The House Order of Hohenzollern grouping of Oberleutnant Paul Stehr Pionier Bataillon N°7 and Minen Werfer Kompanie N°14

meme32

meme32

Well-known member
Hi Everyone,

I am glad to share with you some docs, awards, letters and pictures from Oberleutnant Paul Stehr.
Unfortunatly, I did not have time to investigate and perform deep research on this grouping so any comments / information are more than welcome.
DSC_0501.jpgDSC_0516.jpgDSC_0521.jpgDSC_0525.jpgDSC_0533.jpgDSC_0537.jpgDSC_0548.jpgDSC_0552.jpgDSC_0554.jpgDSC_0558.jpg
 
and some pictures from the photo album :

On the first picture, i think it is the Oberleutant Stehr :
IMG_7585.jpg


Below is an upside down Minenwerfer :
IMG_7587.jpgIMG_7588.jpg


On this picture, Oberleutant Stehr is on the left side ( EK1 and EK2)
This picture is taken in Chambley ( near Metz) on 15/11/1917.
Paul Stehr only received the knight cross of the House Order of Hohenzollern on 07th of July 1918
IMG_7589.jpg


I can not read the hand writting on the back, except it is in July 1918 :
IMG_7590.jpgIMG_7591.jpg

The grave of Leutnant der Reserve Lücht :
IMG_7592.jpg
 
By reading the various documents ( I am a basic German reader), I get the following information on Paul Stehr :

  • Paul Stehr is born on 1st of August 1891 and start his initial military period on 03rd of Jan 1910 in Pionier Batl 7
  • He received the EKII on 29th of Oct 1915 as Leutnant in der 5. Feld-Pionierkompagnie, 1. Pion-Bataillon 7 ( I do not know what the 1 stands for ?) is it like 5th Platoon, 1st Feldpionierkompagnie, Pionier Batl 7 ?
  • He received a recomandation for oustanding bravery on 23.3.1917
  • Following that recommendation, he received the EKI in July 1917 ( I am not sure of the exact date), I have a telegram from Paul to his parents
  • On July 1918, he was awarded the knight cross of the House Order of Hohenzollern. The cross is marked FR 938 which means it is done by Friedländer and I think it is a war time cross. The knight cross of the House Order of Hohenzollern has been only awarded to around 8500-9000 german soldiers during the war for outstanding bravery, it stands betwen the EK1 and the cross "Pour le Mérite".
  • On his House Order of Hohenzollern certificate, Paul Stehr is Leutnant im Pionier Bataillon N°124 ? ( I am not sure waht the 124 means)
  • At one time in 1918 he became war prisoner since there are some pieces of letter with the British Military Censorship stamps
  • He get eventually married on 02th of Sept 1919 while still prisoner of war ( newspaper article and a telegramm below from his comrades)
IMG_7565.jpgIMG_7566.jpgIMG_7569.jpg
 
I am a bit confused with the various units described in the documents.
I know that the Minenwerfer kompagnie belong to the Pionier Truppen but was the Minenwerfer kompagnie 14 part of the Westfälisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 7 ?
 
Also I would be very grateful if a native German speaker could support me in translating the document below, which I think is more or less related to the EK1 :

IMG_7560.jpg
 
I was able to decipher the text well except for a few words. Words I am unsure about I have put in question marks:
Lieber Stehr!
Ich freue mich Ihnen das eiserne Kreuz I. Kl.(asse)
mit herzlichem Glückwunsch überreichen zu
können. Bringen Sie es gesund in den
Frieden mit nach Haus und tragen Sie
es möglichst lange als ?tüchtiger Soldat?,
als welchen ich Sie kennen gelernt habe.
Ihr Kommandeur
Hei?? (?Heise?)
Hauptmann
 
meme32 said:
He received the EKII on 29th of Oct 1915 as Leutnant in der 5. Feld-Pionierkompagnie, 1. Pion-Bataillon 7 ( I do not know what the 1 stands for ?) is
Click to expand...
Super grouping.

On mobilisation, the pioneer battalions formed two additional reserve companies and with this extra capacity formed two field battalions titled in the case of PB 7 as I. and II. Btl. des Pionier-Btl. Nr. 7, each of three companies.

Minenwerfer-Kompagnie 14 was one of the many wartime formations formed by PB 7

30.9.15: Leutnant (provisionally without a patent of seniority - later awarded a patent of 23.3.14)
10.3.20: Retired on being awarded the brevet (Charakter) of an Oberleutnant and permission to wear the uniform of PB 7.

Incidentally, there was another Leutnant (5.11.17) Stehr in PB 7 (Hilger), presumably a younger brother.

Regards
Glenn
 
Sandmann said:
hr Kommandeur
Hei?? (?Heise?)
Hauptmann
Click to expand...

Sandy,

I think that might be Hauptmann Wilhelm Heye, Adjutant of the 4. Ingenieur-Inspektion in 1914. He was still a captain in 1917 and retired as an Oberst in 1928. One often sees the letter y written with an umlaut.

He entered service not in 1910 but on 31 October 1914 as a Fahnenjunker in Pionier-Ersatz-Bataillon Nr. 7 (according to his Soldbuch).

Regards
Glenn
 
I really like this group .
If you feel like you can
please tell us a little more about it
How long have you owned it ?
How did you find it ?
from a dealer or from a fellow collector
a great group to have
the story behind such groups would be very interesting
Thanks
Steve
 
Glennj said:
Sandy,

I think that might be Hauptmann Wilhelm Heye, Adjutant of the 4. Ingenieur-Inspektion in 1914. He was still a captain in 1917 and retired as an Oberst in 1928. One often sees the letter y written with an umlaut.

He entered service not in 1910 but on 31 October 1914 as a Fahnenjunker in Pionier-Ersatz-Bataillon Nr. 7 (according to his Soldbuch).

Regards
Glenn
Click to expand...
Think you are right Glenn, great job (y)
 
Glennj said:
Super grouping.

On mobilisation, the pioneer battalions formed two additional reserve companies and with this extra capacity formed two field battalions titled in the case of PB 7 as I. and II. Btl. des Pionier-Btl. Nr. 7, each of three companies.

Minenwerfer-Kompagnie 14 was one of the many wartime formations formed by PB 7

30.9.15: Leutnant (provisionally without a patent of seniority - later awarded a patent of 23.3.14)
10.3.20: Retired on being awarded the brevet (Charakter) of an Oberleutnant and permission to wear the uniform of PB 7.

Incidentally, there was another Leutnant (5.11.17) Stehr in PB 7 (Hilger), presumably a younger brother.

Regards
Glenn
Click to expand...
Hi Glennj

Many thanks for your inputs and the explanation concerning the I. Btl des Pionier-Btl.Nr 7
May I ask where did you find the information below ?

30.9.15: Leutnant (provisionally without a patent of seniority - later awarded a patent of 23.3.14)
10.3.20: Retired on being awarded the brevet (Charakter) of an Oberleutnant and permission to wear the uniform of PB 7.

Isn't it strange that he stayed Leutnant during the whole war with no promotion despite such awards ?
Altough, would you know why on the House Order of Hohenzollern certificate, Paul Stehr is Leutnant im Pionier Bataillon N°124 instead of Nr 7 ?
Interesting there was another Leutnant Stehr in PB 7 !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top