Original Imperial German Militärpass – Landwehrmann Wilhelm Mai
(Infanterie-Regiment von Voigts-Rhetz [3. Hannoversches] Nr. 79 – later 2. Kompanie / Landsturm-Infanterie-Bataillon II, Hannover X.8)
An authentic First World War Militärpass to Landwehrmann Wilhelm Mai (b. 1 October 1871). His service spanned both active duty in the line infantry and later Landsturm formations, taking him to the Western and Eastern Fronts during some of the earliest and most grueling campaigns of the war.
Service Units:
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Infanterie-Regiment von Voigts-Rhetz (3. Hannoversches) Nr. 79 – a regiment with traditions dating back to the Kingdom of Hanover, incorporated into the Prussian Army in 1866.
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2. Kompanie / Landsturm-Infanterie-Bataillon II (Hannover X.8) – part of the territorial reserve forces mobilized for front-line service during WWI.
Combat Service:
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Überfall bei Bilzen (25 September 1914): Early Western Front action during the opening months of the war, linked to the fighting around the Belgian-Dutch border.
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Battle near Achel (17 October 1914): Further operations in Belgium during the mobile phase of the campaign.
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Pripjet Marshes (25 July – 9 August 1916): Prolonged trench and positional fighting in the inhospitable swamp terrain of the Eastern Front, where German and Austro-Hungarian units struggled against Russian forces under extremely harsh conditions.
Unit History – Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 79
Raised in Hanover, the regiment traced its lineage to the mid-19th century and fought with distinction in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. In WWI, IR 79 and its associated Landsturm formations were deployed in both Western and Eastern campaigns, often in difficult secondary operations that nonetheless played a vital role in securing rear areas and holding contested ground.
Collector’s Note
This original Militärpass documents the wartime career of Wilhelm Mai, a Landwehr soldier born in 1871 who saw action in Belgium during the 1914 campaigns and later endured the hardships of positional warfare in the Pripjet Marshes. His service reflects the contribution of older reservists and Landsturm troops, often overlooked compared to front-line regiments but vital to the German war effort.
A scarce example of a named and documented Landsturm soldier with confirmed combat service in both Belgium (1914) and on the Eastern Front (1916).