Martin Hassenrath

[StuGIII]

Hi,

This was Martin Hassenrath. I would like to know his rank, when he was killed in action and if possible, his unit.

[pauke]

info

It looks like he is a private. His regimental number would be found on his shoulder straps and it appears that there might be a triple digit number on his. Beyond that the photo doesn't give away anything specific. Whoever wrote the word "gift" on the reverse might want to erase the word as it means "poison" in German.

[StuGIII]

Martin

It looks like he is a private. His regimental number would be found on his shoulder straps and it appears that there might be a triple digit number on his. Beyond that the photo doesn't give away anything specific. Whoever wrote the word "gift" on the reverse might want to erase the word as it means "poison" in German.

Hi Pauke,

Thanks for the help. The ebay dealer I got this from occasionally sends extra photos, such as Martin's. Odd that our word gift, means something bad in German. It's too bad that there's not a website similar to the French one I know of, that you can look up names and it'll tell you his unit etc. Any idea on the mauser rifle he's holding? I know early in the war, the Germans issued early Mausers. At least I've seen some photos of men posing with earlier Mausers, rather than the 1898 model. Hey I see you're in Florida like me. Whereabouts?

[streptile]

May have died of giftgas.

[StuGIII]

Martin's death

May have died of giftgas.

Hehe very funny

[Rich G]

Is it me but does his face look superimposed on the photo?

[StuGIII]

odd face

Is it me but does his face look superimposed on the photo?

Hey Rich,

Now that you mention it, it does look like his face was superimposed. Why would they do that?

[schönbeck]

Because they didn't have a full photo of him perhaps.

Imo, the KIA +name+gift is written much later probably by a dealer and collector.
Gift is not poison in this case, it was much more likely just a gift.

[muzrub]

Hey Rich,

Now that you mention it, it does look like his face was superimposed. Why would they do that?

I thought the same.

I've seen some Krieg Chronik with superimposed heads, but they're mostly cavalry pictures, not portraits.
Maybe he passed before an official picture could be taken? That would be my guess.

An example.

Cheers,

Jamie.