Uffz.
Alwin Scharf
Information about birth
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Place of birth: Grossgöhren, Saxony, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
Army information
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Country: German Empire |
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Force: Imperial German Army |
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Rank: Unteroffizier |
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Units: — 5. Eskadron, Ulanen-regiment Nr. 11 (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 12/09/1914 |
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Place of death: Houthulst, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Alwin Scharf was born in Grossgöhren, Saxony, Germany. He enlisted in the German Army and joined a cavalry unit. He was part of the 5. Eskadron of the 11. Ulanen-Regiment as Unteroffizier. That unit was one of the first German units to suffer losses in West Flanders.
Alwin Scharf died on 12 September 1914 during a reconnaissance mission. In early September 1914, four patrols were assembled with men from the 2. and 5. Eskadron of the 11. Ulanen-Regiment. Unteroffizier Scharf was part of the patrol led by Leutnant Ballauff. They were tasked with scouting the roads to Moorslede, the area north of Ypres and Veurne. Anything but a Sunday outing for the Ulans. The fear was well in the air. At every hedge to every forest or thicket and at every stone house, they had to be on their guard and could be shot at. The constant detours and avoidance of streets and country lanes made the horses so tired that they could hardly move forward.
Quite a few horses did not survive the reconnaissance. Ballauff's patrol therefore rode on requisitioned bicycles as they fought a battle against Belgian gendarmes. On 12 September 1914, the patrol arrived in Houthulst. As they left the village, they came under fire. Ulaan Matschke's body was riddled with bullets in the middle of a country road. Unteroffizier Scharf gave orders to aim at the roofs of nearby houses. However, the Ulans' ammunition ran out and the Belgians approached. Unteroffizier Scharf surrendered, but was immediately shot down. Some of his comrades, who survived the attack, were taken away to Ypres as prisoners. It is unclear where Unteroffizier Alwin Scharf is buried today.
Alwin Scharf died on 12 September 1914 during a reconnaissance mission. In early September 1914, four patrols were assembled with men from the 2. and 5. Eskadron of the 11. Ulanen-Regiment. Unteroffizier Scharf was part of the patrol led by Leutnant Ballauff. They were tasked with scouting the roads to Moorslede, the area north of Ypres and Veurne. Anything but a Sunday outing for the Ulans. The fear was well in the air. At every hedge to every forest or thicket and at every stone house, they had to be on their guard and could be shot at. The constant detours and avoidance of streets and country lanes made the horses so tired that they could hardly move forward.
Quite a few horses did not survive the reconnaissance. Ballauff's patrol therefore rode on requisitioned bicycles as they fought a battle against Belgian gendarmes. On 12 September 1914, the patrol arrived in Houthulst. As they left the village, they came under fire. Ulaan Matschke's body was riddled with bullets in the middle of a country road. Unteroffizier Scharf gave orders to aim at the roofs of nearby houses. However, the Ulans' ammunition ran out and the Belgians approached. Unteroffizier Scharf surrendered, but was immediately shot down. Some of his comrades, who survived the attack, were taken away to Ypres as prisoners. It is unclear where Unteroffizier Alwin Scharf is buried today.
Sources 3
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Deutsche Verlustlisten 1914 bis 1919. Berlin, Deutschland: Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) (Bundesarchiv, Berlin (BArch)). https://des.genealogy.net/eingabe-verlustlisten/search Sources used |
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Vancoillie, Jan; Bostyn, Franky; Pauwels, Marcel. Halfweg Menin road en Ypernstrasse: Gheluvelt 1914-1918 (Voormezele: Association for Battlefield Archaeology in Flanders, 2002), 13. Sources used |
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Von Löbbecke; Mass, Heinrich; Riep, Ferdinand. Die Gelbe Ulanen-brigade (Perleberg: Buchdruckerei F. Grunick Nachf., s.d.), 88-90. Sources used |
More information 1
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=21b85c73-2b53-423f-9ab9-7253ed700b56 |