Tracing the truth

This is one of my most exiting finds so far in my research. Not in any great or sensational way, but more in the way how I tried to find all the clues to really fit to all individuals, and it wasn’t easy, but it is highly likely that I have found all the correct facts to say, that this individual actually was born in Sweden.

I wonder sometimes, is it worth all the time I put into this, does anyone bother, if I have found the correct info or not, but I always end up in my head, that it is important to make the individual more alive, with background and everything, and that is the main reason I do this. It is still many quiestions left in this story, but I will try to give you the picture I have in my head when I put all the facts together.

I found a small article in a digitized Swedish-American newspaper from 1916, that says the following text in Swedish. (see photo) I have also translated it to English below the photo.

“A Swede has fallen in the War.

Erik Lind in Ishpeming, Michigan, received one day, last week, a telegram from Ottawa, Ontario, that his son Edward has fallen at the Western Front, October 8th, (1916). he belonged to a regiment from Canada. He was born in Huså, Koll (Kall) parish, Jämtland, 34 years ago”

OK. I have the father’s name, the son’s name, the date he fell, and where the son was born. Easy, I thought, I will probably find him right away … No. It wasn’t easy at all. I was on my way to give up, the strings were really loose, but I decided to try.

I searched for Edward Lind, dead October 8th, 1916, but no hit in several archives. I assumed he was born in about 1882 (1916-34), but still no hit. Even if made a span between 1880-1885 I didn’t find him.

Did he had another surname? Maybe Eriksson, after his father Erik? No, no hit.

I decided to search for his father Erik Lind, who probably lived in the actual parish Koll, in Huså, Jämtland. I started with Ancestry.

I find a family from the United States Federal Census from 1910, Eric P Lind, Marie and Edward, and some other siblings. OK, maybe I have found something?

I decide to search in Swedish archives after Erik Lind and there are a lot of them, but after a about an hour I find something interesting. An Erik Person Lind with wife Märit Eriksdotter. It actually says Eric P Lind in the Census, and could Märit be Marie? There is no Edward in the Swedish Archive, though. Both Eric, Marie and Edward is stated to be born in Sweden, but Edward is more fluent in English, according to the document. Was he a small child when he emigrated? Could so be …

I am trying to find Edward in Kall parish, and I search through a lot of combinations, with different date of birth, but no success. I decide to try again with Ancestry and also with CWGC, to look for an Edward who died October 8th, 1916. No luck in CWGC with that combination, but with Ancestry I get a hit on a specific Edward Lynn, who actually died October 8th. Could Lynn be Lind? Really interesting! But there are a lot of Edward Lynn, but I find only one who died the date mentioned.

I recognize Ishpeming, Michigan, He states that he is born December 17, 1884, not in 1882, that we had from the article in the newspaper, and also that he is born in USA, not in Sweden. He has a Next of Kin though, who he calls E. Lynn. Could it be Eric Lind? The father?

I look more into the documents from the Canadian archives as I now have his regimental number, 9689, and I also find E Lynn in CWGC archive, that states the date of death, and also the unit he fought for, 3rd Infantry battalion, CEF.

And here I find some more interesting documents, that connects info that we have from earlier documents. Remember Eric P Lind and Marie? We also have Ishpeming, Michigan.

OK. Most likely I have connected an Edward, who is stated to be born in Sweden according to the census, and also we find the same names Eric and Marie in the Canadian documents, but still no evidence that we have found the correct Edward, because different place of birth is mentioned in the two documents.

I decide to try to look further in Ancestry, with combinations of all the facts that I have. Here I spend some more hours. Suddenly I find something interesting.

I find Per Edward, born in Sweden December 17, 1883. Hm. Same date as in the Canadian documents, but another year, that could of course be normal as that have happened before, especially when soldiers have emigrated in early years.

And I also find some more info, who connects a lot of other facts from earlier. In the document from the Swedish church book I also see the name of the parents to Per Edward. Erik Lind and Märit Ersdotter. Also Kall, Huså and Jämtland is mentioned. I dont think I can come closer at this stage. This must be them.

I also find the document from the church book, that I found in the earlier Swedish archive, Arkiv Digital.

This document says that Eric Person Lind is going to North America in July 1883, And his wife Märit moves over in November 1886.

I think it is like this. Edward Is not born when his father leaves for North America, he is born i Sweden, as we also find in the Census document. But when I read the explaining text to the census it says that Edward emigrated to North America in 1885. Maybe that year is wrong, or just estimated. In this case I cant exlain this.

Edward Lynn is probably Per Edward Lind, a lot of facts points in that direction. I dont say I am 100% sure, but most likely I have found the correct individual.

Edward Lynn is buried at Adanac Military Cemetery, Somme region, in France, after has been killed in action October 8, 1916.

I will also put some prints from the diary of 3rd Infantry battalion, CEF, which explains in which region he was when he was killed. I will also put some snippets from the trench maps.

The fight which Edward participated in was cruel. From the 14 officers and the 481 Other ranks who started this specific battle, only 1 officer and 85 Other ranks were left when the day was over.

Please feel free to point me in another direction if you find some info above, that may be wrong, but I will put him in my database as soldier #409 until anything else comes up.

May Edward rest in peace. We will remember them.

One letter too late

The letter from the Oskar reached Carl a couple of months too late. The letters had many questions and wishes to meet again, but also some information about the situation back home in Sweden.

I find out that a soldier named Carl E Anderson in killed in action, but it was a bit of detective work again to really find out who he was and where he came from. Not much information to work with, and the names, Carl and Anderson, are among the most common names in Sweden, even today. But I found him, and also some other interesting facts.

In these times we know quite fast what is happening around the globe, within hours, sometimes within minutes. We have too much information sometimes. Imagine how it would be to not know exactly what is going on in the world all the time?

I am so impressed about the organisation when it comes to handle letters and post during the Great War. They took care of so much letters from the soldiers, we almost can’t imagine. I have read somewhere that the British post managed 11 bags of mail, daily, during a period in the war. Amazing.

I can order something today on internet, but I know I will have to wait almost a week nowadays, before I receive it. I know a friend who posted a package with a gps tracker, just to see where it went, before it came to the receiver, and he could follow the package heading to the central terminals in the country, quite far away, before it went back again after a couple of days, to the receiver, who just lived around 20 kilometers away.

Probably it took some time before the letters came to the correct receiver, and also it was probably a lot of letters and cards that never came through.

This was the case when it comes to the letter from Oskar, who he sent to Carl, who he thought was in North America, in February 23, 1919. He did not know that Carl actually was killed October 14th, 1918, in fights near Exermont in France, when he fought for the 167th Infantry Regiment, 42nd Division in American Expeditionary Forces.

I was not sure if I had found the correct Carl E Anderson, but after som research from different dates of birth and dates of death that was presented in different archives, I am now pretty sure that I have found the correct soldier.

He is, in some documents, stated to be born in August 25, 1893, and also that he he was killed both the 13th and 15th of October. The Casualty card above says 14th of October, and that is most likely the correct date. Below you will fins some documents from the Swedish church book that also says that he was born August 29th, 1893, which I also find in the draft from 1917.

Carl is born in Lundby parish, in Gothenburg, Sweden, 1893, as Carl Edvin Anderson Frimodig. I can read from the church books that his brother Oskar is mentioned as Oskar Sigfrid, and I also find the name on the envelope of the letter, and also in the letter, where he signed it with the name Sigfrid. From the church books I have not found any date about when Carl is leaving Sweden but he is noted “absent” in 1914-1917. In the letter Oskar also mention the other brother, Bror Olof Waldemar, with the name Olof.

This was one of the leads to, that I probably have found the right Carl. Below you will find some pictures from the letter. The letter is written in Swedish. In the letter Carl is called Calle, a very common way of calling people who has the name Carl, even today. Oskar is like Carl also a sailor. I think that is the way Carl came to North America, he probably went there with the ship he worked on, because I cant find other travel documents.

Above you can see the place, Sörgården, Krokslätt, and that is also mentioned in one of the church books, below, as a place where they lived in one period.

Some text from the letter that I translated:

“Thank you so much for your letter, is it good to hear that you are alive …” When Oscar is writing this letter, Carl is already dead, and buried at the initial burial site near Exermont, Ardennes, France.

“… You haven’t heard anything from Hammarström, I wrote them as well to ask them where you were, but I did not hear anything from them, probably they moved from the address where they lived then. As you know I came to New York 1916, in the autumn, when you were supposed to meet me, but you had travelled up to Buffalo, I wrote a card to you, but you did not answer as you did not receive it, I believe …”

“… It was meant that I would have been travelling to you, I had brought up a lot of cash, and if I had met you I thought I could have stayed by you, I was walking around for 4 days, but I had to go on the ship again as I did not meet you …”

“… It is quite bad here now (in Sweden) so you have to send home some dollars, that can be good to have when you are coming home again …”

“… I can tell you that I will try to get on a boat this summer, as it should be really fun to see you again!”

” … If you think you will come over this upcoming summer, just write us a letter in advance, so we know that you are coming.”

The letter itself is really interesting, and I found it in the US archive together with some other documents below, that tells us when Carl was moved from his first burial to The Meuse Argonne American cemetery, which is his final resting place today.

I hope that I one day can visit the place of Carl’s final resting place, and also the first burial site that he was in, after he fell that day, during the Meuse Argonne offensive, togehter with his unit. The coordinates are mentioned on the casualty card.

The story above, and especially the letter, moved me a bit, and I so wonder how it felt for Oskar to finally be told that his brother actually died before he wrote that letter. Below you will find some notes from the Swedish death book and also a photo of his headstone.

May carl rest in peace.

Recapture

Looking back to the long weekend I spent in Belgium recently makes me happy, even if it from one perspective was really heavy, but these moments is luckily small in comparison with those moments I had when it comes to the people I met.

I am so grateful to have found new contacts during my journey in the history world, connected to my research.

The flight in itself was a disaster, but brought some good, when I could see more than I had planned, as I stayed one more day in the region. Below you will find some highlights during my research trip.

Before I went I planned to continue to visit some of the Belgian sites and cemeteries, one of these was new, and I had to take photos of their headstones.

Here I especially want to mention the great Twitter companion with a white cat as her profile picture, Danielle Roubroeks, who, the latest years, has joined me on my trips at the battlefield. It is great to have her company, she knows so much, and it is nice to exchange knowledge, both during the lunches at Hooge Crater Museum restaurant, and at the cemeteries, she has been “everywhere” and you can follow her work at her homepage here.

We met up on friday at the Flanders Field American Cemetery, which really surprised me with its very beautiful cemetery, chapel and visitor center. It is well worth a visit. I left the place with both photos of the headstones from the four Swedes that have their last rest there, but also with info that will lead me further in my hunt for more information about those Swedes. Thank you for the great company, Danielle!

Just to calm down anyone who thinks that I have put stickers on the stones, I say now that it is only small fabric flags, which are kept up by the moist on the headstones. Now we have sorted that out.

After the visit at Flanders Field American Cemetery we continued to some of the cemeteries where other Swedes are buried, such as Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery, to visit Swedish born soldier Gust Hallstrom, one of only seven Canadians at the cemetery, who died for the Canadian Labour Corps.

The trip went further to Dozinghem Military Cemetery, which is a really huge cemetery, and this day it was a lot of water still inside, and made the grass really muddy, probably from the great rain the day before. In the cemetery we visited Eric Ostberg, 29th Canadian Infantry Battalion. May Eric rest in peace.

The trip went on to Hooge Crater Museum restaurant, to have some of their eminent toasts with a suitable beer to that. Great as always. After the lunch we once again visited the place where Bertil A Lindh is buried, who fell just south of the cemetery, near the Bluff, when he was fighting for the 13th Canadian Infantry Battalion.

We travelled further in to the town of Ypres, where I have found one more Swede at the walls of the Menin Gate Memorial, William Eastland, who fought for the 11th Canadian Machine Gun Corps. William has no known grave.

On the rampart of the city wall, there is also right now a installation from the artist Jan Fieuw, Faces of war, with 139 faces carved into old railway sleepers. A installation that really makes you think about the individuals who once where involved in building the railways during the war.

We ended the tour that day with a nice beer at St. Arnoldus, City of Ypres, as usual, when we meet up at the battlefields in the Salient.

The rest of the Friday evening I spent with good friends from the region, which is always great, with good food and drinks (Belgian Beer, of course!)

On the day after, saturday, I had some vague plans, but decided to visit two of the woods that Paul Reed has talked about in his great Podcast, Old Front Line, which you can find where you find podcasts.

First stop, Plogsteert Woods, just around 20 minutes straight south of Ypres. I just say, wow … just follow the trail down south from the parking at the so called Christmas Truce monument, and head into the woods. Totally alone in there, totally quiet, when I visited the cemeteries in the area. Well worth a visit.

These cemeteries really made an impression on me.

I walked back to my car and headed for Polygon Wood up in the Zonnebeke area, and parked at the parking near Polygon Wood Cemetery. I walked the path through Polygon Wood Cemetery, and moved further into Buttes New British cemetery and ended up with visiting the bunkers inside the polygon Wood. So nice to walk these paths, almost alone this saturday afternoon.

I can really recommend a lunch at Johans restaurant, De Dreve, just 1000 m from the parking at Polygon Wood. Nice lunch and a visit upstairs in his small museum in the attic.

On saturday evening I had a meeting at 7 pm at the Ypra Inn, the pub near the monument of Menin Gate, to meet up with another Twitter contact, through his wife, Sara. I met hers Pete Smith right on time, what a nice guy! Amazing contact for further explorations at the French part of the battlefield, as they live in Flers.

It was not planned but we also met up with the two amazing ladies from Great War Group, Alexandra and Bethany, to together join the Last Post ceremony, which always is nice to attend to. After the ceremony we ended up at The Kleine Stadthuis for a good, warm Flemish Stew. What an evening it turned out to be!

On sunday I continue to visit another soldiers grave, who fought on the German side during the war. I went in to a completely empty cemetery, a very special feeling, to commemorate Markus Grundberg, who fell in battle April 13th, 1918. May he rest in peace.

As I got an extra day on monday, I decided to go to the soldier Karl Eskil Stromwall, who is buried at the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery near Poperinge, west of Ypres. It was a beatiful morning, and for me he is a special soldier as he fought in a british unit, Leicestershire Regiment, and only 19 years old, died of wounds after a gunshot in his head, the clerk in London, who was born in Sweden, and ended up here. May Karl rest in peace.

What a great little trip, made me really warm in my heart after great moments, and this only makes me more eager to soon book my next trip to the battlefields in Flanders and in France.

I hope you will join me.

The Private who became an officer

This evening I am searching in some other archives than usual, and I came across one interesting document about a Swedish 2.Lt, who seems to have been killed in action in the Meuse Argonne Offensive in 1918. It turned out to be an interesting story.

The Swedish born soldier Nils Johan Holm, stated as Nils Holm in the documents from the American Expeditionary Forces, was born in Harg parish in Östhammar, Stockholm, Sweden, and in his younger years he was raised by his parents Sofia Lovisa Traneus and Carl Robert Holm.

But when looking into the Swedish church books it looks like his parents went over to North America in 1898, leaving Nils Johan and his brother Karl Ludvig in Sweden by their mother’s parents, Gustaf Fredrik Traneus and his wife Katarina Karolina Lundin.

I also find in the church book a vague note about that Nils is leaving Sweden for North America in 1907, at an age of 16, and I can later on confirm that through documents about his emigration. It also looks like the family is reunited in North America, in the town of New York.

Nils is drafted in the 5th of June draft in 1917, and he is sent over to France in April 1918. Articles in Swedish-American newspapers tells the story about Nils, that he went over as a private, but quite soon showed some skills in leadership, and was sent to an officer course in France, and became 2nd Lt in the 4th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Division, American Expeditionary Forces.

He was appointed to 2nd Lt in October 1st, 1918, quite fast progression, for a reason not known.

Nils was fighting in the Meuse Argonne Offensive when he was killed in action october 31st, 1918. His name is found in the Missing in Action tablet in Meuse Argonne American Cemetery, in France. The two newpaper articles is in Swedish, but I have made a short summary in this post.

It is very interesting to find the story about Nils, when reading the old digitised newspapers, which tells the story about about a young Swede who lived in New York, after have emigrated in quite young age, and how he worked as a private driver to a leader in the paper industry in New York, Alvah Miller.

We now know that he in in 1917 became connected to the Army, and later on went over to France.

The interesting with this result in my research is that I did not find Nils through the normal casualty cards from AEF, but from the cards in the New York archive with abstracts from WW1.

That leads me into thoughts that it may be more soldiers that doesn’t have a casualty card, but anyway became killed on the battlefield, which may mean that there are more Swedes to find? The future will tell.

Nils is now #401 in my research and within my criterias over Swedes who fell at the Western Front in the Great War. Maybe one day Nils will be found, and maybe he will get his own headstone. May Nils rest in peace.

400.

Let’s stop and reflect for a while.

It is a special feeling to actually find and track down, in my research, within my criterias, Swedish born soldier number 400. I remember when I found number 100, and felt that, wow … 100, for me, unknown Swedish born soldiers who had died at the Western Front and are buried there. Amazing, I thought then.

Then I was grabbed by the constant drive to see if it were more of those, who left the mother country, for different reasons, and went over to their new country, a new life, an unknown life, who either went well, or became totally different.

I am so in to this. My feeling for those individuals are just growing stronger and stronger for every day. They are my precious in a way, hard to describe. Call me mad, but when looking into their eyes, I almost can here them talk to me. The Swedish people have to know, a lot of our sons at that time grabbed a weapon for a nation quite new to them, to fight the enemy, and to give their life on the battlefield. For that, in my eyes, they are worth all respect.

So, number 400. Who is he? We talk about Otto Erhard Peterson, born in Gislövs läge in Trelleborg on the most southern coast of Sweden in Skåne county.

When looking into the Swedish church books you will find him with different names, and the name which is registered in the book is actually Otto Eihard, not the most common names i Sweden at that time. He is also called Otto Richard, but Otto Erhard is also mentioned, and that is also with that name he is registered in the American Expeditionary Forces.

Otto Erhard is born March 10th, 1895, and raised by his parents Cecilia Eriksson and Peter Olsson. He has probably his surname Pettersson after his father, Peter.

He is one of three kids in the family. It is not known what made him emigrate to North America in June 13th, 1913. He arrived in Jamestown, Virginia July 4th, 1913, and departed from Malmö in Sweden, quite near from his home.

When finding other documents in different archives, it is not easy for those who is reading and writing his home address. We find “Frelleburg, Galorlage, Sweden”, “Gislous Lage Trallshorg”, and it is actually Gislövs Läge, Trelleborg.

He was drafted in the 5th of June draft, 1917. He left on the ship Mauretania from New York, July 30th, 1918. Otto belonged to 109th Infantry Regiment, the Machine Gun battalion, in the 28th Division, in the American Expeditionary Forces. Otto was killed not long after he arrived to the battlefield. He fell just on the start of the Meuse Argonne offensive, in the capture of Varennes, September 26th, 1918, where he was killed in action.

I so wonder what he felt in these moments …

He was buried in the Forest de Boureuilles, Farm de Rochamp, in Argonne, France, and he was later moved to the Meuse Argonne American Cemetery in November 21, 1920, where he has his stone today. Otto Erhard fell at an age of only 23. May Otto Erhard Peterson rest in peace.

I made a reflection last weekend, when I was over on a very interesting conference hosted by the eminent organisation Great War Group, and was able to listen to very professional individiuals who told me a lot about different historical moments, and I felt like “I must develop my own research in one or another direction, or must I do that?”

I have realised, that for many countries, who participated as a nation in the Great War, the question about that their people participated in the war is obvious. I can imagine that it is other aspects that is more natural to talk about when talking about the Great War, such as leadership, tactics, leaders and other subjects, to develop it in different directions.

I felt that I have to do that as well, but stopped for a minute in my thoughts. Do I have to do that? No, not yet.

I have realised that for us in Sweden we must first understand that it actually were Swedish born soldiers who participated in the War, even it we did not participate as a country. The other aspects in the research will come later on.

We protected ourselves, as our neighbours Denmark and Norway, and as a country we still were afraid for the large old enemy in the east, which in these times had their border right next to us. I dont blame my country for that.

So, I will continue to tell, everyone who wants to know, the history of the Swedish individuals who took their new friends from America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Great Britain and Germany in the hands and joined them in the fight at that time.

That will be my mission. There will be plenty of time to develop this at a later stage, I am pretty sure about that. So please join me on my quest. I hope you will find it interesting.

It has just started.

A bit off the main topic – Swedes in the American Civil war.

It is quite easy, when searching about Swedes who fought and fell at the Western Front in The Great War, to also come across other facts in history. In this case I today came across some stories about Swedes who was involved in some fightings during the American Civil war.

It is earlier mentioned by the famous Swedish author, Lars Gyllenhaal, and his cowriter Lennart Westerberg, in their book about “Swedes in War” (Svenskar i Krig), that they assess that about 3500 Swedish born individuals who had emigrated from Sweden to the America fought for the union, and that about a couple of hundred Swedish born fought for the other side, the southern.

Earlier this evening, when searching for facts about another soldier, who fell at the Western Front, I came across some facts from another book, “Swedes in Illinois – historical notes” by the Swede John Ericson from New York.

A small story mention how a battery in the union, named and commanded by the Captain Silfversparre, who participated in the fightings around Shiloh, for a couple of days. Later on Captain Silfversparre left the unit for several reason, but there were no doubts that he did a great job commanding the battery.

The fight went on, and they fought nearby the cities of Corinth and Vicksburg, and later on Jackson, Mission Ridge and Lookout Mountains. In 1864 theyt also fought in Resacka, Kingston, Dallas, Altoona and Kenesaw Moutains.

In the fightings June 22nd 1864, around Atlanta, the battery with their new commander did a great job for the union troops. But they also lost a Swedish born sergeant named Peter S Wyman.

Peter was the commander of one of the units cannons, no 2, and they formed up in a half circle againts a five time larger unit, and therefor the commander ordered a retreat, but the commander of the battery, De Graas, and Peter, stayed by their weapon just to give the enemy their last loaded bullets, but Peter was not satisfied and reloaded one of the cannons, shot it at the enemy, spiked the gun and turned around to run back, but in that moment he was hit by three bullets and died on the spot.

If he just had lived for another day, he would have been promoted. The text says he is buried in an unmarked spot in the area where he fell. May he rest in peace.

Peter was born in Sweden , and it is stated in the text I found that he was born in 1836 in the parish of Ysanna, Blekinge, Sweden, but I assume it is the parish Ysane today.

It is also mentioned that his surname was Yman, and then logically became Wyman in the states, but I can’t, for the moment, find anyone called Yman in Sweden, and probably it was another name, and he took the surname Wyman when he arrived to the states, maybe after his home in Ysane?

I will look further to see if I can find the person behind the name Peter S Wyman, I will come back.

Source: History of the Swedes of Illinois.

Guessing as a part of research

When you are stuck sometimes in your research, and you feel that you have tested everything with the facts that you have, but it doesnt lead you forward, that is so frustrating.

That was the case in my latest find in trying to confirm a soldier that I found in a American National Archive. I have saved this casualty card for a while, as I by those moments did not find any facts that really confirmed that he was born in Sweden, and I gave up many times.

So, last evening, I just guessed about his real name, and it turned out to be the solution, that finally revealed everything. Strange but nice!

The card of the American soldier named Fritz Erickson, Killed in Action October 1st, 1918, fighting for 111th Regiment, 28th AEF Division. It can be read on the card that he previous was reported to have died of wounds received in action November 11, 1918, but was later changed. He was earlier also stated as missing in action.

The card says that his mother is Maria Ivanson from Lilla Ryd, Holje, Sweden. So that gives me a hint that Fritz actually can be born in Sweden. At the backside of the card it says that Maria probably has the Surname of Svenson. That is a lead in some way.

When searching at ancestry I get some results that says that Fritz was born July 14, 1892, in Sweden, in the village of Holjo, and that he was killed November 11th. But we know the date is wrong and changed to October 1st, 1918. There is no village called Holjo, and I am trying other variants like Höljö, Håljo, Holjö etc, but no luck.

I find Lilla Ryd, but there are many small places in Sweden called Lilla Ryd, as it means small cultivated field, or small open Fields so you can imagine … There is no place called Lilla Ryd near anything that could be Holjo.

I am searching for Maria – Lilla Ryd – with Fritz, but no results …

On ancestry it says that he is born in Höljes, Norway, october 1st, 1918, so I think maybe he is not a Swede after all … ?

But I know there is nothing called Lilla Ryd in Norway, Lilla Ryd is a common Swedish expression, and I think that it is like the most common situation, that the parents often stayed at home or nearby, where the kids were born, especially for those soldiers who emigrated alone, or without parents.

So what to do? Maybe Fritz has another name? What could it then be? And here comes my guess. Maybe Fritz is the old Swedish name Fritiof?

Bang on! I search for Fritiof, born July 14th, 1892, and there he is. There is also a Maria Svenson, his mother , and also a father called Erik Svensson. Erickson comes from his fathers name, and Fritiof is Eriks son, Eriksson. And what about Lilla Ryd? It is not Lilla Ryd, it is Ry Lilla …

So finally I can say that it is highly likely that this is the correct individual. In the church book I can also read that Fritiof left Sweden in 1912, for North America, in the age of 20. The conscript age at that time in Sweden was 21, so many, many Swedes left just before, to not risk to be called in for duty in the Swedish army.

Fritiof called himself Fritz E according to the casualty card, but the E is taken away for some reason, and Fritiof also have the name Erik which explains the E, probably from his father.

Fritiof was registered in June 5th, 1917, and left for France with 40th Division in August 11, 1918. Fritiof were later on heavily involved in the Meuse Argonne Offensive with 28th Division, especially between September 26 to October 9, which is the period in which Fritiof payed the ultimate price at the battlefield. Fritiof is buried at Meuse Argonne American cemetery in France. May he rest in Peace.

Detective work in digital research

Somtimes I come across really difficult data in my research work, but it doesnt make me give up. I get a strong feeling of really trying to solve it, to confirm that I actually have found a soldier that is born in Sweden. Below you can read about my research that finally led to the correct data, and confirmation.

I am searching in different digtal archives, and in this case I had a soldier in my notes that I have tried to confirm earlier, but did not understand the data, and it did not lead me in the right direction. This Individual was Conrad Allisson who fought for the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in WW1.

The papers states that he died of Wounds in April 21st, 1917, near Vimy, France, after has been shot in the left leg which led to amputation, and together with upcoming Pneumonia, he died. I also see that he is buried at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery in France. But who is this Conrad, which papers say that he is born in Sweden?

I use Ancestry Archive when searching for data, together with the Canadian National digital Archive, and I find data that tell something about his date of birth and location of birth, and also some names of relatives.

The papers say that he is born in Ospefalla, Rafveinata. I see that his mother is Anna Niklasson. I cant find any Conrad (Konrad) who is born at the date he specifies in his regitration papers, and decide to search for Anna. But where? I see a note about Ospefalla, which also is noted as Askefalla, and I try to google it. I find Åskefälla, and I see that Rafveinata is probably Räfvemåla, later on Rävemåla. It must be this. I decide to search for Anna and Konrad at the place Åskefälla. (Arkiv Digital) And there it is.

Conrads father in this archive is Elias, and Conrads Surname probably comes from Elias son, which will be Eliasson, and in english it sounds like Allisson. That means also that I probably have found the correct individual. Anna is actually Amanda, but a note in the church book says Anna, above Amanda. Conrads father is Elias Niklasson, which explain the name Anna Niklasson.

The person Andrew who is mentioned in the papers is probably Anders, Conrads brother, who is mentioned incorrectly as father in the papers. Anders follows Conrad to North America in 1911, Conrad left already in 1906, and I assume they lived together in Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada.

Conrad (Konrad Vitalis Leonard) is born in Älmesboda Parish February 8th, 1891, not in November 2nd, 1893, as he states in the registration papers. That made it difficult to search through date of birth, but through his mothers name and Askefalla, I finally found the correct family.

Conrad first belonged to 13th Canadian Mounted Rifles but was moved to Royal Canadian Regiment, a Infantry Regiment, when he was injured and later on died of his wounds. Conrad is today buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery in France, a cemetery that is the final resting place for victims in both World Wars. May Conrad rest in peace.

Swedes in the French Legion – Emile Benzien

In my database I have around 16 Swedish born soldiers who fought in the French foreign legion during The Great War, and fell at the Western Front. It is very hard to find information about these soldiers.

Now a relative to one of the soldiers, Emile Benzien, has contacted me. Emile´s brother´s grandchild, Bengt.

Bengt contacted me through the contact form at my home page which you will find in the main menu. It is really interesting to read the words from Bengt, as we realized this is the Emile Benzien that he is related to.

Emile Benzien was born as Emil Herman Benzien i Vänersborg May 31st, 1890 and raised by his Swedish mother Anna Charlotta Karlsdotter and his German father Paul Emil Benzien.

Bengt has told me some words about the family, and he will also try to talk more with his mother, who is still alive at an age of 97. Emile was the youngest son in the family of 8 cildren, and he was born in Sweden. His mother Anna Charlotta emigrated to Germany and married Emiles father in Hamburg April 16, 1876, and the the family moved then to Sweden. After Anna Charlottas death the family moved to back Germany. I have at this moment not yet found the date of death of Anna Charlotta.

Bengt has now told me that his mother has more to tell about the Benzien story, and it will be really interesting to learn more about this family.

Emiles sister, Johanna Emilia Augusta, called aunt Milly, told some stories about the family when she lived, but seldom mentioned Emile. Aunt Milly had a daughter, who is told to been married to Kurt Traeger, a German pilot, who flew together with Manfred Von Richthofen, “The Red Baron”. Kurt got injured when he was downed in his plane in 1915, and died later on by his wounds.

Emile is supposed to be one of the children in the photo below, and as Emile was the youngest child in the family it could be the boy in the middle. Kurt, the pilot, received a silver Cup from the Emperor at that time, Kaiser Wilhelm, and that Cup has now returned to Germany. There are also connections within the family to the Piano maker family “Neumeyer”, who also has connections to Sweden.

I have tried to find out if Emile has a grave somewhere in France, as he are supposed to have been fallen in the area of Dompierre-Becquincourt in the Somme region. Emile was killed in action July the 4th, 1916, just a few days after the Somme Offensive was started.

Today Emile´s name is to be found on the stone outside the Swedish church in Paris among the names of the other Swedes who fought and fell for The French Foreign Legion at the Western Front in the Great War. May all rest in peace.

Disclaimer: There can be details in this story that not correlates with the info that I have got from Bengt. I will be ready to correct any info if something occures. The story is told with permission from Bengt.

Home to Sweden

As you know I am working with my research about Swedish born soldiers who fought and fell at the Western Front in The Great War, and are buried or commemorated at the Western Front as well. But in my research I also discover those Swedes who were brought home to Sweden. Those individuals will be put into my project, but will have a separate part in the database.

At the moment I am looking through the American archives, and so far, after a quite short time, I have so far found 9 Swedish born soldiers who fit to the above criteria. I will probably find more individuals that have been sent home to Sweden further on in my research.

Below you can find the casualty cards with the information about when they fell and when they were brought home to Sweden, instead of buried at the front, or sent back to relatives in the US.

But I have dicovered that it is very hard to find their final resting place in Sweden, as we don’t have an archive of all graves in Sweden. There are only some pages from people who voluntarily has put up some databases with names from different cemeteries in Sweden, and so far I have managed to find only one headstone and cemetery of the Swedes.

I received it from an person who contacted me through my site, and I will try to visit the place as soon as possible.

There is a risk that the headstones are or will be moved from their original place, to the outskirt of the cemetery, as they have to make room for those who is next in line to be buried.

I really hope that I will find the rest of the places, before they are gone, and also the places from those Swedes I probably will find further on. It would be a great honour to commemorate them in their own country.

May all of them rest in peace.