Infantry Regiment 418?

MG34NZ

Active member
I have been trying to research IR 418, most of the links I have found are dead ends. Does anyone have information they could share or direct me to a good source? I’m trying to find some info for a young collector friend that picked up a P.08 with markings as pictured. My translation of the markings is Infantry Regiment 418,First Company, Weapon No6.
 

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I agree with your interpretation of the markings.
From Jürgen Kraus, "Handbuch der Verbände und Truppen des deutschen Heeres 1914 - 1918", Infanterie, Band 1:
I.R. 418, raised 26.9.1916, with companies provided by F.R. 73, I.R. 76, I.R. 164, I.R. 398, E.I.R, 28, I.R. 399, I.R. 357 and I.R. 365.
4. Komp. F.R. 73 became 1. Komp. I.R. 418.
There is a regimental history as well, which should contain a lot of detail: "Das Heldenbuch vom Infanterie-Regiment 418" : unter Verwertung der amtlichen Kriegstagebücher u. Gefechtsakten sowie eigner Aufzeichnungen und Berichten von Kameraden / Karl Christian.
Regards,
Lars
 
My Grandfather has been in the 418 IR mainly in Flandern / Somme. He knew the bookwriter Karl Christian was his best camrade at wartime. Ant question in german or english, be free to ask. I know some of his advantures...
 
Conrad,
Welcome to the forum and thank you for offering information about this war time raised unit. I am other members will want to learn more of your Grandfather’s experiences.
Best regards
John
 
John,
while our grandfathers fought and defend Vaterland, Kaiser and King at Somme without knowing each other, the big $ players today are flodding our countrys with muslim emigrants, It's just to think about!
My grandfather called Wilhelm or Willy born 1897 was 19 when he entered at war 1916 with the "418ner"Infanterieregiment like machinegunner. One night he and his camrade Zimmerman had to stay at the frontline to guard and at about 5 o clock they noted that the English Infantry where aproching. So they put the machingun right, made one shot and the machinegun striked. Oh Scheisse, what to do now? Then they remembered a whole box of Handgranaten beneeth in the Graben and started to throw grenades as many they could. Anyway Willy heard somebody entered on the leftside into the Z shaped graben and went to look and secure. When he turned around the corner he stand infront of two tommys, all of them shocked begun to take their handguns, the tommys a revolver and Willy his P08. Willy was faster and shot to the shoulder of one and explained 60 years later,"they booth fall" because the P08 had power and the bulled went thru the first ones shoulder and stacked in the second ones shoulder. Then he quit the revolvers and took them prisoners. The british atack finished and he and Zimmerman got a iron cross EK2 because without them the british would have taken the position.
That is on of 4 or 5 storys I know from him personally. There where far bloodier storys I dont want to tell here.
Thats because the article of the P08 of the 418 IR called my attention antway it is unlikely that his one survived times.
 
I'm pleased to add that IR418 is a Hessian regiment. The problem with these “Ersatz” regiments, raised in the middle of the Great War, is that they have no historical roots. They were born at the front, so little information was available, and they were disbanded as soon as the armistice was signed. https://wiki.genealogy.net/IR_418.
 
I'm pleased to add that IR418 is a Hessian regiment. The problem with these “Ersatz” regiments, raised in the middle of the Great War, is that they have no historical roots. They were born at the front, so little information was available, and they were disbanded as soon as the armistice was signed. https://wiki.genealogy.net/IR_418.
My fathers Uncle was in the IR88 which had a longer history. I have the book of the History of the IR88 and a diary from Wilhelm Roth from October 1914 until his death on September 1915 at Rovroi, a village at Champagne. Interesting thing, I have the letters from my grandgrandfather to the direct officer from the front begging his body and he couldnt do it. The officer wrote that Wilhelm died in an French atack hiding the fact that it was friendly fire (looking the battlefield it was clear why). I have been 2023 in Rovroi visiting graveyards and the site, on the battlefield are still grenades, waterbottles, Wire (Stacheldraht), etc. If somebody likes the diary in word, can send it. He wrote as well that he was on a first line position at night, it was raining and the whole position was full or made of dead French. The IR88 was later in 1916 in Verdun where most of them died and later they where build up again.
 
Hello MG34M5
Thank you for making me look into the Hessian 418R:
By making me look at the 418R, I've just solved a 40-year-old riddle. I had bought a Hessian helmet, M95/14 on a flea market in Jarny, and inside there was a label, ‘Chateau de Moncel’.
I never paid much attention to it. But now I read that the 418R was raised in Metz, and that the Staff of the Army-Abteilung Strantz was precisely in this Chateau. Furthermore, the 418R fought throughout the war, between Metz and Verdun, on a front of about fifty kilometres.
Hessois M95 -14 RBA ex JR81.JPGHessois M95-14 RBA Jnstandrep.JPG
It is marked R.B.A. It is an M95/14 because it does not have a cross-head base. At the time of its creation, fighting took place in Stahlhelm, so either a ‘rear’ helmet, or a helmet still worn at the front with a helmet cover, although in 16, grey iron M15s were in the majority. These helmets were no longer used by the regiment at that date (1916). I will examine it carefully to check that it is not nominative.
Some helmets, like mine, are transfers from an ex-Prussian JR81 from Hesse-Cassel, the holes for the eagle have been plugged and new eyelets have been drilled for the lion. But others were built new with the holes for the lion. Hes M15 sur Prusse 2200€.JPG
 
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