8.Kompagnie,
Infanterie - Regiment Nr. 459

The History of IR459 and
the 236th Infantry Division

The 457th and 458th Infantry Regiments were recruited from the 7th Corps District, known also as Westphalia. The 459th Infantry Regiment; was recruited from the 16th Corps District, known also as Lorraine.

1917

The 236th Division was formed at the Senne Camp at the end of December 1916, and the beginning of January 1917. Recruited from the 7th and 16th Corps Districts, its regiments were composed of men belonging to the 1918 class (40 percent) and have returned wounded. The 459th Regiment was formed in Saarlouis; it transferred shortly to Lippspringe, which was near Seene. The entire division trained in the Senne Training Area (Uebungsplatz Senne), and during that time, the 459th remained quartered in Lippspringe in many cases, soldiers were quartered with area families. The Regiment's first formation, with the Division Commanding General in attendance, was in the town, on "Main Street."

The 459th did not have a Kaserne(s) in some Garnisonstadt, as did the regiments that had existed before the war; apparently, they "adopted" Lippspringe as their equivalent, considering it (along with Saarlouis) their garrison.

"So the regiment left Lippspringe and its environs with feeling of gratitude and attachment to a beautiful piece of German soil that had become a dear home in a short while. The name "Regiment Lippspringe" was later carried before the enemy with pride by the 459th, from time to time as a trench cover name."

Cambrai

The 236th Division was entrained at the Senne Camp and Paderborn Camps on April 11, 1917, and went to Cambrai by way of Dusseldorf-Aix la Chapelle-Liege-Mamur-Charleroi-Valenciennes. Detraining at Caudry on April 13, it went into line southwest of Cambrai (Trestault-Gouzeaucort) on the 18th. On April 24th it was attacked by British troops, lost the village of Villers Plouich, and suffered heavily (340 prisoners). On May 9th it was sent to rest in the vicinity of Cambrai.

Artois

The division occupied the sector of Cherisy (southeast of Arras) from June 4th to September 2nd, and did not get into any serious action during this period.

Flanders

The division left Artois at the beginning of September, was sent to rest at Courtrai until the 17th, went to Iseghem by railroad, and then marched to Roulers. Until September 20 it remained in reserve as a counterattacking division. Between the 20th and the 26th, it was in a violent battle east of Ypres, toward the Polygon Wood and between this woods and Zonnebeke to oppose the British advance. Before going into line, on September 20th, the 2nd Battalion of the 459th Infantry Regiment had lost more than 200 men from artillery fire; on the 22nd, the 8th Company had only 15 men left.

They were withdrawn from the Flanders front, during the night of September 28-29, the 236th Division was sent to rest in the vicinity of Douai.

On October 6th it went into line north of the Scarpe, between the Roeux and the Gavrelle; it enlarged its sector toward the north at the beginning of November. It was filled up by replacements taken from the Russian Front; 400 men coming from the 32nd Landwehrregiment (197th Division) arrived in November.

Recruiting

The 236th Division was recruited from Westphalia and the Rhine Provinces.

Value - 1917
(Estimate according to the BEF Command)

The 236th Division had serious losses while fighting at Ypres and its morale was weakened in consequence. It may be considered a mediocre division (February, 1918). According to one deserter's statement (Jan. 23rd, 1918) the 236th Division was a shock division in 1917.

1918

The division was engaged from March 21st to April 3rd. In March, they fought in the Somme Offensive, first at Cherizy and later at Heninel. It was relieved south of Arras on the night of April 3rd-4th and moved to Passchendaele by way of Aubigny au Bac, Iseghem, and Meulebeke.

Ypres

It entered line at Passchendaele on April 6th and held a sector in this vicinity until June 22nd. Once again the division was relieved, this time by the 31st Division. During July the division rested at Deynze. It again it held the sector southwest of Ypres from August 10th to September 13th.

Lorraine

The division moved from Flanders by way of Tourcoing-Brussels-Liege-Aachen-Cologne-Bohn-Bingen-Coblenz-Kreuznach to Strasburg. It did not detrain there, but was suddenly ordered to Metz, where it arrived on September 24th in the afternoon. The division marched to Loringen, stayed one night and marched to Mars la Tour on September 26th. The next morning marched to Jarney and entrained there, going to Dun sur Meuse (via Longuyon and Montmedy). From Dun it marched through Doulcon to Villers, then to Cunel, and then forward into position.

The division was heavily engaged from September 29th to its retirement on October 17th. It distinguished itself particularly, fighting stubbornly and successfully for many days in succession. It lost only 413 prisoners but its casualties were very heavy, estimated at 3000. On November 4th the division was reengaged south of Beaumont and continued in line until the armistice.

Value-1918
(Estimate according to the BEF command)

The division was rated as third class.

Information extracted from:

Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty One Divisions of the German Army Which Participated in the War (1914-1918). London Stamp Exchange LTD. 1989 Re-print in Great Britain by Anthony Rowe Ltd. (ISBN 0 948130 87 3) pp. 727-728

Regimental History

Das (Rhein.Westf.) Infantrie Regt. Nr. 459, F.v. Pirscher, 1926.