A Contribution from TGWS Member David Livingstone

My Great Grandfather Jacob Commercon of the Imperial German Army and His Family



Great Grandfather [4th from Left] with His Mates at Mobilization Time

David Reports: My Great Grandfather, Jacob Commercon was born in 1889 and died in 1968. He fought in the Great War from 1914 until 1918. His wife, depicted in the photo below, is Sophia Commercon.


Jacob and Sophia resided in the Saarland before and after the war. He was an administrator in the coal mine industry before and after the war as well. The town in the Saarland is called Speisen. Their two children are Karl and Jacob Jr. Both Karl and Jacob Jr. grew up to fight in the Second World War. Karl survived the war having seen action in Russia. Jacob Jr. (sailor suit) was a Fallschirmjager [paratrooper] in the Luftwaffe. He was killed in action near Villa Franca Italy in April 1945.



I am still trying to learn more about Jacob Sr.'s Great War service. He was definitely on the Western Front most likely in the infantry. He was once wounded getting up out of a trench during an attack when a silver dollar in his tunic pocket saved his life. In the photo he is wearing his Iron Cross second class, which I recently acquired from my cousin in Germany.









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