The History behind the personal effects: Oblt. Meixner 22 Bav. Inft. Regt.

[spandau]

Hi,

This is a bit of a long post so please bear with me.

The idea came from a set of personal items/post cards/photos for an officer that I found by chance at the beltring militaria fair in July 2012. The effects included enough info to get a bit of history built around them.

The Id disc (two of them) was the starting point




It shows that he was a member of the 22nd Royal Bavarian Regiment and was born 19/6/1887 in Landau. he was based in the barracks at Zweibrücken was the 1st battalion's adjutent . The 22 Bavarian infantry regiment was formed in 1897.

His disc also shows us the regt was part of II Bavarian Army korps and his command was the MG kompanie.

Here are the barracks in Zweibrücken:



Oberleutant Meixner was a pre-war professional officer and without further ado please may I introduce a portrait photo of the gentleman:



His personal effects included his shoulder boards



and his prinz nez as worn in the above photo and others that follow.



The other photos allow us a look at pre-war barracks life......

[spandau]

DSC01247.jpg

The Oblt is in all these shots of the Batl officers.

[spandau]

These shots are all dated 1912 to 1914 and i wonder if the photo with the flowers is of the groom and the best man ?

I will introduce Mrs Meixner in a minute............................


DSC01247.jpg

[spandau]

Fortunately the info on some of the postcards, which have a postmark of zweibrücken allowing us to date them pre war, were written to his mother and father who lived in Würzberg. Also his wife, I assume was based at the barracks with him. Here is the couple, he was called Ernst she was Diane.




The war time history.....


Deployment of 1914: Regiments I and II battalion, MG company: based at Zweibrücken

The Mobilmachungsbefehl arrived on 1 August 1914, 7.30 P.m. to the regiment.

On 8 August the I & II Advanced battalion of Zweibrücken were in the field and were moved to Falkenberg,Lorraine, unloaded, and joined by III battalion 10 August.

This photo of the couple is very interesting. It is inscribed on the back :

My dearest Ernest, take care. your loving Diane. It is dated in the same pen and ink....8 August 1914.




The last link with peace time.

In the first world war the Regiment, as part of the 6th Army had a combat strength of 70 officers, 3,100 non-commissioned officers and men, as well as 240 horses and entered France on 2 August 1914.

In January 1915 Prince Wilhelm was appointed Prince of Hohenzollern and the honorary commander of the Regiment, which gave his name to the regiment - 22 Royal Bavarian Infantry Regiment "Prince Wilhelm of Hohenzollern"

The regiment fought on the Western Front in 1914, 1915 in East Serbia, 1916 again to the West, then to the eastern front and 1916/17 in Romania. In 1917, it returned to the Western theater.

On July 22, 1918, it was so decimated that it consisted only of 8 officers, as well as 160 non-commissioned officers and soldiers through the continuing heavy fighting.

Therefore, it was formed into a company. In December 1918, the remnants of the Regiment rallied in Königshofen, Grabfeld and was demobilised.

During the first world war, the 22 infantry regiment had heavy losses to complain about.

They were specified:

Deaths: 73 officers, 2 doctors, 412 non-commissioned officers and 3.593 teams
Missing: 73 non-commissioned officers and 835 men
by disease/accident dead: 2 officers, 12 non-commissioned officers and 127 men

At the end of the war, 50 officers, 2 doctors, 291 non-commissioned officers and 1,894 men were in captivity.

The regiment and the regimental Association issued an own cross of honor of the World War 1914-18.



more to follow..........

[spandau]

A wartime photos of Oblt. Meixner showing the award if the iron cross 2nd class, still with his glasses on.

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He survived the war a remarkable feat seeing he was in from the start and also given the casualty rates suffered by the unit.

I can confirm he was awarded the EK2 and the wound badge in black. His medal bar shows the cross of honour, bavarian cross of honour ? and the regt cross of honour.



He was also active with the veterans association after the war and the badges that came with the set include regt pins and a day badge for the 1928 stahelmtag in Würzburg.



A religious man and Catholic the personal effects also had some badges and medals of a religious nature plus a pendant of the vatican and picture of the pope...............wondering if he wore it during the war to help him keep the faith ?

DSC01266.jpg

thanks for taking the time

cheers

Tony

- - Updated - -

The group set.................The Bavarian sash came with the items.

[JLHORAK]

Great research and history. Thanks for sharing a person, time, and place that will not return again. S/F Jim H

[AntonEbans]

Tony,

This is the type of grouping that I dream of finding. I have several, BUT not that complete. Congradulations on such a great find

Anton

[Glenn66]

Nice trip into history, thank you for making the effort!

[BlackCat1982]

Ernst Meixner is listed as having been severely wounded on 29th September 1914 whilst a lieutenant in the 6th Kompanie. This is based upon the first erkennungsmarke in your post.

[spandau]

Hi, thanks for this update, much appreciated. That would account for him having a second ID disc for the newly formed division later in the war. I guess he recovered and was a replacement/reserve officer with them. He was awarded the wound badge which came with the items. Accounts for how he survived the war as well I guess.

cheers Tony