70/71KDM in Stahl on Combattant ribbon

[Tom Y]

We've pretty well covered the permutations of EK and 14/18 ribbons, and I guess somebody understands it, but what about the 1870/71 KDM? It came in 3 styles: cannon bronze on combattant ribbon, steel on combattant ribbon, and steel on non-combattant ribbon. Here's a doc for the steel on combattant to a Gefreiter. I can't make out the rest of it other than it was signed by a Major and (?). The stamp is too faded to make out. Can one of our chicken scratch readers give me a clue?

[Tom Y]

And the details

[John Harman]

I think it says...

...Gefreiten Wilhelm Heinrich Pehoregge von der 8. Compagnie des Besatzungs-Batallions Bielefeld.

(signed)

Major und Bezirks-Commandeur

[Tom Y]

Thanks, John. From his other docs, though, I think the name is Schoregge. He got the combattant KDM in '64 with the 12nd Westphalian Infantry and a DAII in '74. If he was garrisoned in Bleifeld he was pretty far away from the action. Here's the back of his Wehrpaß dated 1866 http://www.mypage.ewol.com/wildman/Details.jpg that might throw some light on the matter. Unfortunately I don't have his '66 KDM doc.

[Rick Research]

Steel on "combatant" ribbon was for Stay At Homes.

What's WEIRD is the use of "Besatzungs-" for Garrison, since the German word has the very definite meaning "Occupation" and I've never seen it used except in that context, as in "occupied enemy territory."

maybe they weren't "sure" of Bielefeld!

[John Harman]

I was a bit confused by the use of Besatzungs myself; I had not seen it used, albeit I have VERY limited experience. Tom, it is DEFINATELY Schoregge! Sometimes the Latin handwriting is harder to decipher than the Sütterlin
Sounds like a great group of docs!

[Glenn2438]

Besatzungs-Bataillone

The Besatzungs-Bataillone were formed on mobilisation to man the fortresses and lines of communication within Germany itself. They were Landwehr formations and took the name of the recruiting district from which they were formed. Besatzung in this context can be translated as garrison.

Regards
Glenn

[stogieman]

Nice document...

... I've only seen this variation a couple of times. One of my first purchases was a document/medal group to a fellow who received the KDM in steel on the Combattant ribbon. had his L-Svc. medal document and Centennial document, plus all his medals. Thought i was neater than heck when I had it in hand. Long gone now, but to a good home out west....

[John Harman]

I was a bit confused by the use of Besatzungs myself; I had not seen it used

Time to eat my own words ...I dug out my KDM in Stahl am Combattantband doc; lo and behold to a Wehrmann from Besatzungs-Batallion Stralsund, 1. Pom. Landwehr Regiment No.2. Thanks for the great info Glenn!

[Andy Baus]

And for those who might wonder who the Landwehr Bezirks Kommandeur was who signed the document, it was Major Heinrich Fritze (1828-1885). He held the position from 1870 until 1878.

Andy

Time to eat my own words ...I dug out my KDM in Stahl am Combattantband doc; lo and behold to a Wehrmann from Besatzungs-Batallion Stralsund, 1. Pom. Landwehr Regiment No.2. Thanks for the great info Glenn!

[John Harman]

And for those who might wonder who the Landwehr Bezirks Kommandeur was who signed the document, it was Major Heinrich Fritze (1828-1885). He held the position from 1870 until 1878.

Andy

Andy,

Any idea who the Bezirks-Kommandeur for Stralsund was?

[Andy Baus]

John,

As I am not sure when your document was signed, I'll provide two names:
Maj. v. Zepelin (1871) and Maj. Schmidt von Knobelsdorff (1872-1874). Unfortunately, I do not have any additional information or first names.

Andy

Andy,

Any idea who the Bezirks-Kommandeur for Stralsund was?

[Tom Y]

Thanks, guys, especially Andy. I never would've been able to make out that scrawl.