NCO Fdl-Lts) ALL got their Saxon Albert Crosses with Swords on 17 February 1916.

Note that as a former permanent member of Leib Grenadier Regiment 100 he has continued wearing that shoulder board cypher and his former NCO Lizten. Also note the Long Service ribbon, Old Style (then still the ONLY style) whose loops show in the photo above.

[Rick Research]

Here's his pal Max Seltrecht, same company, same award, same day.

As a former member of some line regiment, no Litzen. Wearing "241" numbers on his boards. Notice the "L" angled NCO lace on his collar as compared with Beyer's front edge of collar only style.

[Rick Research]

And obviously taken about the same time, January-February 1916, their CO, "Oberleutnant" (dL probably) Fritzsche. Unfortunately there were too many with that last name as infantry dR and dL types to identify him without having signed his first name.

The pop-gun pistol and hunting knife stuck in a bayonet frog are notable. Somehow he doesn't look the type to have laid it on with that rattan cane, but you never know!

Whichever Fritzsche he was, no one of that name got a Saxon WW1 Order in RIR 241. He may have been one of the 12 officer casualties (which also suffered 1,502 enlisted losses) opposing the French on the Somme, September 3 to 14, 1916.

The regiment and the division never recovered, and there would continue to be heavy fighting until finally the fall 1918 Allied advance led this entire division to be dissolved.

Beyer was still alive in May 1918.

[Daniel Krause]

Interesting pics!

Best regards

Daniel

[Chris B]

Boy, those EKs sure garnered a lot of respect and carried a lot of weight. Was it because they came from a Kaiser's hand, because of their illustrious history or both?. I wonder if the EK could be resurrected today if Germany was in dire peril from an outside aggressor?

[Rick Research]

The Iron Cross is ONLY introduced for a war with FRANCE (1813, 1870, 1914, 1939) and... um... THAT'S unlikely... currently!

[Brian S]

I love pictures with a story!!!

[Chris B]

I know the 1813 EKs were prompted by the dire needs of the war of liberation against Napoleon, but I had no Idea that they were so totally French oriented. But then, If you're both neighbours AND archenemies, who else are you going to constantly go to to war with. Cheers, CB.

[Daniel Krause]

Hi Guys,

the EK was instituted and reinstitutet only in "times of real danger to the homeland" thats why not in the small 1864 / 1866 campaign. That it was always also (not only) against France...hm.
But now that old times should be over.

Best regards

Daniel

[AOK4]

I've got a whole series of pics from RIR 241 in Flanders, even some of the Kaisersgeburtstagsfeier in Ingelmunster...

Jan

[Rick Research]

Of "my" Feldwebelleutnants????

[AOK4]

Originally posted by Rick Lundström
Of "my" Feldwebelleutnants????

I believe I've bought around 100 photocards of Beyer from a man in Germany, I only bought the pics from Flanders (which was even costly enough for me)... There are a few written cards from the man and a few pics IIRC, I'll have a look where I stored them.

Jan