billyturnip
A Fixture
Here is a little project myself and fellow planeteer Ulrich have been working on.
I tried to attach it as a word doc but it was too large. Unfortunately by copying and pasting it here some photo's are missing however if you would like to see them PM me and I will send them to you.
I hope you find it interesting.
Oberleutnant der Reserve Hans Otto Ludwig Wisseler
While looking at the entry for St Paul’s church Healey North Yorkshire on the Commonwealth Wargraves Commission website I noticed there was mention of a German soldier who was buried there in 1918.
It was obvious he was a prisoner of war at nearby Colsterdale camp. This had originally been a camp to house workmen who were constructing the reservoir at Leighton and early in the war had been the camp for the 15th battalion West Yorkshire Regiment, the “Leeds pals”.
Following this discovery I posted a query on the internet discussion forum The Great War Forum (GWF) asking if anyone knew if this German soldier was still buried at Healey or if he had been re-interred at Cannock Chase German Military cemetery in Staffordshire as was usual.
Terry Denham replied to my query stating that,
“There is no German casualty listed by CWGC at Healey (St Paul) Churchyard and so he must have been moved to Cannock.
The CWGC cemetery info has obviously not been updated from that in the old register. I'll report it for changing.
The only other remote possibility is that the name has been left off the database in error.”
A further post by Terry Denham confirmed that he was moved to Cannock and the cemetery information is now amended on the CWGC website. He also provided a name for the German soldier and details of the location of his grave.
Wisseler, Hans Otto Ludwig. German Army 10/8/18.
Block 14, Grave 396, Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery.
Stuart Brown, another GWF member kindly took photographs of Wisseler’s grave now its location was known.
Other information was forthcoming from the GWF. An Oberleutnant der Reserve Wisseler belonging to Infanterie Regiment 15 was found however two different sources provided conflicting information regarding his death. The regimental history of I.R. 15 says he was wounded on July 4th 1918 near Hamel and died in English captivity (no information where and when). Here at least we had the possibility, that he was taken prisoner on July 4th and died in Colsterdale on August 10th 1918
The book "Das Ehrenmal des preußischen Offizier-Korps" gives the information, that he died near Villers Bretoneux on July 4th 1918.
Unfortunately in both cases we had no first name.
The discovery of a German soldier’s burial in Healey and subsequent information took place in 2004. Following a conversation by email with Ulrich Biroth from Germany in early 2007 more details about Wisseler have come to light. Ulrich was interested in the story of Wisseler and agreed to try and find out more from archives in Germany.
Acknowledgments
The following members of the GWF http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/ provided information
Terry Denham
Stuart Brown (For kindly taking the photo’s of Wisseler’s grave at Cannock Chase)
Michaelv
Ralph J Whitehead
Ulrich Biroth for taking an interest in Hans Otto Ludwig Wisseler
More Information about Oberleutnant der Reserve Hans Otto Ludwig Wisseler
Compiled by Ulrich Biroth, Altena, Germany.
Following an email-conversation Roger Newsome told me, that he was searching information about Oberleutnant Wisseler, who was buried in North Yorkshire. Because I work in a German archive I promised Roger to try to find out more information about the life of Wisseler.
We have in our archive casualty lists from WWI and because I had the information about the missing in action date, I first tried there to find more. In the “Verlustliste” Nr. 1231, date 1918, September 2. I found the following entry: “Wisseler, Hans, Oblt. d. R. - 12.4. Frankfurt a. M. – vermisst“. That means “Wisseler, Hans. Oberleutnant der Reserve, born 12.04. in Frankfurt am Main. Missing in action“.
From Roger I had the information that Hans Otto Ludwig Wisseler was born 12.04.1886 and so I thought that I have found the correct entry. Next I contacted the archive in Frankfurt am Main and asked there for possible information about Wisseler.
From that archive I got information about the parents and sisters of Hans Otto Ludwig Wisseler, his occupation (teacher) and the place he was living. He was not married and had no children.
But more important was a copy from a commemorative book about WWI, where he was mentioned. He was member of Inf. Reg. Nr. 15/7 and was captured east of Villers-Bretoncourt near Hamel in France, date 4th July. His cause of death was suicide, date 10th August 1918. He hung himself, because he was “mentally deranged”. Grave: Healey Churchyard/Masham Yorks/ Grab 672.
Now we know that Hans Otto Ludwig Wisseler and the different “Wisseler” mentioned in the regimental history and casualty list was the same person.
In the regimental history „Infantrie-Regiment Prinz Friedrich der Niederlande (2. Westfälisches) Nr. 15 im Weltkriege 1914 – 18” I found more information about the last days of Oberleutnant Wisseler, before he was captured.
I think that Oberleutnant der Reserve Wisseler become member of the regiment in Mai/June 1918. He is not mentioned in the history before that date. Because the regiment had had heavy losses in April/May 1918 it went back from the front for three weeks. During these three weeks the losses were adjusted with new men. And I think, Wisseler was one of them and become leader of the 7. regiment.
The regiment went back to the front after June, 19th. They were stationed at the same place as before. Near Hamel in the surroundings of the “Römer-Straße”. The front was 700 Meter backside the way Hamel-Villers-Bretonneux. The English troops were 1 Kilometre away. On the evening of the 3rd July the English troops started some long range attacks with artillery. At the same time English airplanes attacked the German troops. At 04.00 in the morning the next artillery fire started and following this English Infantry with tanks started their attack. The first two German trenches were overwhelmed. There was no or only some German artillery and they had only “Tank-Guns” to attack the English tanks. There was heavy fighting between the German and English troops. At the end of the day the German losses were counted: II. Battalion 5 Dead, 18 Wounded and 182 Missed in Action, I. Battalion 1 Dead, 9 Wounded, 17 Missed in Action. Wisseler is mentioned as “missing and died as Prisoner of War”.
I don’t know if the German troops fought against English or Australian Troops. First they are always called “English” but at the end there was this sentence: “It was overwhelmed through attacking Australians and their Tanks and Airplanes.”
I was surprised how much information we found about a soldier fighting in WWI. Because he was not married, I have had no chance to find descendants of Wisseler. Today there lives no family with this name in Frankfurt am Main.
Here some information about his parents and his brothers and sisters. His father, Karl Ferdinand Ernst Wisseler, was married twice. His first wife was Marie Bruchhaus or Bruckhaus (there are two different spellings). Karl Wisseler was born 15.03.1834 in Wesel (near Duisburg) and his wife was born 16.04.1854 in Ronsdorf. It is not mentioned when they married. The first child, Hedwig Louise Hermine, was born 19.05.1882, the second, Gustav Eugen Ernst 27.06.1883, the third, Hans Otto Ludwig 18.04.1886. All in Frankfurt am Main. Marie Wisseler died 15.11.1887. His second wife (it is difficult to read, but my wife and I think that the following is correct) was Eugenie Luise Bruckhaus (or Bruchhaus) born 29.09.1860 in Opladen. It could be that Marie and Eugenie were sisters. Opladen is near Ronsdorf. They had one daughter, Gertrude born 14.09.1891 in Frankfurt.
Karl Wisseler, occupation Merchant, died 21.03.1909. His son Ernst moved from Frankfurt to Dotzheim 01.11.1906, his sister Hedwig seems to had had the same problem as her brother Hans Otto Ludwig Wisseler. It is mentioned that she was dismissed from the Frankfurter mental home at 08.04.1918 and moved from Frankfurt at 14.04.1918 to Endenich (Near Bonn/Cologne).
Acknowledgments
Archiv of Frankfurt am Main
Archiv of the University of Münster
I tried to attach it as a word doc but it was too large. Unfortunately by copying and pasting it here some photo's are missing however if you would like to see them PM me and I will send them to you.
I hope you find it interesting.
Oberleutnant der Reserve Hans Otto Ludwig Wisseler
While looking at the entry for St Paul’s church Healey North Yorkshire on the Commonwealth Wargraves Commission website I noticed there was mention of a German soldier who was buried there in 1918.
It was obvious he was a prisoner of war at nearby Colsterdale camp. This had originally been a camp to house workmen who were constructing the reservoir at Leighton and early in the war had been the camp for the 15th battalion West Yorkshire Regiment, the “Leeds pals”.
Following this discovery I posted a query on the internet discussion forum The Great War Forum (GWF) asking if anyone knew if this German soldier was still buried at Healey or if he had been re-interred at Cannock Chase German Military cemetery in Staffordshire as was usual.
Terry Denham replied to my query stating that,
“There is no German casualty listed by CWGC at Healey (St Paul) Churchyard and so he must have been moved to Cannock.
The CWGC cemetery info has obviously not been updated from that in the old register. I'll report it for changing.
The only other remote possibility is that the name has been left off the database in error.”
A further post by Terry Denham confirmed that he was moved to Cannock and the cemetery information is now amended on the CWGC website. He also provided a name for the German soldier and details of the location of his grave.
Wisseler, Hans Otto Ludwig. German Army 10/8/18.
Block 14, Grave 396, Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery.
Stuart Brown, another GWF member kindly took photographs of Wisseler’s grave now its location was known.
Other information was forthcoming from the GWF. An Oberleutnant der Reserve Wisseler belonging to Infanterie Regiment 15 was found however two different sources provided conflicting information regarding his death. The regimental history of I.R. 15 says he was wounded on July 4th 1918 near Hamel and died in English captivity (no information where and when). Here at least we had the possibility, that he was taken prisoner on July 4th and died in Colsterdale on August 10th 1918
The book "Das Ehrenmal des preußischen Offizier-Korps" gives the information, that he died near Villers Bretoneux on July 4th 1918.
Unfortunately in both cases we had no first name.
The discovery of a German soldier’s burial in Healey and subsequent information took place in 2004. Following a conversation by email with Ulrich Biroth from Germany in early 2007 more details about Wisseler have come to light. Ulrich was interested in the story of Wisseler and agreed to try and find out more from archives in Germany.
Acknowledgments
The following members of the GWF http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/ provided information
Terry Denham
Stuart Brown (For kindly taking the photo’s of Wisseler’s grave at Cannock Chase)
Michaelv
Ralph J Whitehead
Ulrich Biroth for taking an interest in Hans Otto Ludwig Wisseler
More Information about Oberleutnant der Reserve Hans Otto Ludwig Wisseler
Compiled by Ulrich Biroth, Altena, Germany.
Following an email-conversation Roger Newsome told me, that he was searching information about Oberleutnant Wisseler, who was buried in North Yorkshire. Because I work in a German archive I promised Roger to try to find out more information about the life of Wisseler.
We have in our archive casualty lists from WWI and because I had the information about the missing in action date, I first tried there to find more. In the “Verlustliste” Nr. 1231, date 1918, September 2. I found the following entry: “Wisseler, Hans, Oblt. d. R. - 12.4. Frankfurt a. M. – vermisst“. That means “Wisseler, Hans. Oberleutnant der Reserve, born 12.04. in Frankfurt am Main. Missing in action“.
From Roger I had the information that Hans Otto Ludwig Wisseler was born 12.04.1886 and so I thought that I have found the correct entry. Next I contacted the archive in Frankfurt am Main and asked there for possible information about Wisseler.
From that archive I got information about the parents and sisters of Hans Otto Ludwig Wisseler, his occupation (teacher) and the place he was living. He was not married and had no children.
But more important was a copy from a commemorative book about WWI, where he was mentioned. He was member of Inf. Reg. Nr. 15/7 and was captured east of Villers-Bretoncourt near Hamel in France, date 4th July. His cause of death was suicide, date 10th August 1918. He hung himself, because he was “mentally deranged”. Grave: Healey Churchyard/Masham Yorks/ Grab 672.
Now we know that Hans Otto Ludwig Wisseler and the different “Wisseler” mentioned in the regimental history and casualty list was the same person.
In the regimental history „Infantrie-Regiment Prinz Friedrich der Niederlande (2. Westfälisches) Nr. 15 im Weltkriege 1914 – 18” I found more information about the last days of Oberleutnant Wisseler, before he was captured.
I think that Oberleutnant der Reserve Wisseler become member of the regiment in Mai/June 1918. He is not mentioned in the history before that date. Because the regiment had had heavy losses in April/May 1918 it went back from the front for three weeks. During these three weeks the losses were adjusted with new men. And I think, Wisseler was one of them and become leader of the 7. regiment.
The regiment went back to the front after June, 19th. They were stationed at the same place as before. Near Hamel in the surroundings of the “Römer-Straße”. The front was 700 Meter backside the way Hamel-Villers-Bretonneux. The English troops were 1 Kilometre away. On the evening of the 3rd July the English troops started some long range attacks with artillery. At the same time English airplanes attacked the German troops. At 04.00 in the morning the next artillery fire started and following this English Infantry with tanks started their attack. The first two German trenches were overwhelmed. There was no or only some German artillery and they had only “Tank-Guns” to attack the English tanks. There was heavy fighting between the German and English troops. At the end of the day the German losses were counted: II. Battalion 5 Dead, 18 Wounded and 182 Missed in Action, I. Battalion 1 Dead, 9 Wounded, 17 Missed in Action. Wisseler is mentioned as “missing and died as Prisoner of War”.
I don’t know if the German troops fought against English or Australian Troops. First they are always called “English” but at the end there was this sentence: “It was overwhelmed through attacking Australians and their Tanks and Airplanes.”
I was surprised how much information we found about a soldier fighting in WWI. Because he was not married, I have had no chance to find descendants of Wisseler. Today there lives no family with this name in Frankfurt am Main.
Here some information about his parents and his brothers and sisters. His father, Karl Ferdinand Ernst Wisseler, was married twice. His first wife was Marie Bruchhaus or Bruckhaus (there are two different spellings). Karl Wisseler was born 15.03.1834 in Wesel (near Duisburg) and his wife was born 16.04.1854 in Ronsdorf. It is not mentioned when they married. The first child, Hedwig Louise Hermine, was born 19.05.1882, the second, Gustav Eugen Ernst 27.06.1883, the third, Hans Otto Ludwig 18.04.1886. All in Frankfurt am Main. Marie Wisseler died 15.11.1887. His second wife (it is difficult to read, but my wife and I think that the following is correct) was Eugenie Luise Bruckhaus (or Bruchhaus) born 29.09.1860 in Opladen. It could be that Marie and Eugenie were sisters. Opladen is near Ronsdorf. They had one daughter, Gertrude born 14.09.1891 in Frankfurt.
Karl Wisseler, occupation Merchant, died 21.03.1909. His son Ernst moved from Frankfurt to Dotzheim 01.11.1906, his sister Hedwig seems to had had the same problem as her brother Hans Otto Ludwig Wisseler. It is mentioned that she was dismissed from the Frankfurter mental home at 08.04.1918 and moved from Frankfurt at 14.04.1918 to Endenich (Near Bonn/Cologne).
Acknowledgments
Archiv of Frankfurt am Main
Archiv of the University of Münster
