As my last but very brief thread about a Militärpass was well received I thought I'll share two other MP's, of two brothers. Brothers Hinkeldey, both wounded during the war. I hope you enjoy.
Erich Hinkeldey, (9.10.1895)
6. Ersatz-Kompagnie
Garde Grenadier Regiment Nr.5 (4.Garde Division)
Erich was 20 years old when he entered service in the Garde Grenadier Regiment Nr.5 on the 7th May 1915.
3 months later, after finishing the training he was sent to the Eastern Front
and on the 20th of August 1915 he first saw action in Bielsk.
After rotating from the Eastern front to the Western front, July 25th 1916 they had arrived on the Somme. To repel the Allied offensive.
During the battle of the Somme, the French launched in their southern section an offensive on Estreés 24 July
and from 25th July 1916 onwards; the 4.Garde Division was positioned to fight in Estreés,
a battle which became a fierce fight from house to house for the soldiers,
in tough weather conditions such as fog and rain.
the fierce attacks resulted only in small French gains but heavy losses and casualties on both the French and German side.
On the 14th August, Hinkeldey was seriously wounded by French mortar fire,
the heat of the explosion burnt his face badly and damaged his left eye.
A very serious wound which resulted that the 20 year old Erich,
would become one of those soldiers with a permanantley disfigured face, a faceless soldier.
The wound was so severe that his gangerous left eye had to be removed 31st August 1916.
Soon after he was released from duty as unfit for service
due to his wounds he sustained during the battle of the Somme.
Quote from his Militärpass: " Verwundung: Am 14.08.1916 durch Minenexploision Verbrennungen der linken Gesichtshälfte,
sowie des linken Auges bei Estrees. Am 31.08.1916 linkes Auge entfernt"
Translated to;
Wounded on 14 August 1916 through an explosion of a mine/mortar, left half of the face burned aswell as the left eye at Estreés.
The left eye was removed (surgically) on 31st August 1916."
1st September 1916 he was listed in the Verlustlisten as "Schwer Verwundet", which is severely wounded.
The raging battle of Estreés resulted in that the 4.Garde Division had to retreat the 19th August from the front
after suffering such heavy casualties from the French attacks-
The Division was forced to rest three weeks from 19th August until 10 September,
in order to recover from the battle.
Both the French and Germans suffered heavy casualties in both July and August in the southern section of the Somme,
which resulted in only minor French gains in the axis of the villages Misery and Vermandovillers,
where Estreés was located.
During the same period of time, the French had a big success and made a lot of gains in Flaucourt
which was a bit up north in the French front section in the Somme.
15th of October 1916, Hinkeldey was awarded the Iron Cross II.Class.
but were most likely from his service in Estreés and from his severe wounds he suffered.
He spent time in Hospitals and was 3.10.1916 released from hospital care.
He recieved two days later a transfer to the 7th Company of the same regiment,
but no records exist telling he would have seen the trenches again.
He was dismissed from the Army on the last day of November 1916
due to the wounds he recieved at the Somme. He was now officially declared as kriegsbeschädigt (war-disabled)
and recieved 52.Mk (Mark) as compensation for becoming a "Kriegsbeschädigte".
All the suffering at the Somme was thanked with only 52.Mk.
After all he was just an enlisted man who had suffered the same fate as hundreds of thousands had before him and
hundreds of thousands would suffer after him.
He was just a number in the statistics, a face destroyed by the war and the loss of en eye
would remind him everyday the rest of his life what happened at the Somme.
Hans Hinkeldey (14.1.1898) Res. Infanterie Regiment 440 (183. Infanterie Division)
Erichs little brother wasn't spared from the frontline,he was called to duty 21.5.1917. He first saw action the 4.12.1917,
during the counter-attack (had begun on 30 November) the Germans made on the British lines in Cambrai.
The 181. Div. was ordered to attacked Épehy and did it succesfully.
By 7. December 1917 the Germans had managed to break through the lines and stabilize the front in Cambrai.
The battle of Cambrai was one major offensive that included the use of Tanks in World War 1,
Germany was far from defeated at this point.
The months that followed static trench warfare and preperations for the Spring offensive.
The Spring Offensive (Operation Michael)
21 March 1918, 6.30 in the morning,
1751 German artillery pieces opened fire at the enemy position in a three-hour long barrage.
At 9.40 in the morning, the German infantery of the 2.Armee (including the 183. Inf. Div.) attacked the enemy positions,
the 183. Inf. Div. had as objective Épehy, they encountered fierce resistance from the enemy.
At Épehy the 183rd Inf.Div. faced tough resistance.
Épehy was noted to offer the toughest resistance that day in the whole area. By the end of the day,
the 183. Inf. Div. had reached their goal, the east side of Épehy.
The next day the whole 2.Armee atatcked again and made a breakthrough in Gouzeaucourt—Vermand,
but for Hans it was the last day he would see the frontline.
He was wounded in the left leg, described by the Verlustliste as a light wound
(in opposite to his older brothers Serious wound), but despite of this,
he spent over a year in various hospitals recovering and was released 28.4.1919 from the hospital
and soon after dismissed from the Army.
Thank you for reading.
Last photo is of a German obliterated trench, from my collection as well.
Erich Hinkeldey, (9.10.1895)
6. Ersatz-Kompagnie
Garde Grenadier Regiment Nr.5 (4.Garde Division)
Erich was 20 years old when he entered service in the Garde Grenadier Regiment Nr.5 on the 7th May 1915.
3 months later, after finishing the training he was sent to the Eastern Front
and on the 20th of August 1915 he first saw action in Bielsk.
After rotating from the Eastern front to the Western front, July 25th 1916 they had arrived on the Somme. To repel the Allied offensive.
During the battle of the Somme, the French launched in their southern section an offensive on Estreés 24 July
and from 25th July 1916 onwards; the 4.Garde Division was positioned to fight in Estreés,
a battle which became a fierce fight from house to house for the soldiers,
in tough weather conditions such as fog and rain.
the fierce attacks resulted only in small French gains but heavy losses and casualties on both the French and German side.
On the 14th August, Hinkeldey was seriously wounded by French mortar fire,
the heat of the explosion burnt his face badly and damaged his left eye.
A very serious wound which resulted that the 20 year old Erich,
would become one of those soldiers with a permanantley disfigured face, a faceless soldier.
The wound was so severe that his gangerous left eye had to be removed 31st August 1916.
Soon after he was released from duty as unfit for service
due to his wounds he sustained during the battle of the Somme.
Quote from his Militärpass: " Verwundung: Am 14.08.1916 durch Minenexploision Verbrennungen der linken Gesichtshälfte,
sowie des linken Auges bei Estrees. Am 31.08.1916 linkes Auge entfernt"
Translated to;
Wounded on 14 August 1916 through an explosion of a mine/mortar, left half of the face burned aswell as the left eye at Estreés.
The left eye was removed (surgically) on 31st August 1916."
1st September 1916 he was listed in the Verlustlisten as "Schwer Verwundet", which is severely wounded.
The raging battle of Estreés resulted in that the 4.Garde Division had to retreat the 19th August from the front
after suffering such heavy casualties from the French attacks-
The Division was forced to rest three weeks from 19th August until 10 September,
in order to recover from the battle.
Both the French and Germans suffered heavy casualties in both July and August in the southern section of the Somme,
which resulted in only minor French gains in the axis of the villages Misery and Vermandovillers,
where Estreés was located.
During the same period of time, the French had a big success and made a lot of gains in Flaucourt
which was a bit up north in the French front section in the Somme.
15th of October 1916, Hinkeldey was awarded the Iron Cross II.Class.
but were most likely from his service in Estreés and from his severe wounds he suffered.
He spent time in Hospitals and was 3.10.1916 released from hospital care.
He recieved two days later a transfer to the 7th Company of the same regiment,
but no records exist telling he would have seen the trenches again.
He was dismissed from the Army on the last day of November 1916
due to the wounds he recieved at the Somme. He was now officially declared as kriegsbeschädigt (war-disabled)
and recieved 52.Mk (Mark) as compensation for becoming a "Kriegsbeschädigte".
All the suffering at the Somme was thanked with only 52.Mk.
After all he was just an enlisted man who had suffered the same fate as hundreds of thousands had before him and
hundreds of thousands would suffer after him.
He was just a number in the statistics, a face destroyed by the war and the loss of en eye
would remind him everyday the rest of his life what happened at the Somme.
Hans Hinkeldey (14.1.1898) Res. Infanterie Regiment 440 (183. Infanterie Division)
Erichs little brother wasn't spared from the frontline,he was called to duty 21.5.1917. He first saw action the 4.12.1917,
during the counter-attack (had begun on 30 November) the Germans made on the British lines in Cambrai.
The 181. Div. was ordered to attacked Épehy and did it succesfully.
By 7. December 1917 the Germans had managed to break through the lines and stabilize the front in Cambrai.
The battle of Cambrai was one major offensive that included the use of Tanks in World War 1,
Germany was far from defeated at this point.
The months that followed static trench warfare and preperations for the Spring offensive.
The Spring Offensive (Operation Michael)
21 March 1918, 6.30 in the morning,
1751 German artillery pieces opened fire at the enemy position in a three-hour long barrage.
At 9.40 in the morning, the German infantery of the 2.Armee (including the 183. Inf. Div.) attacked the enemy positions,
the 183. Inf. Div. had as objective Épehy, they encountered fierce resistance from the enemy.
At Épehy the 183rd Inf.Div. faced tough resistance.
Épehy was noted to offer the toughest resistance that day in the whole area. By the end of the day,
the 183. Inf. Div. had reached their goal, the east side of Épehy.
The next day the whole 2.Armee atatcked again and made a breakthrough in Gouzeaucourt—Vermand,
but for Hans it was the last day he would see the frontline.
He was wounded in the left leg, described by the Verlustliste as a light wound
(in opposite to his older brothers Serious wound), but despite of this,
he spent over a year in various hospitals recovering and was released 28.4.1919 from the hospital
and soon after dismissed from the Army.
Thank you for reading.
Last photo is of a German obliterated trench, from my collection as well.
I agree that the researchable objects are the most interesting ones.
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