Hitler on the Western Front 1915

24/08/2012 1915

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Old year, new years day and right after that - Warneton and Bas-Warneton

The regiment has a 4 days rest.

January 3 - Messines area

January 6 - Messines

The regiment goes to the village of Messines for a rest. They find shelter in the ‘Kloster’ and in cellars of different

houses.


The regiment goes back to the front line near Messines.


The ‘Befehlstelle’ of the first batallion lays under fire. The commanders go to new ‘Stützpunkte’ at the ‘Bad- und

Mittelferme’.

January 30 - Messines, Comines, Warneton

The regiment gets replaced.

- They stay near Befehlstelle Lugferme

- Some companies stay at the front line

- Some go to Messines and Warneton

- Some go to the Kellerferme

- The regimentsstaf is at Messines or Comines

Somewhere in February – St. Elooi

Hitler’s Regiment, says Hitler in a letter, is ‘left’ of Eloi (‘where the English were beaten’). This must be St. Elooi

(Belgium), south of Ieper. There’s a war memorial on the Armetierseweg. Near St. Elooi, along the the

Voormezelestraat, is the location of the Bayernwald.

February - Messines

February 5 - Wervicq

The first batallion marches through Werwicq to the crossing near Molière, because king Ludwig III comes there to

visit the troops.

March - Comines

According to a vague description the regiment or parts of it spent 6 days in Comines.

March 8/9 - Tourcoing (Meijers book says March 6)

At night the regiment is replaced. They go to Tourcoing to serve as Reserve Troops. Their location is the

‘Kronprinz-Rupprecht-Kazerne’ at the Rue de Chènes Houpline (an old spinnery). They rest for 14 days.

March 10 - Battle of Neuve-Chapelle

On March 10 –13 the battle of Neuve-Chapelle took place. The British aim was to capture the village of Neuve-

Chapelle. They were succesful, but the efforts stagnated after having taking just 1100 meters of land. About

13.000 British and 12.000 German soldiers were killed. Two British war cemeteries are on the Rue du Moulin

just outside Neuve-Chapelle.

To get to Neuve-Chapelle the German List-regiment got transported towards Lille by train. They went to Marquilles

by train. The troops were stationed at: Wicres (there’s still a German war cemetery there), Le Willy and

Sainghin.

The regiment took part of the battle of Neuve-Chapelle. The 1st and 3rd batallion went through the woods of Biez to

reach Neuve-Chapelle. The regiments staf was located at the so called Ferme de Biez (location unknown).

The troops travelled from Halpegarbe, through the wood, where they waited at the edge of the wood for the

attack. The 1st batallion got to the crossing, southwest of Neuve Chapelle, but the enemy was not longer at the

eastside of the villlage, but on the fields southwest of the woods of Biez.

March 12/13 - Battle of Neuve-Chapelle

The trenches in the area are enlarged, but the Germans are not able to take the village.

March 13/14 - Marquilles

At night the regiments marches from the front lines to Marquilles. Quartier at Salomé. The shelter on the same

day for the 1st batallion was at Petit Hantay and La Bourse. The shelter for the 1st batallion was at Petit Hantay

Since Hitler had become a dispatch runner in November 1914, he spent most of his time at the regiment

headquarters. That means that he did not take part of the action that took place in the front line. In the beginning of

1915 Hitler was in Messines, but the maps of the Messines area are on the 1914 page. After Messines Hitler’s

regiment went to the region of Neuve-Chapelle in France. After that the headquarters of the regiment were located

at Fournes-en-Weppes and Fromelles. In both places still are buildings where Hitler lived when he was a soldier. In

1940 he went back to these villages. The World War 2 pages of the Belgium and France section of this website show

more of that period.

BELGIUM and FRANCE

1914 - 1915 - 1916 - 1917 - 1918

HISTORICAL HITLER SITES

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and La Bourse. The Regiment staf goes to Grand and Petit Moisnil.

Kaart Sat Terr. Earth

Lille Tourcoing weergeven op een grotere kaart

TOURCOING (FRANCE)Kronprinz-Rupprecht-Kazerne (an old spinnery)

Location: Rue de Chènes Houpline

Today: Unknown

On March 8/9 1915 Hitler’s regiment was replaced to Tourcoing to serve as reserve regiment. They find shelter inside

what the Germans called the Kronprinz-Rupprecht-Kazerne, an old spinnery. They rest in Tourcoing for 14 days.

Station Tourcoing

Location: Place Pierre Sémard

Today: This is the modern station of Tourcoing. It’s absolutely not certain that Hitlers regiment took the train at this

station.

To get to Neuve-Chapelle in March 1915 the German List-regiment got transported towards Lille by train. From there

they went to Marquilles by train.

The area of Lille station in WW1(picture: Meijer, 1934)

NEUVE-CHAPELLE (FRANCE)

English War Cemeteries

Location: Rue du Moulin, behind the houses (signs lead the way)

Today: Still there

Hitlers regiment was in the battle of Neuve-Chapelle in 1915. The English tried to capture the village. A lot of soldiers

died in the battle of 1915. They are burried on these graveyards.


Neuve Chapelle weergeven op een grotere kaart

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The English Cemeteries in Neuve-Chapelle. The Left picture shows both of them (right next to the trees in the

background is the second one) (pictures: the Hitlerpages, 2009)

The fields around the graveyards with

the village of Neuve-Chapelle in the

background. The cemeteries are on

the English side of the village. The

Woods of Biez are on the other side

(behind the village). (picture: the Hitlerpages, 2009)

March 14 - Lille

The regiment is replaced and travels back towards Lille by train.

March 17 untill May 1915 - Fromelles

On March 17 the regiment goes back to Fromelles, through Marquilles station.

Locations in Fromelles: Rote Banke, Ferme Deleval (region Rue Deleval). The ‘Befehlstelle’is located at

Fromelles-Nord, 1100 meters west of the Rote Banke. The second ‘Befehlestelle’ (‘Bayern’) was located

southeast of Deleval Ferme. The Regiments Befehlstelle was at the Schloß Fromelles in the cellar of a house

opposite to a Sanitätsunterstand. The Regiment Staf was at a house of a notary in the so called Münsterstrasse

(number 50). The Regiment Ordonanzen stay at the house of Schwarzen Marie.

April 22 - Second Battle of Ieper

Hitlers regiment takes part in the Second Battle of Ieper. During that battle the Germans used gas for the first

time, surprising the allied forces.

May 2 – May 8/9 - Front (Fournes)

The 1st batallion is at the front.

May 8/9 - Fournes

At night the troops go to Fournes. Hitler is said to have drawn several drawings of a house called ‘Zur Schwarzin

Marie’. The house was named after its hostess.

May 9 (about 10 o’clock) - Fournes area

Back at the front. On May 9/10 there’s some heavy fighting going on in the area.

May 10/11 - Fournes

The 2nd and 3rd batallion go to Fournes (partly).

May 12/13 - Fournes

At night they’re back to the front line.

May 13-19 - Fournes-La Bassee

The 3rd batallion leaves for La Bassee in this period.

May 17 - Fournes and La Bassee

At night the 9th and 10th company go to La Bassee.

May 18 - Violaines

Some of the troops arrive at Violaines. They find shelter in a ‘hof’ (a public garden).

Around May 26 - Fromelles

The regimentsstaf is located at Fromelles.

May 29 - Wavrin and La Bassee

The second company goes to Wavrin and later on to La Bassee.

May – September - Fromelles

The regiment stays at the Fromelles area.

July 13 - La Bassee

A training takes place at La Bassee.

September 24/25 - Battle of La Bassee

The 1st and 3rd company go to join the other troops at the Battle of La Bassee.

October 2-8 - La Bassee

Parts of the regiment are at La Bassee, near the channel, southwest of Auchy. If Hitler was here or not remains

uncertain.

October 7 - Hitler switches companies

Hitler becomes a member of the 3rd company.

Autumn 1915 - La Bassee

Hitler was at La Bassee in the autumn of 1915. It’s not clear when exactly, because the companies of the

regiment went there on different dates.

Winter 1915-1916 - Fromelles

In November and December it’s pretty quiet at the front in Fromelles.

FOURNES EN WEPPES (FRANCE)

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Fournes en Weppes weergeven op een grotere kaart

Regiment Building

Location: Rue de Faidherbe, a few houses west and across the road from the Rue du 8 Mai 1945

Today: Still there, it is turned into a Mairie today

Hitler was stationed here in 1915. There are different pictures made of Hitler accompanied by fellow soldiers. Most of

them are made in the garden of the regiment building. A famous but unclear picture shows Hitler in the Rue Faidherbe

in 1915.

Above: Hitler in the Rue Faidherbe,

1915 (picture: Meijer, 1934)

Centre, above: The 1st company at

the Schloßallee in Fournes, May 1915(picture: Solleder, 1932)

Centre, below: Graveyard German

soldiers in 1915 in Fournes(picture: Solleder, 1932)

Right: The church of Fournes(picture: Meijer, 1934)

Above and right: Hitler and

his fellow-couriers in Fournes

in April 1915

Above: Hitler is sitting on the left(picture: Russel, 2006)

Right: Hitler is standing on the right(picture: Russel, 2006)

Fournes, Regiment Building 1916(picture: Russel, 2006)

Fournes, Regiment Building 1940(picture: Heinrich Hoffmann)

Fournes, Regiment Building, date

Fournes, 1915, Hitler is the second

one form the right

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unknown, Hitler alone (picture: Russel, 2006)

Fournes, Regiment Building. The

couriers of the regiment: Hitler is in

the front row on the left. (picture:

Weber, 2010)

Inside the Regiment Building. Max

Amann is on the front row, on the

right. Hitler is not on this picture(picture: Weber, 2010)

The Regiment building untill recently. The picture on the right shows the

garden, with the same wall as in ‘14-’18

The regiment building in 2009. The Mairie was closed, so I couldn’t get behind the building. When the gate is open, it

should be easy to take a look behind the building. It seems like the garden walls are still there. (pictures: the Hitler Pages, 2009)

Butchery Fournes

Location: Rue Faidherbe 966

Today: Still there

This is another building where Hitler was stationed in 1916. During the second world war the butchery was guarded and

there was a sign that said: ‘In diesem Quartier lag 1916 unser Fuehrer Adolf Hitler als Soldat des Bayr. JNF. RGT.

List’. The sign is broken, but it is in the museum of Fromelles.

Hitler was back at the butchery in Fournes en Weppes in 1940. (pictures: Heinrich Hoffmann) The picture on the right

shows guards in front of the house.

The former butchery today. The picture in the middle shows the hooks of the sign that was there in WW2, saying

Hitler had been stationed there. The picture on the right shows the contours of the old entrance and shop window in

the wall. (picture: the Hitlerpages, 2009)

Brewery Le Febre

Location: Unknown

This location is connected to the rumour of Hitler being a homosexual. All I can say is that the location itself is indeed

a location that has something to do with the German troops. The Erinnerungsblätter of the List Regiment (Solleder,

1932) mention it. Hitler must have been there, since the village is not that big. But that is, off course, on its own no

proof of his possible feelings for the male gender.

Chateau/ Schloss

24/08/2012 1915


Location: Unknown, but there is a Avenue du Chateau in the village

The Erinnerungsblätter of the List Regiment (Solleder, 1932) mention the castle of Fournes as a place where German

troops of commanders were stationed. According to Weber (2010) Hitler worked at the castle of Fromelles (and not

Founes) for three days and at the regiment headquarters in Fournes for three days a week. Where the castle was,

remains a small mystery.Unterstand

Location: Unknown

Hitler made sketches of an Unterstand (shelter) in 1915. Russel (2006) says the Unterstand was near Fromelles.

Joachimsthaler (1989) thinks it’s the Ruhequartier of the German Ordonanzen in Fournes, called Zur Schwarzen Marie.

Fournes and Fromelles are not that far apart, though. The sketches were coloured and worked over by an artist after

1933.

Three drawings of the Unterstand ‘Zur Schwarzen Marie’. The first one looks a little different, but it must be the

same house from a slightly different perspective. The coloured drawing (Russel 2006) is worked over by an artist after

1933. The bike of the first sketch (Joachimsthaler, 1989) and the plank standing against the wall of the second

(Joachimsthaler, 1989) are both of the third picture. All three pictures show the same stairs next to the house.

FROMELLES (FRANCE) more about Fromelles here


Fromelles May 1915 weergeven op een grotere kaart

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A map of the front near Fromelles, May 1915(Solleder, 1932)

Fromelles 1916(picture: Meijer, 1934) The Graveyard

(picture: Meijer, 1934)

The church of Fromelles(picture: Meijer, 1934)

House between Fromelles and Aubers(picture: Meijer, 1934)

A trench near Fromelles(picture: Joachimsthaler, 1989)

Shelters near Fromelles(picture: Solleder, 1934)

House on the Gartenstrasse between

Fromelles and Aubers, 1916(picture: Solleder, 1932)

This map shows the Gefechtsbefehlstelle of RIR 16 in Fromelles and the location of the Regimentsstab building in

Fournes in 1915. (Joachimsthaler, 1989)

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Hitler in Fromelles in 1940

Farm where Hitler was stationed

Location: Southern edge of Fromelles, on the D22, last farm on the left

Today: Still there

Hitler was stationed in a farm on the edge of Fromelles. Hitlers regiment was in this region in several periods of the

war. In 1940 Hitler visited the farm again.

Could this be the same farm as the

one drawn by Hitler? (picture: the Hitlerpages, 2009)

A drawing made by Hitler (probably

redone) of a farm in Fromelles, that

was the ‘Verbandplatz’ of the

regiment of Hitler in 1915.(Russel, 2006)

House between Fromelles and Aubers(picture: Meijer, 1934)

Trenches near Fromelles in May 1915(picture: Joachimsthaler, 1989)

A drawings Hitler made near

Fromelles. The aquarel ‘Haus mit

weissem Zaun’ is made northwest of

Fromelles, near the ‘Roten Banke’, in

1915. A lot of drawings of Adolf

Hitler were redone or coloured by a

better artist after 1933.(Russel, 2006)

Rote Banke and the House mit weissem Zaun

Location: Rue Delval (on the corner of the road to Pétillon) Look at the map for the exact locations.

Today: Unknown, but there are still houses there.

Hitler knew the area the Germans called the Rote Banke very well. He drew a picture of the ‘Haus mit weissem Zaun’

that was also on the Rue Delval.

Dachau, near Fromelles(picture: Meijer, 1934)

Dachau

Location: Rue Delval (look at the map for the exact location)

Today: Unknown

The Germans gave German names to the locations of the area’s they were at. An area at one of the ends of the Rue

Delval was called Dachau. Every Meldegänger in the area must have known the place.

The Deleval Ferme (picture: Solleder, 1932)

Deleval Ferme

Location: Rue Delval (exact location unknown)

Today: Unknown

Another marking point in the area was the Deleval Ferme.

Senling of Pionierpark Sendling

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WW1 bunker

Location: Unknown

There is discussion about what the exact Hitlerbunker was in World War 1. There are (still) a lot of WW1-bunkers in

the area and it’s obvious that Hitler has seen more than one. Pictures of Hitler made in 1940 in front of a bunker are

widespred on the internet. The pictures below show Hitler in front of a WW 1 bunker. It doesn’t look like it’s the same

bunker as the two so called Hitlerbunkers in the Fromelles/Aubers region.

These pictures were probably taken on June 26, 1940, somewhere in Belgium or France, most likely near Fromelles.

Where these bunkers were and why Hitler went there is unknown. The picture on the right shows Hitler, Ernst Schmidt

Befehlstelle Bayern

Location: Unknown

The book Adolf Meijer made about the First World War shows a picture of the Befehlstelle Bayern. Hitler must have

know the place.

Befehlstelle Bayern. (picture: Meijer, 1934)

Senling (picture: Meijer, 1934)

Location: Somewhere behind the front line

The book of Adolf Meijer shows a picture of a place called Senling. It’s another location that might be hard to find

back. Adolf Meyer met Hitler for the second time at the Pionierpark Sendling. He writes that on this occasion Hitler

had to bring officers from the Pionierpark to the front.

Stützpunkt Starnberg

Location: Somewhere between the Deleval-Ferme (Rue Deleval) and the front line

Today: Unknown

Adolf Meyer, who wrote the book ‘Mit Adolf Hitler im Bayerischen Reserve Infanterie Regiment 16 List’ says that he

met Hitler here in 1915 for the first time.

The Spital in Fromelles (picture: Solleder, 1932)

Truppenverbandplatz

Location: Unknown

Another building Solleder mentions is the Spital or Truppenverbandplatz, a fieldhospital, in Fromelles.

The station of Fromelles (picture: Meijer, 1934)

Fromelles Station

Location: Unknown

There’s no railway running through Fromelles anymore. In WW1 there was. The picture below shows a ruïned station.

24/08/2012 1915


LA BASSEE (FRANCE)

The ‘wrong’ Hitlerbunker

Loocation: Road between Fromelles and Aubers (D141), just a few steps from the road

Today: Still there

On the road between Fromelles and Aubers are a lot of bunkers. One of them is the so called Hitlerbunker, the bunker

where Hitler was said to have been stationed in 1915. There is no prove that this is a bunker Hitler used to stay at.

There are also no pictures of Hitler visiting the bunker in 1940.

The Bunker on the road between

Fromelles and Aubers(picture: the Hitlerpages, 2007)

Close-up of the bunker(picture: the Hitlerpages, 2007)

The bunker is a German bunker indeed,

but there are no pictures of Hitler visiting this bunker in 1940. It’s sure

though that he knew this area very well... (pictures: the Hitlerpages, 2007)

The ‘real’ Hitlerbunker

Location: At the end of Rue de la Biette (outside the village) is a soccerfield, behind it in the fields is the bunker

Today: Still there

Of this German bunker can be proven that Hitler was there in 1940, because there are pictures made of the event.

What the bunker ment fot Hitler in WW1 is not clear.

Hitler visited this bunker in 1940 (pictures: Heinrich Hoffmann)

The bunker today(picture: the Hitlerpages, 2007)

and Max Amman from up close. (pictures left and centre: Russel, 2006)

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Between Fournes and La Bassee weergeven op een grotere kaart


Auchy, region La Bassee weergeven op een grotere kaart

La Bassee in 1917, when the List

regiment was also is in the region.(Solleder, 1932)

A map of the so called Hohenzollern Werk,

an area soutwest of Auchy, 2-8 October

1915. The map on the left could mark the

same area. (Solleder, 1932)

The brewery of La Bassee(picture:Meijer, 1934)

The channel near La Bassee(picture: Meijer, 1934)

The channel near La Bassee(picture: Meijer, 1934)

The station of La Bassee(picture: Meijer, 1934)

La Bassee(picture: Meijer, 1934)


La Bassee weergeven op een grotere kaart

Another picture of the station of La

Bassee, March 1917. Max Amann (a

wartime friend of Hitler and the

publisher of Mein Kampf) is the man

on the left.(picture: Joachimsthaler, 1989)

The second batallion of RIR 16 in the

Schlosspark of La Bassee at a divine

service outdoors in 1916(picture: Solleder, 1932)

24/08/2012 1915


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Hitler on the Western Front 1915