Jack Sheldon - The Germans at Thiepval

Several people have helped me in various ways during the writing of this book. I am grateful to Lieutenant Colonel Phillip Robinson RE and Norbert Krger for assistance with documentary material and to my editor, Nigel Cave, who kept the project on the straight and narrow. I should like to express my thanks to Chris Boonzaier for information and material concerning Iron Cross awards. I should also like to thank Roni and Jon Wilkinson at Pen & Sword books for their layout and artwork respectively and my wife Laurie, who assisted with the preparation of the maps. Once again Arlene King was enormously helpful during the research of the books and I am most grateful to her. Teddy Colligan from the Ulster Tower, Laurie, Arlene and Nigel joined me on the walks and the drive, which made devilling out the tiny details and making sense of the old maps a very pleasant voyage of discovery.

Timings

German time, which was one hour ahead of British time, is used throughout the book. The twenty four clock was not used during the period covered by this book. Thus the attacks on 1 July 1916 began at 8.30 am.

Germans on the Somme, November 1916, pass a shattered tree that has received a direct hit.

1. Area covered by the guide, including front line sectors on 1 July 1916 (C=Courcelette, P = Pozires)

Unteroffizier Karl Albert , 3rd Coy Bav RIR 8 Thiepval 1 July 1916. Gemeinschaftsgrab (Gem). Albert was born in Munich on 8 November 1886. He was killed, probably by a shell splinter, just before 4.00 pm in Stuff Trench immediately after the counter-attack against Schwaben Redoubt had been launched.

Unteroffizier Peter Alter , 5th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 6 July 1916. (Gem). Alter was born in Drrenbach, Pfalz 21 September 1879.

Infanterist Artur Bachmann , 8th Coy Bav RIR 8, Pozires 15 July 1916. (Gem). Bachmann was born in Baltersweil, Baden 31 July 1888.

Gefreiter Julius Bachmann , 10th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 1 July 1916. (Gem). Bachmann was born in Wintersbach, Unterfranken 23 November 1885.

Infanterist Joseph Bachmeier , 6th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 3 July 1916. (Gem). Bachmeier was born in Jettenstetten, Oberbayern 17 August 1894.

Gefreiter Karl Bailer 12th Coy IR 180, Ovillers, 3 July 1916. Bailer was a bookbinder, born in Dillingen in Bavaria 6 July 1892.

Infanterist Joseph Balk , 4th Coy Bav RIR 8 Thiepval 9 July 1916. (Gem). Balk was born in Waldmnchen, Upper Pfalz 21 January 1882.

Infanterist Philipp Bart , 1st Coy Bav RIR 8, St Pierre Divion 1 July 1916. (Gem). Bart was born in Rheinzabern on 3 December 1877.

Unteroffizier Wilhelm Baumgart , 4th Coy Bav RIR 8 Thiepval 13 July 1916. (Gem). Baumgart was born in Fladungen Upper Pfalz 17 August 1889.

Infanterist Georg Bayer , 4th Coy Bav RIR 8 Thiepval 1 July 1916. (Gem). Bayer was born in Ramsen 26 August 1882.

Infanterist Karl Berninger , 9th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 3 July 1916. (Gem). Berninger was born in Erlenbach, Unterfranken 11 March 1886.

Landsturmmann Karl Bernst , 3rd Coy Bav RIR 8 Thiepval 28 June 1916. (Gem). Bernst was born in Cassel on 8 June 1879.

Infanterist Jakob Best , 8th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 5 July 1916. (Gem). Best was born in Iggelheim, Pfalz 13 December 1890.

Wehrmann Joseph Biberger , 1st Coy Bav RIR 8, St Pierre Divion 1 July 1916. (Gem). Biberger was born in Wettstetten on 15 January 1880.

Infanterist Karl Burkard , 9th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 8 July 1916. (Gem). Burkard was born in Neulauterburg, Pfalz 12 January 1880.

Ersatz-Reservist Philipp Bohn , 7th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 2 July 1916. (Gem). Bohn was born in Rodenbach, Pfalz 2 November 1893.

Gefreiter Korad Bollenbach , 5th Coy Bav RIR 8, Grandcourt 8 July 1916. (Gem). Bollenbach was born in Germersheim, Pfalz 15 February 1886.

Ersatz-Reservist Georg Braun , 4th Coy Bav RIR 8 Thiepval 1 July 1916. (Gem). Braun was born in Friedelsheim, Pfalz 28 January 1883.

Infanterist Georg Braun , 11th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 6 July 1916. (Gem). Braun was born in Dankenfeld, Unterfranken 25 December 1886.

Infanterist Sebastian Brunner , 8th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 6 July 1916. (Gem). Brunner was born in Inzell, Oberbayern 17 September 1894.

Infanterist Franz Buggle , 1st Coy Bav RIR 8, St Pierre Divion 1 July 1916. (Gem) Buggle was born in Jestetten (Baden) on 10 February 1892.

Gefreiter Joseph Buch , 3rd Coy Bav RIR 8 Thiepval 1 July 1916. (Gem). Buch was born in Nuremburg on 29 June 1879.

Infanterist Alfred Burst , 4th Coy Bav RIR 8 Thiepval 1 July 1916. (Gem). Burst was born in Zabern, Alsace on 12 November 1889.

Infanterist Gottfried Christ , MG Coy, Bav RIR 8 Thiepval 6 July 1916 (Gem). Christ was born in Frankweiler 3 April 1894.

Wehrmann Hermann Christmann , 4th Coy Bav RIR 8 Thiepval 1 July 1916. (Gem). Christmann was born in Otterbach 15 March 1882.

Unteroffizier Alois Dsch , 10th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 9 July 1916. (Gem). Dsch was born in Glattbach, Unterfranken 17 June 1888.

Infanterist Leopold Daus , 7th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 4 July 1916. (Gem). Daus was born in Rechtenbach, Unterfranken 17 April 1884.

Gefreiter Fritz Dengler , 8th Coy Bav RIR 8, Courcelette 15 July 1916. (Gem). Dengler was born in Endorf, Oberbayern 2 February 1892.

Wehrmann Michael Dirscherl , 4th Coy Bav RIR 8 Thiepval 1 July 1916. (Gem). Dirscherl was born in Stamsried, Upper Pfalz 16 February 1881.

Infanterist Lorenz Dremel , 10th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 3 July 1916. (Gem). Dremel was born in Wattendorf, Oberfranken 8 August 1880.

Ersatz-Reservist Peter Duttine , 11th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 1 July 1916. (Gem). Duttine was born in Stockstadt am Main, Unterfranken, 7 August 1884.

Infanterist Adolf Johann Ebert , 11th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 1 July 1916. (Gem). Ebert was born in Massenbuch, Unterfranken 25 January 1886.

Infanterist Joseph Eckel , 5th Coy Bav RIR 8 Grandcourt 1 July 1916 (Gem). Eckel was born in Zweibrcken, Pfalz on 19 March 1884.

Infanterist Johann Fleischmann , 2nd Coy Bav RIR 8 St Pierre Divion 1 July 1916. (Gem). Fleischmann was born in Zeilitzheim 20 January 1883.

Wehrmann Johann Frank , 1st Coy Bav RIR 8, St Pierre Divion 1 July 1916. (Gem). Frank was born in Bischberg, Oberfranken 12 February 1884.

Gefreiter Johannes Franzreb , 4th Coy Bav RIR8 Thiepval 1 July 1916. (Gem). Franzreb was born in Niederkirchen on 4 September 1887.

G efreiter Urban Freyler , 7th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 4 July 1916. (Gem). Freyler was born in Contwig, Pfalz 31 December 1886.

Landsturmmann Friedrich Freytag , 11th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 3 July 1916. (Gem). Freytag was born in Speyer, Pfalz 13 December 1885.

Ersatz-Reservist Max Frhlich , 8th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 5 July 1916. (Gem). Frhlich was born in Grauersheim, Pfalz 10 November 1888.

Wehrmann Wilhelm Geis , 9th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 3 July 1916. (Gem). Geis was born in Eschau, Unterfranken 16 February 1888.

Ersatz-Reservist Karl Ghring , 1st Coy Bav RIR 8, St Pierre Divion 1 July 1916. (Gem) Ghring was born in Albisheim on 23 February 1882.

Wehrmann Jakob Gller , 9th Coy Bav RIR 8, Thiepval 6 July 1916. (Gem). Gller was born in Trennfeld, Unterfranken 13 Novermber 1884

Ersatz-Reservist Georg Groflhauser , 4th Coy Bav RIR 8 Thiepval 1 July 1916. (Gem). Groflhauser was born in Ottmaring, Upper Pfalz 20 March 1884.

Gefreiter Ludwig Haardt , 4th Coy Bav RIR 8 Thiepval 1 July 1916. (Gem). Haardt was born in Otterberg on 16 January 1882.