Die Reichswehr Im Bild: Infantry Regiment 14 (Baden) 16th Kompanie

[spandau]

Hi, Tonights offering...........................

This album came to me with no info what so ever as what may be inside.......................the front cover gave a massive clue as to the unit but who what where and why remained unanswered.



The album has no writing inside and all the pictures were free of any inscriptions on the rear to allow me to identify the owners name until.........................I came to the last picture of the album which had been dedicated and signed by the owner ! the other major clue came from a piece of underwear in one of the "joke" pictures in the barracks the lads had done.

May I introduce Willi Jochenlin from the 16th Kp (A) of the 14th Infantry Regiment (Baden). The album follows him through his introduction into the training company in 1929 (ish) through the mid 1930's right up to 1941. It has great pictures of the RW, transitional uniform pictures of 1935/36 and some great pics of how the Army went about training during the 1930's.

We Start with Willi Jochenlin as a recruit, getting sworn in and on parade.



Here he is with the squad and the NCO in charge.



In the baracks and celebrating Xmas....... if you look at the picture of them in their underwear the unit stamps for IR 14 are clear on the soldier wearing the M17 field cap and the name tag of Schutz Oestreicher, front left soldier has his unit stamp below with 16 K and the III indicating issued kit !



Formal picture of the squad, in the field and messing about..............



MG training........................bread and butter stuff for the infantry squad



Formal shot of Soldat Jochenlin



Training in the winter, target prectice and ski-ing



Sweethearts........................



Walking out dress 1933



Public display of Air attack defence in front of Party (RAD) officers



On Manouver. Notice the bottom picture, they all wear the "new" 1934 field cap........




More manouvers in the snow..........................



and in the spring.............................



Parades and Commanding Officers................





Formal shot as an unteroffizier in 1935/36.....................on the way up in the world.



That was the last picture taken of Willi in the Reichswehr/Wehrmacht but at the very back of the album were three wartime formal portraits..............and the result of all this training devised by Hans Von Seeckt becomes clear as he made the leap to an officer ........................

1940 as a Leutnant



March 1941 as an decorated Leutnant with EK2



1942 as a Oberleutnant with EK1 and Infantry Assault Badge on his uniform.




That was the last picture ................................... the rest of the story remains unanswered........................

cheers

Tony

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Wonderful material. I would guess that he did not then survive beyond the last image, but that's just a guess.
Very nice display as ever and much worth the examination for the benefit of all.

[spandau]

Hi FB

My thoughts exactly on the probable sad outcome of this soldier. Given the posting he was likely to receive and junior officer status I would say survival was slim. As for empirical evidence ...the card date dated 1941 has the inscription "my brother" and then his name so I guess the family may have added this last formal picture of him.

regards

Tony

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Hi FB

My thoughts exactly on the probable sad outcome of this soldier. Given the posting he was likely to receive and junior officer status I would say survival was slim. As for empirical evidence ...the card date dated 1941 has the inscription "my brother" and then his name so I guess the family may have added this last formal picture of him.

regards

Tony

Dear Colleague, thanks. Your work here with the photo albums embodies the best material on this site. It is very powerful and informative.
Who knows what his contribution would have been in peace and prosperity had he lived. Baden today is such a peaceful, prosperous and nice place.
thanks again for all your effort, FB

[timothy]

Nicely presented material enjoyed it very much telling photo album of one bunch of millions of Heer Soldat that's fate remains unknown. timothy

[Adrian Stevenson]

Very nice! Thanks Tony.

[naptime]

This was a great post. Thanks for sharing. I found it by searching for threads containing the term "Baden" as I recently acquired a Baden Police Bayonet from what appears to be the 1930s. I know it's a long shot, but I wonder if any of your photos from the album might have one of these rare "bayonets" in them. I've yet to see a period photo of these in use. Thanks again!