The history from behind of some collection items

R

Rendsburg

New member
Dear friends,
The items to proceed and the history from behind of them were posted in another site. I found interesting and, with the owner's of the items permission, Les, I place here now. Enjoy.
Otto

This is one of mine. It was taken from the body of a German officer killed on 26 September 1918, during the first day of the Meuse-Argonne offensive and brought home by the American soldier who killed him. Also taken from the same officer (and now part of my collection) was his pistol (m1910 Browning semi-auto), holster, canteen, and steel helmet (marked with the Hohenzollern crest seen on some Garde helmets). Based on the location of the American unit, the German unit(s) opposite them, and a description of where the officer was killed, the man was Leutnant Freiherr von der Goltz of the 1te. Garde zu. Fuss. He was the only officer from the 1te Garde zu Fuss killed that day.

Freiherr v.d.Golz and his men were spotted by American troops outside of a bunker. When his men ran inside, he tried to rally them and was shot and killed outside the doorway. When the Americans surrounded the bunker, his men surrendered and when leaving the bunker had to step over (not on) his dead body.

I try collecting items that can be identified to individuals, but in this case didn't realize how grim the details of who it was worn by, and it's history would be.

Les
[/URL}
 
Otto,

Here's the grouping that belonged to Leutnant Freiherr Eberhard von der Goltz of the 1te Garde zu Fuss. The Felsbinde you've already seen. I'll post two details of the helmet showing the Hohenzollern crest on the side, and a company number on the back of the helmet.

Les
 
The steel hemet really isn't part of this thread, but is part of the von der Golz group. The lining is missing. If you look at the Hohenzollern crest you'll see there was an earlier crest that's been painted over. If you refer to Ludqig Baer's book on the German steel helmet, you'll see this crest type does not have a line running around the outside edge of the crest. It's my opinion, but I think the type of crest with the outside edge/line is not original to the period, and were added by collectors or dealers long after WWI. The company number on the back of the helmet, and crest are both the same aged color (a cream color).

Les
 
The canteen is painted/covered with a brown lacquer, and a brown corderoy cloth covering.

The holster is missing the securing strap and is very worn.

All of these items have paper tag/labels that were tied to them and in the handwriting of the American soldier that took them from von der Goltz's body after killing him. Not included in the photos is a history of the American's unit during WWI, and a copy of a map showing where he (and his unit) encountered von der Golz and his men. The American after the war became a commanding officer of a Pennsylvania State Police barracks/unit. Intersestingly, it seems he couldn't read a map because his notations of where he thought his unit was on the first day of the Meuse-Argonne offensive, was not were he and his unit actually were, and he had north and south reveresed!

Les
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top