Help, ¿Hornist?

[SWilhelm]

Hello! I am very interested in the "ocupation" of the Hornist but until now I haven`t be so really lucky with information about these men in the german army. I am interested in the use of the hornet, for what exactly was it used? was it given to one person for each gruppe, or zug? That person had a different training, was an adjuntat (for example in this photo you can see he has either the flare gun with the ammo pouches) of a higer rank?





I think the men of the photo is the one I`m talking about but I`m not completly sure. Sorry.


Any information about this men would be fantastic. Thanks in advance, and sorry for my english.


Siggi

[Simon O.]

We call it a bugle in English and the soldier that uses it a Bugler.

[Jonathan M]

Siggi

I have a WP to a gefrieter from IR 358 that received training as a 'Hornist'. The other training entries in the WP are the basic infantry training entries such as Gewehr 98 and so on. This particular soldat was also trained as a messenger.

Tengo un Wp de un gefreiter del IR 358 que recibio instrucion en el use de la corneta. Las otras incidencias de instrucion militar son las basicas de un soldado de infanteria, eg Gewher 98 etc. Este soldado tambien recibio instrucion de mensajero.

Regards
Jonathan

[ChrisA]

Hello

There were several "Hornisten" per company. He was a member of the "Meldergruppe" (messengers) of the Kompanietrupp (company HQ section) and the Zugtrupp (Platoon HQ). One per Company and Zug.

He gave basic sound signals like withdraw, enemy tanks, enemy aircrafts etc...
This was done very seldom and was not done any longer as the French campaign.

I have a manual about the training of the Zugtrupp so if you have more questions.

\Christoph

[Jonathan M]

That coincides perfectly with the units the soldier who's WP i have. A member of the StabsKompanie
Jonathan

[ChrisA]

Hello Jonathan,

Not just the Stabskompanie has "Hornisten". The Company HQ and the platoon HQ in each company had one - of course also a Stabskompanie.

\Christoph

[Jonathan M]

Cheers Christoph. Interesting that they still received that sort of bugler training in ww2. I assume it would have been used primarily in the barracks and training grounds.
Jonathan

[SWilhelm]

Thanks a lot for the information! Anybody knows a book about the training of these men?


Thanks again!