Wehrpass:Robert Bergh
Robert Bergh (born 19 September 1894) was a German soldier who served from 1913 until 1919 and reached the rank of Unteroffizier. His Wehrpass records service during the First World War, a wound sustained on the Western Front, several decorations and his later classification within the German reserve system.
The Wehrpass itself was issued at Gera on 31 March 1937. It was subsequently updated during the Second World War, when Bergh was re-examined by the Wehrbezirkskommando Gera. The pages do not, however, record a new period of active military service after 1919.
Personal information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Bergh |
| Date of birth | 19 September 1894 |
| Place of birth | Krippendorf |
| Nationality | German Reich |
| Religion | Protestant |
| Marital status | Married |
| Learned occupation | Bäumer |
| Highest recorded rank | Unteroffizier |
| First period of service | 14 October 1913 – 3 February 1919 |
Bergh was the son of Eduard Bergh, a farmer who died in 1901, and Henriette Bergh, née Vogt, who died in 1923. The entry for his learned occupation reads Bäumer. A faint second occupational entry appears to concern agricultural work, but is difficult to read with certainty.
The qualifications page also records a driving licence or motor-vehicle certificate for class 4.
Entry into military service
Bergh entered active military service on 14 October 1913. His initial formation is recorded as:
- Infanterie-Regiment 134
The Wehrpass states that his active and wartime service continued until 3 February 1919. The details were transferred or summarised from an earlier Militärpass, which presumably contained the more complete contemporary record of his service.
First World War service
The campaign page summarises Bergh's service during the years 1914–1918. It refers the reader to his Militärpass and records service on the:
- Western Front;
- southeastern theatre of war.
No individual battles or campaigns are listed in the Wehrpass itself. The brief entry indicates that Bergh served in more than one operational area, but the exact dates and locations would require examination of his original Militärpass or military personnel records.
Wounding on the Western Front
On 15 June 1915, Bergh was wounded on the Western Front. The entry appears to read:
- Schuß i. Schulter durch Granatspl.
This indicates a wound to the shoulder caused by a shell fragment. The wording is abbreviated, but both the location of the wound and its connection with artillery fragmentation are reasonably clear.
The injury occurred only a few weeks after his first recorded promotion.
Promotions
Bergh advanced through the enlisted ranks during the First World War:
| Effective date | Rank |
|---|---|
| 25 May 1915 | Gefreiter |
| 15 April 1916 | Unteroffizier |
He retained the rank of Unteroffizier until the end of his active service.
Weapons and military training
The training section records Bergh as trained with the:
- Gewehr 98.
A further entry reads approximately:
- Infanterist, M.G.
This appears to indicate infantry and machine-gun training or employment. The abbreviation M.G. normally referred to a Maschinengewehr.
Decorations
Several First World War decorations are entered on the awards page. The clearest entries are:
- Iron Cross, Second Class — abbreviated E.K. II;
- Reuss Merit Medal — entered as Reuß. Verd.-Med.
A handwritten annotation at the right appears to refer to the Friedrich-August Medal, possibly the silver version. Because this entry is tightly written and partly unclear, the precise class should be confirmed from the surviving award records.
The Reuss decoration is consistent with Bergh's connection to the Gera region, while the Friedrich-August Medal was associated with Saxon military service.
Discharge in 1919
Bergh was discharged from active service on 3 February 1919 with the rank of Unteroffizier. His final unit is recorded as:
- Infanterie-Regiment 416
He was released to 'Munich as his stated destination or residence.
His complete period of active and wartime service therefore lasted from October 1913 until February 1919, encompassing the whole of the First World War and the initial demobilisation period.
Wehrmacht-era registration
Although Bergh's active military career ended in 1919, he remained subject to later military registration. His Wehrpass was issued by the military authorities at Gera in 1937, when he was already 42 years old.
The mustering page records two later examinations by the Wehrbezirkskommando Gera:
| Date | Classification | Reserve category |
|---|---|---|
| 21 July 1943 | Kriegsverwendungsfähig | Landwehr I |
| 18 July 1944 | Kriegsverwendungsfähig | Landwehr IA |
The classification kriegsverwendungsfähig indicated that he was considered medically suitable for wartime employment. The Landwehr entries placed him within an older reserve category.
These examinations occurred when Bergh was nearly fifty years old. No subsequent unit assignment, mobilisation date, Second World War campaign entry or new discharge is recorded in the photographed pages. The classifications should therefore not by themselves be interpreted as proof that he was recalled to active service.
Historical significance of the Wehrpass
Robert Bergh's Wehrpass is an example of a document issued during the Wehrmacht period to a veteran whose principal military service had taken place under the German Empire.
The document preserves only a summary of his First World War career. Much of the detailed information was apparently contained in an earlier Militärpass. Nevertheless, the Wehrpass establishes the main outline of his service:
- entry into Infanterie-Regiment 134 in October 1913;
- service on the Western Front and in a southeastern theatre;
- a shoulder wound in June 1915;
- promotion to Gefreiter and later Unteroffizier;
- receipt of several military decorations;
- final service with Infanterie-Regiment 416;
- discharge in February 1919;
- renewed medical classification during 1943 and 1944.
The document also demonstrates how First World War veterans remained registered within the German military administration decades after the end of their original service.
Notes on interpretation
Several entries are abbreviated or written faintly. In particular, the following readings should be treated with some caution:
- the exact meaning of the learned occupation Bäumer;
- the faint entry for Bergh's later civilian employment;
- the precise wording of the southeastern First World War theatre;
- the exact class of the Friedrich-August Medal;
- the full description of his machine-gun training.
The interpretation above follows the clearest visible entries while distinguishing uncertain readings from confirmed information.
