ID tag

[robinb]

My first WW1 German ID tag. What do I have?

[S.ChrisKelly]

Lines:

1. (Name) HERMANN GROTZ

2. (Address?) STADT WALLSTR.

3. (Date of Birth) 15.5.98

4. (Unit Assigned/issuing the tag) ERS.-BATL.1.GARD.R.Z.F.

2.K.NR.5814

 

Best I can decipher...

 

This is a zinc identification tag issued to Hermann Grotz, born on 15 May 1898, and assigned to the replacement and training battalion ("Ersatz-Batallion") of the 1st Guard Regiment of Foot (R.Z.F., "Regiment zu Fuß"), 2nd company.  His company (individual) number us 5814. "Stadt" is the German word for "city".  I don't know what city is abbreviated "Wallstr."

 

This regiment was part of the First Guard Division during the First World War, and a brief war record follows:

 

1914

Belgium-Marne-Flanders.

1915

Champagne

Russia (April-September:  regiment lost 53 officers and 3005 men during fighting at Tarnow-Kransoslaw-Krobin)

Charleroi-Artois/Folie

1916

France

Somme

1917

France 

Chemin-de-Dames

Russia (July-October)

1918

France-Somme-Aisne-Marne-Argonne-Champagne

 

Sources:

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/55620

 

https://www.naval-military-press.com/product/histories-of-251-divisions-of-the-german-army-which-participated-in-the-war-1914-1918/

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Guards_Infantry_Division_(German_Empire)

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Foot_Guards_(German_Empire)

 

 

Regimental standard is pictured below.

 

[robinb]

Wow! Thank you. 

[S.ChrisKelly]

Addendum:

The tags are perforated in the middle.

If the bearer dies, the top half stays with the deceased's remains.  The bottom half was forwarded to his unit, and eventually returned, with his personal effects, to the family.

[kfields]

Here is a tag I picked up 15-ish years ago at a gunshow here in Ohio. I wonder if one of you folks could elaborate on the tag for me. It came with the cord so not sure if that is part of it's original issue or an add-on from later years. 

[S.ChrisKelly]

Gefr. ARTHUR KOCH

(Gefreiter-corporal Arthur Koch)

ELBERFELD KRONENTORSTR. 3

(City of Elberfeld, Kronentor Straße 3)

23.11.95 2G.KOM.

(Birthdate-23 November 1895 2nd Grenadier-Kompanie)

E.Batl. Gren. R.1

(Ersatz-Batallion [replacement battalion] Grenadier-Regiment 1)

Nr. 4273

(Company number assigned to Corporal Koch).

 

This tag is zinc, and displays considerable corrosion from zinc pest. Elberfeld was merged, with Barmen, Ransdorf, Cronenberg and Vohwinkel, in 1929, to create the city of Wuppertal, in North Rhine-Westphalia, in west-central Germany. In that year, Elberfeld was at least 400 years old.

 

The 1st Grenadier-Regiment spent the entire War assigned to 1st Division, which, with 2nd Division, was part of 1st Armeekorps. 

 

From the start of the War, this outfit was in Russia and participated in the Battle of Tannenberg (27-29 August 1914). 1st Grenadier-Regiment, with 1st Division, went to 9th Army in December 1914, and remained on the Eastern Front until shipping out to France in March 1916.  It was nearly destroyed in the battles near Verdun (bois de Vaux Chapitre and bois Fumin) in July 1916. At the end of this month, the Division returned to the Russian Front, where it remained until December 1917. 

 

From an American Army intelligence report:

"The troops of this division fraternized with the Russians for about three weeks in April (1917), but this came to an end in May (1917) with the arrival opposite them of new Russian troops, who received their advances with bullets." (prisoner of war interrogation, 24 January 1918).

 

Subsequently, the 1st Division spent 1918 in France, participating in the Somme battles during late March-early May, and was not further engaged in combats of any consequence.

 

The same American Army intelligence report stated:

"Theoretically, the regiments of the 1st Division are recruited in East Prussia, but... the elements coming from outside (1st Armeekorps) this district are numerous.  During the stay on the eastern front Alsace-Lorrainers were used in considerable number.  While in France the division's ranks were filled up with the aid of the abundant resources of Brandenburg and Silesia...; consequently, the division does not display to any degree the local character like the majority of the German divisions."

 

"Value-1918 Estimate. The division was rated as third class."

 

Source:

https://www.naval-military-press.com/product/histories-of-251-divisions-of-the-german-army-which-participated-in-the-war-1914-1918/

 

[kfields]

Thanks S.C-K ! 

Is there any significance to the cord?

Kim

[S.ChrisKelly]

I cannot tell if the cord is original to the disk. The colors look faded, orange and black.  Sometimes, as was the custom, people sought cords in state colors for items like medals, talismans, identification disks, et cetera.  

 

Apologies for the lack of clarity in the image below...  An example of a Bavaria Patronae medal depicting Saint Mary (holding the Infant Jesus), the Patron Saint of Bavaria, with a blue and white braided cord, in the state colors of Bavaria.

[Preppy Picker]

3 hours ago, kfields said:

Thanks S.C-K ! 

Is there any significance to the cord?

Kim

A black and white cord are the colors of Prussia.

[kfields]

Thanks so much!

[S.ChrisKelly]

It was my pleasure and my privilege.  I am far from an expert in anything, but I am grateful to assist.

[kfields]

Interesting that this guys unit saw action both on the Eastern Front and Western Front. Probably no way to tell whether he endured the whole thing or bits & pieces or was a late replacement. I guess we can assume he survived the war since his tag is complete.

7 hours ago, Preppy Picker said:

A black and white cord are the colors of Prussia.

Thanks for the info P-P !

[Preppy Picker]

22 minutes ago, kfields said:

Interesting that this guys unit saw action both on the Eastern Front and Western Front. Probably no way to tell whether he endured the whole thing or bits & pieces or was a late replacement. I guess we can assume he survived the war since his tag is complete.

Thanks for the info P-P !

I’ve forgotten most of what I knew but I still remembered that. You’re welcome any time 

[S.ChrisKelly]

In reference to Post#8, this is a much better set of images.