October 21 – Travelling to Lille by train

The first batallion of the List regiment gets transported to the front by train,  through:

Augsburg – Neu-Ulm – Bietigheim – Boppard am Rhein – Köln – Aachen – Border of Belgium at Herbestal (October 22) – Brussels, station Schaerbeek – Lille, station St. Madeleine on October 23 (the 2nd and 3rd batallion arrive at Lille on the 24th)

Hitler’s letters speak of a similar route: Along the Rhine, Aken, Luik (Hitler describes a ruïned station in his letter), Leuven (The city was ruïned), Brussel, Dourmey (The first sound of cannons), Lille (There was end to the heavy sound of the cannons), at night the group of soldiers slept at a courtyard of a trade centre and another night they slept in a large ruïned hall of glass.

October 24 - Lille

The regiment reaches Lille.

August 5 - München

Hitler’s request to join the German army is granted. He reports to the 1st Bavarian Infantry Regiment but gets transfered to the 1th batalion of Reserve Infanterie Regiment 16 (List regiment) of the 2nd Bavarian Infantry Regiment  in München.

August 16 - München

Hitler joins the army. His training takes place at the Exerzierplatz of the Türkenkaserne and on the Oberwiesenfeld.

October 8 – München

Ceremonial farewell at the Türkenkaserne, with the king present. Hitler might have been there.

October 9 – München

Hitler completes his basic training in München.

October 10 – March to Lechfeld

The 1st battalion marches to Lechfeld for fight training: through the Landsbergerstrasse - Pasing – Gilching (first day) – Türkenfeld (second day). Another source mentions the route through: Alling (a village West of München) and Türkenfeld (also West of München), where they spend the night outside)

Having reached Lechfeld company 1 and 2 spend the night at the Kloster Lechfeld.

October 17 – Lechfeld

Hitler completes his supplementary military training at Lager Lechfeld, Bayern.

1914  Germany-Belgium-France

In 1914 Hitler joined Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 16 (List-Regiment or RIR 16), part of the 2nd Bavarian Infantry Regiment. The first or second batallion was his batallion, but since he served as a regimental dispatch runner (Meldegänger) his whereabouts and shelters could be different from the locations the front soldiers where at. Sometimes there was a special shelter for dispatch runners and he must have been at the regiment staf buildings a lot too. It was his job to bring messages from the staf to the soldiers in the front line.  

Hitler in the First World War        1914

München (Germany)

The former Elisabethschule in München

(picture: Jens Krause, Panoramio, all rights reserved)

Türkenkaserne

Location: Türkenstrasse, in front of the Pinakothek der Moderne

Today: only the gate, the so called Türkentor, is still there

On October 8, 1914 a ceremonial farewell of Hitler’s regiment took place at the Türkenkaserne,  with the king present. Hitler must have been there too, but there’s no prove real proof of it.

The second batallion of the List regiment at the Türkenkaserne before the war

(picture: Solleder, 1932)

The Kasernenhof Leibregiment.

Was this the same location as the Türkenkaserne?

(picture: Solleder, 1932)

October 20 – November 22 - First Battle of Ieper.

The Battle of Ieper was a large German offensive in Belgium and France: from Bethune (France) to the coast of Belgium. Hitler’s Regiment took part in that battle.

October 27/28 – At night the troops march towards the front.

They spend the night somewhere in a castle park. Another night in that period was spend in a ruïned farm.

RIR 16 marches to the front (through Cheval blanche and La Vigne to Comines). Route: Lille, Place du Concert (where the different companies gather) – through the north of Lille (near Marquette, the industrial part of Lille) – Cheval blanc – Le Beau Chène, where they eat at the break of day – cross the river Ins at noon – they pass Wervicq and Geluwe (not Geluveld) and reach Panemolen. They have to leave to Vijfwegen (between Roeselare and Rumbeke, a few miles up north). The Regimentstaf is located at the crossing of Vijfwegen. The troops serve as reserve in the open space between Vijfwegen and Pannemolen in the region called Artoishoek.

October 29 - March to the front near Geluveld.

1. Part of the List regiment takes position at the Grote Straat between Becelaere and Broodseinde (2nd batallion)

2. The other part, the group of Hitler (Meldegänger were reported to have been there too), attacks Geluveld.

The route of the regiment: Coming from the street Vijfwegen – Geluwe they take the road between Geluwe and Geluveld. (1st and 3rd batallion). They leave the Artoishoek area and go southwest, leaving the road. They go to the road between Ieper and Meenen, near the village Koelberg (Vieux Chien), where the road to Ieper crosses  the road between Becelare and Poezelhoek (near Kruiseik). The area between the crossing and the village of Geluveld is the area of the fight. The 1st batallion is located on the right side of the Ypernstrasse (Oudehondtstraat), the 3rd batallion on the left side, near Koelberg. From there they go on to the Castle Geluveld and Poezelhoek. After the fight the List regiment is taken out of the fight, and falls under the 54th Res. Division. The other part of the List regiment was at the front Messines-Wytschaete.

Hitler describes the following situations about this period in a letter:

When Hitler’s regiment fights in Geluveld and Bezeluere/Beselare they went through some woods ‘on the right’. After that, they arrived at a meadow-land situated a little higher. (The hight called ‘Hoogte van Wijtschaete-Zillebeke’ runs from Mesen, Wijtschate to Hill 60 and Hill 62. But Hitler’s vague description is not enough to point out the exact area he ment. The maps you’ll find here are a lot better.) Hitler also talks of a large pool with some woods. The Regiment gets into a fight near the road to Beselare, that was situated ‘on the right’. After that they retrieved to Osterwick (unknown place). A known location where Hitler’s regiment fought was at the castle park on the Kasteelstraat in Geluveld. It’s also on a road to Beselare.

October 30 -  Geluveld area

The 1st batallion was located in the triangel between the two streets to Becelare (on the right) and Ieper (left). The batallion was supposed to back up the attack of the 3rd batallion with fire from their trenches.

October 31- Attack of the Geluveld Castle

The 1st batallion attacks the Castlepark of Geluveld. The other batallions are on the left (with the windmill as an orientation point) and the right wing. They take Geluveld, but List dies in the castlepark.

November 1 - Geluveld, after the attack.

The grounds behind the castelpark must be cleared from enemies. The castle, church and ‘ostfriedhof’ are ruined. The castlepark is the central point. All messages go there. Hitler must have received his messages from here. At night the List regiment gathers at the castlepark. They march back to the crossing and take the road back to Wervicq. On their way there, they have a meal at the village of America.

An old map of the battle of Geluveld, 1914.

Source: Solleder, 1932

Geluveld (Belgium)

Leftovers of the old windmill

Location: Geluveldplaats

Today: The mill was ruïned in 1914 by the Germans, but it was rebuilt in 1926. Today only a part of the construction is still there.

The troops attacking the village of Geluveld use the windmill on the Geluveldplaats as a landmark. Hitler was part of the batallions that came from the other side.   

Ieper (Belgium)

November 2 - 8- Rest at Wervicq and Comines

No locations in Wervicq mentioned.

November 4 - Comines

The regiment serves as reserve at the westside of the town, directly behind the channel.

November 5 - Bas-Warneton

The regiment goes to Bas-Warneton, but gets back to Comines on the same day and stays there untill November 8. They go to the fields of Warneton on other days too. They always return to Comines at night.

November 6-22 – Messines/Wytschaete

The regiment fights in the region of Messines/Wytschaete (Belgium).  

For two months Hitler’s regiment is in this area. They stay a while at Bethlehem farm. The staf is in Messines.

November 9 – 12 - Messines, trenches

On November 9 the regiment marches from Comines through Warneton-Ferme de la Croix to the Bethlehem farm. There they replace RIR 20 at the west side of Messines. The troops were located at the southwest entrance of the city. The regiment staf was at the Bethlehem farm. On November 9 Hitler becomes Ordonanz of the Regiment Staf.

November 12 – 14 - Oosttaverne - Wytschate

In the night of 12/13 November the regiment travels north to Oosttaverne (East of Wytschaete. There are still a lot of WW1-cemeteries there. The German trench network ran northward from the Lys, to the Comines channel, passing east of Oosttaverne, about 2 km. from Wytschate). There they built reserve lines fronting the West-Northwest. The next day they’re attacked already.

November 13/14 -  Holleweg

The regiment goes to the former hospis Hohlwegen (Holleweg), northwest of Wytschaete. But after a few hours they go back to Oosttaverne.

November 15 + 16 - Wytschate, Holleweg (Vierstraat, Voormezelstraat)

The regiment has to clear the woods from the French soldiers that are still in there. They storm the axe-shaped-wood (now called Bayernwald). The first and second batallion travel on both sides of the road Vierstraat (coming from Wytschate) to the westside of the forrest. The other batallion is located east of the street Wytschaete-St.Elooi. Behind the first woods is the axe-shaped-forrest. Because it’s not going fast enough the regiment commander wants to take go up front. Together with Meldegänger Hitler and Bachmann he goes to the Holleweg at the edge of the forrest. The commander gets shot at, but the two Meldegänger are said to have jumped in front of him. ‘They don’t want to lose another  commander.’ But a short while later he died anyway. The troops are taken out of the axe-shaped-forrest, because the Germans wanted to use artillerie to get out the French. After that the Germans take the forrest. They’re still under fire from the Kemmelberg.

November 17 - Bayernwald

The regiment has taken the lines between the Bayernwald and the Hollandse schuur-farm. The primitive regiment staf location is at the bend in the Holleweg leading to the Bayernwald (could be the location of the former café Croonaert). The second chief of the List regiment, Engelhardt, dies here.(In the woods along the Kroonaardsstraat is a German ‘Mineshaft’. A route along minecraters runs through the area.)

November 20 - Resting

The regiment rests for three days at different locations:

1. Garde Dieu (Some say it’s a neighbourhood in Wijtschate, but it seems to be the area between Wytschaete and Neerwaasten (= Warneton).)

2. Hollandseschuur (The farm and a mine crater are still there.)

3. Partijntje (?)

4. Pillegrems-Ferme (Houtem near Hollebeke/Zandvoorde, exact location unknown)

The 1st batallion was at the Pillegrems Farm. The 2nd at Garde Dieu.

November 24 - Winter

‘Winterstellung’ between Wytschate and Messines, between the roads to Wulverghem.

On November 24 the regiment marches through Gapaard (area south of the Gapaardstraat) to Messines. They make new trenches at the area of street Wytschate – In de Kruisstraat – street Messines to Wulvegem, under heavy fire. (most likely between the Kruisstraat – Katteputstraat - Mesenstraat)

November 26 - Messines

The 1st batallion goes to the village and the Kloster of Messines for a rest.

December 2 -  Hitler receives the Iron Cross 2nd Class at Beselare (Belgium), for helping pull Lt. Col. Engelhardt to safety while under heavy fire.

December 11 - Comines- Messines

The regiment becomes the Division Reserve and finds shelter at the Fabrik Gallant in Comines.

After that they go back into the trenches in the region of Messines (no exact date and locations).

December 17 - Comines

Only the ‘Stabsquartier’ is relocated at Comines, because the old one was under constant fire.

Around Christmas 1914 - Messines

Mesen - Messines (Belgium)

Wijtschate (Belgium)

Regimentsbefehlstand R.I.R. 16

Location: Holleweg, now called Voormezelstraat, look at the map above

Today: there are no traces of the Befehlstand

It is very likely that Hitler was at this Befehlstand in the centre of the small wood.

Hollandse Schuur Farm

Location: Vierstraat, right behind the wood, look at the map above (the farm is not on the Hollandse Schuurstraat, that runs directly past the wood)

Today:  there is still a farm there

The soldiers of Hitlers regiment were stationed at this farm for a while. There’s no proof Hitler was there, but he might have been there. The craters near the farm are from this period.

A map of the Croonaertbos area showing the Regimentsbefehlstand of Hitlers regiment.

St. Elooi (Belgium)

Houtem (Belgium)

Pillegrems Ferme

Location: unknown

In November 1914 Hitlers regiment rested at different locations in the area of Wytschate. One of the locations was the farm called Hollandse Schuur, near the Beilförmiger Wald. Another one was located in Houtem. It was called the Pellegrem’s Ferme.

Two pictures of the Pillegrem’s Ferme. The one on the right is dated 27.6.1916.

Comines (Belgium)

Fabrik Gallant

Location: unknown

In December 1914 Hitlers regiment found shelter at the Fabrik Gallant (weavery) in Comines.

Inside the weavery.

1914

1915

1916

1917

1918

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