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Alfred Gottwald, Gefreiter in Dragoner-Regiment No.17


Fritz

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Alfred Gottwald, Dragoner Gefreiter, 1892-1961 served in

1. Großherzoglich Mecklenburgisches Dragoner-Regiment No. 17 in Ludwigslust
Alfred Gottwald served with this regiment before outbreak of war. When war broke out in August 1914 he probably served with that same regiment, which was expedited with the IX. Armee Korps towards Belgium, where the German advance began. It saw action together with it's sister regiment. D.R.18 within the 17th Cavalry Brigade and 17th Division. Shortly after it was transferred to the Eastern Front in the areas of Warsaw, Wilna and Kurland,. Gefreiter Gottwald remained in service till mid 1917, when he received a wound in the upper thigh, making him unfit for further duty. He had married his sweetheart on 23rd September 1916. Their daughter Luise (Liesel) was born in 1919. After the war he worked as a Bierkutscher with the Winterhuder Brauerei, these transports were probably horse-drawn at the time. During a hard Winter his toes were frozen off and had to be amputated. He also worked for Lufthansa driving passengers to Fühlsbüttel Airport, using a motorised vehicle. During WW2 Alfred assisted with the Luftschutz and helped to save the local brewery in Wandsbek, which had been in flames after Allied bombing, presumably in 1943. The family was bombed out in 1943 and had to move to makeshift accomodation. They managed to save some family papers and photos. Unfortunately his souvenirs of WW1 and the regiment, including a regimental stein to Dragoner Regt.17 were lost in the bombing. It is not known whether he had any war decorations. The daugther always rememberd the mug (Bierstein or Bierkrug) with a see through picture at the base of the mug depicting a horses head.

Photo, said to have been taken on the wedding day, 23. September 1916. He is wearing informal dress in the photo, the tunic could be either a light grey Litewka or perhaps a fieldgrey Bluse, tunic is styled in the form of the latter, but looks very light in the photo. The shoulder pieces are in solid colour, either the peacetime version in red with yellow monograms, or the new 1915 pattern. On the high turndown collar are red patches with a yellow double Garde-Litzen. The trousers are in a darker shade than the tunic, the sideseams red-piped, either fieldgrey or the black/darkblue peacetime variety?

 

 

Gottwald.2.jpg

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Gottwald.DR17.jpg

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Gefreiter Alfred Gottwald (l.) volunteers on rail transport to the front, ca. 1914. Destination is either Aachen or the Eastern Front, photo undated. The waggon has a Breslau number.

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further picture and text added.

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  • 1 month later...

He could have been entitled to these decorations plus a wound badge, and maybe even more, such as Kriegsverdienstkreuz oder Medaille, or Luftschutzmedaille for his actions on the home front in WW2

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