Question: Krefeld soldiers of AA Gaede, which unit exactly?

[Pierre Grande Guerre]

"To the brave sons of the city of Krefeld".

Dear Pickelhaube-friends,

Sometimes, I find on my trips along the Western Front memorials, like this one on the photo above, which generates more questions than answers. I found this war time memorial in a wood on a northern slope of the Hirzstein, a sub-summit south of the Hartmannswillerkopf in the Vosges.

As more often happens with me, and in spite of all the literature of well informed gentlemen like our Joe here, and in spite of the reliable German internet sources like GenWiki and 1914-18.info, I still sometimes get lost. I sometimes get really confused in the dazzling wood of German units, their whereabouts, and the dates of their presence in a front sector.

My question is: to which units could these “sons of Krefeld” have belonged?

Of course I did first some research myself.
Krefeld is a city in the former Prussian state of Westphalia, nowadays part of the German Bundesland, Nordrhein-Westfalen.

From 1906 Krefeld was the garrison of the 2.Westfälisches Husaren-Regiment Nr.11. But from 1914 the 2.Westfälisches Husaren-Regiment Nr.11 was a component of the 14. Kavellerie Brigade of the 9. Kavallerie-Division, which was active in 1915 at the Eastern Front. So, we may exclude this Husaren-Regiment.

In 1915 the “Oberelzaẞ”, the central and southern Vosges, including the Sundgau, was the territory of the Armee-Abteilung Gaede, composed of the in 1915 recently established divisions of (*):

• 6. Königlich Bayerische Landwehr-Division ab Februar
• 7. Württembergische Landwehr-Division ab 14. April
• 12. Landwehr-Division ab 14. April
• 21. Landwehr-Division ab 14. April

Based on the date of 1915 and the mountain terrain, I suppose this memorial is meant for infantry soldiers. So again, perhaps one of the forum users can help me out; is there any indication to which unit(s) these Westphalian “sons of Krefeld” possibly belonged?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Pierre

(*) Total composition of Armee-Abteilung Gaede in 1914 and 1915.

1914 bei Mobilmachung
• Brigadetruppen
IV. Bataillon Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment 99
2. Landwehr-Eskadron XIV
Feldartillerie-Ersatz-Abteilung 14
3. Batterie Landwehr-Fußartillerie-Regiment 13
• 2. Bayerische gemischte Landwehr-Brigade
1. und 2. Batterie Landwehr-Fußartillerie-Bataillon 20
• 51. (Württ.) Landwehr-Brigade
Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment 121 mit Kompanien
Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment 123 mit 3 Kompanien
Landwehr-Batterie XIII
4. Batterie Landwehr-Fußartillerie-Bataillon 20
2 Landwehr-Pionier-Kompanie XIII
(Januar bis März 1915 mit Württembergischer Schneeschuh-Kompanie Nr. 1)
• 55. gemischte Landwehr-Brigade
Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment 40 mit 2 Bataillonen
Württ. Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment 119 mit 4 Kompanien
1. Landwehr-Eskadron XIII
Landwehr-Feldartillerie-Batterie 76/XIV
2. und 4 Batterie Fußartillerie-Regiment 16
5. mobile Batterie Ersatz-Bataillon des Fußartillerie-Regiments Nr. 20
1. Kompanie Bad. II. (Reserve) Pionier-Bataillon 14

Ab 11. Dezember 1914 kam die Division Fuchs (mit 29. Infanterie-Brigade, 31. Infanterie-Brigade und drei Batterien der Bayerischen Ersatz-Division, bisher Armee-Abteilung Strantz), am 24. Dezember 1914 die 42. Kavallerie-Brigade (bisher 7. Kavallerie-Division) hinzu. Am 23. Dezember 1914 wurde die 31. Infanterie-Brigade an die 3. Armee abgegeben. Am 27. Dezember 1914 kam die 7. Kavallerie-Division (ohne 30. und 42. Kavallerie-Brigade, ohne Jäger-Bataillon 9) hinzu.

1915 wurden die bisher selbständigen Brigaden der Armee-Abteilung in neu gebildete Divisionen eingegliedert.
• 6. Königlich Bayerische Landwehr-Division ab Februar
• 7. Württembergische Landwehr-Division ab 14. April
• 12. Landwehr-Division ab 14. April
• 21. Landwehr-Division ab 14. April

 

[Gustaf]

Hey Pierre,
I have been lost in the city of Krefeld, looking for an address, when I finally found where I was, I was in another village, not sure how I got there, but I still had all my clothes, wallet and kidneys, so it was all good.
Best
Gus

 

[Pierre Grande Guerre]

Hey Pierre,
I have been lost in the city of Krefeld, looking for an address, when I finally found where I was, I was in another village, not sure how I got there, but I still had all my clothes, wallet and kidneys, so it was all good.
Best
Gus

Are you not more often in a state of confusion, Gus? :wink:

 

[Gustaf]

Hoi Pierre, I believe that the State of Confusion is what I have on my profile as to my location. some of the best places I have been have been when I was lost

 

[Pierre Grande Guerre]

As long as you are happy to be in the State of Confusion, Gus, it is all fine with me!

 

[Pierre Grande Guerre]

Well, you all may stop now with searching, as I have found yet the answer to my question myself.
It is L.I.R. 56. The inscriptions on the bunkers nearby also confirm this.
The city of Krefeld belonged to the province of Rheinland.

 

[Wyliecoyote]

Hee buddy, hoe heb je gezeten?

According to Hartwig Busche, Landwehr Inf. Regiment 56 was set up in Beverloo, (a village in Belgium.) from active servicable, young Landsturm men of the VIITH A.K. The Ist battalion was formed from the Landsturm Inf. Btn. Duesseldorf (VII. 48 ) and Landsturm Inf. Btn. Mülheim Ruhr (VII. 59), the IInd battalion from the Landsturm Inf. Btn. Detmold/Krefeld (VII. 96) and the IIIrd battalion was formed from the Landsturm Inf. Btn. Dortmund (VII. 47) and Landsturm Inf. Btn. Gelsenkirchen (VII. 51). Assumption: Assigned to 12 Landwehr Div.

I have a photo of men of the 4th Komp., 1st Landsturm Inf. Btn. Bochum (VII.43) photographed in Fleurus, Belgium, 8 Sept. 1914. They wore "56" shoulderboards, so that Btln. was also associated with that regiment.

So the brave "sons of Krefeld" were from the IInd battalion of L.I.R. 56, who were composed of men from the Landsturm Inf. Btn. Detmold/Krefeld (VII. 96)

Geo

 

[Pierre Grande Guerre]

Hi George,
Your detailed answer makes my day. This interesting addition is very welcome! Thanks a lot, oude vriend!

“The 251 German Divisions” confirms totally your answer. Indeed the 12. Landwehr Division was a component of AA Gaede, as is to be read in my info of above in this topic.
12. L.D. was a rather important Division in the Vosges with units like for instance the Garden Jäger Bataillon and the 14. Jägerbataillon. 14. JB was almost annihilated on 21 December 1915 at the Hartmannswillerkopf.

Your confirmation, George, is very important for me, because I intend to publish in about a few weeks a Photo Impression of the Hirzstein on my website.
I have one other request to you, George: May I use your photograph of LIR56, as always accompanied by a log mentioning you and your CR as the source, for my photo page, please?

For now I end gratefully with a preview of a photo of a bunker, constructed by L.I.R. 56 in 1916, on the Hirzstein.

Thanks again!

 

[Wyliecoyote]

I will look and see if there are additional photos, will e-mail you scans. Glad to help out!

Geo

 

[Pierre Grande Guerre]

Thanks a lot, George! I don't know why, but now I find "out of the blue" everywhere in my sources texts mentioning the L.I.R. 56, defending the Hirzstein and the HWK. The ball gets momentum.