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Paul Mattern
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 28/11/1882 |
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Place of birth: Schlegel, Neurode, Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
General information
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Last known residence: 15 Grabenstraße, Neiße, Silezië, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
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Profession: Butcher |
Army information
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Country: German Empire |
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Force: Imperial German Army |
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Rank: Landsturmmann |
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Units: — Füsilier-Regiment General-Feldmarschall Graf Moltke Nr. 38 (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 06/11/1917 |
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Place of death: Goudberg, Passchendaele, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 34 |
Distinctions and medals 1
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Paul Mattern, a former butcher, was born on 28 November 1882 in Theresienfeld near Schlegel, Neurode, Schlesien (Słupiec, Nowa Ruda, Poland). He lived with his wife Martha in Neiße, Oppeln, Schlesien (Nysa, Opole, Poland). By 1917 he served as a Landsturmmann with the 9th Company, 3rd Battalion of the Füsilier-Regiment General-Feldmarschall Graf Moltke Nr.38, part of the 21. Infanterie-Brigade of the 11. Infanterie-Division.
On the night between November 4 and 5, 1917, the 38th Fusilier Regiment General-Feldmarschall Graf Moltke took over the front at Passchendaele. The 2nd Battalion took over frontline at Mosselmarkt and was supported by the 3rd Battalion. This battalion took position east of the road to Westrozebeke. The 9th Company was sent forward to the Haringstraat near Goudberg. The 1st Battalion was held in reserve near a chapel on Grote Roeselarestraat between Mosselmarkt and Kalve.
At 6 a.m. on 6 November 1917 the 1st and 6th Canadian Infantry Brigades attacked Passchendaele. The 1st Canadian Brigade attacked along the s’ Graventafelstraat and met the 38th Fusiliers Regiment. The 2nd Battalion resisted the attack, but the fortified positions near Mosselmarkt were overrun. At about 7.45 a.m. the Canadians had taken their objectives. The 3rd Battalion organised a counterattack, but the 9th Company was already involved in the fighting at Goudberg. The 1st Battalion was preparing to support the 3rd Battalion, but Hauptmann Herbert Ulrich of the 3rd Battalion refused their help. This counterattack initially went well, but ran aground west of the road to Westrozebeke, causing heavy casualties. As a result, the 1st Battalion was no longer able to counterattack.
During the night of 6-7 November, the units were reorganised. The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Infanterie-Regiment Nr.51 took over the front. The 1st Battalion collected the remnants of the other two battalions and went into reserve at Kalve. During the night of 7 to 8 November the regiment was relieved. The 1st Battalion went to Oekene and the other two to Rumbeke.
Paul Mattern, aged 34, was killed in action on 6 November 1917. Paul was first presumed to be missing, but in on 23 September 1919 Johann Cholewa, a prisoner of war in Le Havre, wrote a letter to Martha Mattern. He told her that Paul had been killed near Passchendaele. Johann did not want to give details about Paul’s death in the letter. He promised to meet Martha and explain more when he returned to Glatz in the fall of 1919. He was likely killed during the fighting near Goudberg. Paul Mattern has no known grave and is not remembered on a monument.
On the night between November 4 and 5, 1917, the 38th Fusilier Regiment General-Feldmarschall Graf Moltke took over the front at Passchendaele. The 2nd Battalion took over frontline at Mosselmarkt and was supported by the 3rd Battalion. This battalion took position east of the road to Westrozebeke. The 9th Company was sent forward to the Haringstraat near Goudberg. The 1st Battalion was held in reserve near a chapel on Grote Roeselarestraat between Mosselmarkt and Kalve.
At 6 a.m. on 6 November 1917 the 1st and 6th Canadian Infantry Brigades attacked Passchendaele. The 1st Canadian Brigade attacked along the s’ Graventafelstraat and met the 38th Fusiliers Regiment. The 2nd Battalion resisted the attack, but the fortified positions near Mosselmarkt were overrun. At about 7.45 a.m. the Canadians had taken their objectives. The 3rd Battalion organised a counterattack, but the 9th Company was already involved in the fighting at Goudberg. The 1st Battalion was preparing to support the 3rd Battalion, but Hauptmann Herbert Ulrich of the 3rd Battalion refused their help. This counterattack initially went well, but ran aground west of the road to Westrozebeke, causing heavy casualties. As a result, the 1st Battalion was no longer able to counterattack.
During the night of 6-7 November, the units were reorganised. The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Infanterie-Regiment Nr.51 took over the front. The 1st Battalion collected the remnants of the other two battalions and went into reserve at Kalve. During the night of 7 to 8 November the regiment was relieved. The 1st Battalion went to Oekene and the other two to Rumbeke.
Paul Mattern, aged 34, was killed in action on 6 November 1917. Paul was first presumed to be missing, but in on 23 September 1919 Johann Cholewa, a prisoner of war in Le Havre, wrote a letter to Martha Mattern. He told her that Paul had been killed near Passchendaele. Johann did not want to give details about Paul’s death in the letter. He promised to meet Martha and explain more when he returned to Glatz in the fall of 1919. He was likely killed during the fighting near Goudberg. Paul Mattern has no known grave and is not remembered on a monument.
Sources 2
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Burchardi, Karl. Das Füsilier-Regiment Generalfeldmarschall Graf Moltke, Schlesisches, Nr. 38 : Unter Benutzung der dienstlichen Kriegstagebücher und Gefechtsberichte, sowie persönlicher Aufzeichnungen einzelner Kriegsteilnehmer (Berlin: Gerhard Stalling, 1928), 326-340. Sources used |
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Photos, documents and letters from the private archives of the Klinger family Sources used |
More information 1
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=b9897400-0ba5-4455-bc1d-4c1ad4402601 |