4thGordons Posted 10 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2015 On this one it is the trousers that are different it seems. They appear to have very significant leather reinforcement - not something I have noticed previously. Is this associated with a particular role (it looks like it might be consistent with riding but could be knees rather than inside leg - perhaps suggesting waterproofing/strengthening for tunnelers or engineers or..... Pretty clear view of one epaulette seems to show no insignia there edit - as mentioned in another current thread - decent shot of ankle boots and puttees here - these puttees do not seem to have buckles unlike some shown earlier in this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 10 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2015 and one more (which I think I may have posted elsewhere at some point previously) Naval/Marine Artillery? (nice view of Gew 98s and bayonets) Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 10 May , 2015 Share Posted 10 May , 2015 scan0024b.jpg Difficult to see anything on these men that could identify the unit - the braces for the ammunition belts look to be cloth(?) rather than leather or at least of a different pattern than those shown above. Chris It's the strap off the cloth bread-bag - quite a standard way of wearing the equipment during the war, when the breadbag would have been worn attached directly to the belt and the strap could then be used to take some of the weight off the waist and onto the neck: http://www.kaisersbunker.com/feldgrau/tunics/fgt05.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fritz Posted 10 May , 2015 Share Posted 10 May , 2015 On this one it is the trousers that are different it seems. They appear to have very significant leather reinforcement - not something I have noticed previously. Is this associated with a particular role (it looks like it might be consistent with riding but could be knees rather than inside leg - perhaps suggesting waterproofing/strengthening for tunnelers or engineers or..... Pretty clear view of one epaulette seems to show no insignia there scan0003b.jpg edit - as mentioned in another current thread - decent shot of ankle boots and puttees here - these puttees do not seem to have buckles unlike some shown earlier in this thread. These men are stormtrooper. Their numbers on the epaulettes are hidden, so that the enemy or spies cannot recognize their unit. Fritz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 10 May , 2015 Share Posted 10 May , 2015 It's the strap off the cloth bread-bag - quite a standard way of wearing the equipment during the war, when the breadbag would have been worn attached directly to the belt and the strap could then be used to take some of the weight off the waist and onto the neck: http://www.kaisersbunker.com/feldgrau/tunics/fgt05.htm Matches what I know, so that's two for this one! Brotbeutel straps! Noting really to indicate the specific unit, but the one chappie on the left has a cockade cover on his cap so its after March 1915... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 10 May , 2015 Share Posted 10 May , 2015 scan0034b.jpg These chaps show different medals? presumably state rather than nation? I am not sure if it possible to identify them from this picture. The medal worn by the chap on the right looks to be the Prussian centennial one, as the ribbon is that distinctive shape and yellow colour (i.e., black here). So, that medal was awarded 22 March 1897 for those in military service then and veterans from various earlier wars, and so that chap has to be 1897+20 minimum... and therefore Landwehr or Landstrurm. Which I think is ok for those collar patches? The board seems to say something about being true comrades in the war[fare] on Belgium and France in 1914(?). Those are Gew.88 aren't they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 10 May , 2015 Share Posted 10 May , 2015 On this one it is the trousers that are different it seems. They appear to have very significant leather reinforcement - not something I have noticed previously. Is this associated with a particular role (it looks like it might be consistent with riding but could be knees rather than inside leg - perhaps suggesting waterproofing/strengthening for tunnelers or engineers or..... Pretty clear view of one epaulette seems to show no insignia there scan0003b.jpg edit - as mentioned in another current thread - decent shot of ankle boots and puttees here - these puttees do not seem to have buckles unlike some shown earlier in this thread. Leather knee pads and putees - and that short bayonet - are characteristic of storm troopers! The chap sitting right has a sleeve insignia - grenade thrower? But shoes - with those clamps - are more like the mountain guys? EDIT: wrote this without seeing Fritz's... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave1418 Posted 10 May , 2015 Share Posted 10 May , 2015 On this one it is the trousers that are different it seems. They appear to have very significant leather reinforcement - not something I have noticed previously. Is this associated with a particular role (it looks like it might be consistent with riding but could be knees rather than inside leg - perhaps suggesting waterproofing/strengthening for tunnelers or engineers or..... Pretty clear view of one epaulette seems to show no insignia there scan0003b.jpg edit - as mentioned in another current thread - decent shot of ankle boots and puttees here - these puttees do not seem to have buckles unlike some shown earlier in this thread. Hi the bands around the cap appears to be very dark/black so maybe pioneers Dave, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 11 May , 2015 Share Posted 11 May , 2015 On this one it is the trousers that are different it seems. They appear to have very significant leather reinforcement - not something I have noticed previously. Is this associated with a particular role (it looks like it might be consistent with riding but could be knees rather than inside leg - perhaps suggesting waterproofing/strengthening for tunnelers or engineers or..... Pretty clear view of one epaulette seems to show no insignia there scan0003b.jpg edit - as mentioned in another current thread - decent shot of ankle boots and puttees here - these puttees do not seem to have buckles unlike some shown earlier in this thread. Jusr found a photograph of a chap in the Bayerisches Leib.Inf.Reg. attached to the Alpenkorps, and he has the same trousers. They are Stiefelhosen, cut looser in the knee area than riding breeches, and acording to the source I am lookingt at these were "issued to mountain troops in 1915". "Berghosen", which seem to be similar, apparently come into use in 1916, and both types are popular with storm troopers (says the source). However, two of the chaps in the photograph have cleated mountain / snow boots on - big clamps at the front. Hi the bands around the cap appears to be very dark/black so maybe pioneers Dave, The same source also shows a group of Bavarian "Schneeshuh-Gebirgsjaeger" with dark cap bands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 25 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 25 May , 2015 Thanks for the information on the AlpenKorps Julien. I just got hold of another lot of images, smaller this time but when it gets here it might have more puzzlers. I hope to have them at the end of the week. For the time being: This one. One shoulder strap (left as we look) appears to say 17 or perhaps 21? The chap on the right appears to have a monogram or perhaps a bursting bomb type emblem. Can anyone read the text at the bottom of this one? It appears it may identify the men? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 25 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 25 May , 2015 And this one. Is this actually a cavalryman or a mounted officer? There is a decent view of his sword (which looks to my inexpert eye more like a dress sword than a functional cavalry sword) However his helmet plate appears to have a skull on it - like some hussar badges so.... Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 25 May , 2015 Share Posted 25 May , 2015 Thanks for the information on the AlpenKorps Julien. I just got hold of another lot of images, smaller this time but when it gets here it might have more puzzlers. I hope to have them at the end of the week. For the time being: This one. One shoulder strap (left as we look) appears to say 17 or perhaps 21? The chap on the right appears to have a monogram or perhaps a bursting bomb type emblem. 3-identified.jpg Can anyone read the text at the bottom of this one? It appears it may identify the men? text.jpg Chris The fierce looking chap on the left has "17" on his shoulder, which could make him Infanterie-Regiment Graf Barfuß(4. Westfälisches) Nr. 17, but according to the text below he's Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 17 https://wiki-de.genealogy.net/RIR_17 On the right a Telegrafen Bataillon Versuchsabteilung ? And the text I think reads: Inf. Reg. (Bonn?) 4 Komp. 8 Korp. (Infanterie-Regiment (Bonn?), 4th Company, 8th Korporalschaft) Res I Reg. 17 15 Res Divs (Reserve Infanterie-Regiment 17, 15 Reserve Division) 8 Res.Korps im Felde Frankreich *Edit: there's something written along the top : Auf Wiedersehen and maybe something else following that, but it could also be a trick of the eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 25 May , 2015 Share Posted 25 May , 2015 And this one. Cavalry.jpg Is this actually a cavalryman or a mounted officer? There is a decent view of his sword (which looks to my inexpert eye more like a dress sword than a functional cavalry sword) However his helmet plate appears to have a skull on it - like some hussar badges so.... 3pickle.jpg Chris Braunschweigisches Infanterie-Regt. Nr.92 ? http://www.kaisersbunker.com/dunkelblau/helmets/dbh78.htm *edit: oh, wait, he's on a horse http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Braunschweigisches_Husaren-Regiment_Nr._17 perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 25 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 25 May , 2015 (edited) Braunschweigisches Infanterie-Regt. Nr.92 ? http://www.kaisersbunker.com/dunkelblau/helmets/dbh78.htm Spot on! Well done that man! Thanks. [edit .....ahhh now I see your edit....!} So is he cavalry or a mounted infantry officer? perhaps the sword will tell? It seems it could be either plate) Chris On the other card (with the three men) I see what you mean about something else written at the top but I have examined it under magnification and bright light and don't think there is. However there certainly is more written on the back! (It was stuck to some album paper and I was able to remove it (I was told it was acidic so I wanted to remove it if I could) revealing...... my eyes are hurting just looking at this! Chris Edited 25 May , 2015 by 4thGordons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 25 May , 2015 Share Posted 25 May , 2015 As for the Totenkopf Pickelhaube : I have no idea whether he ís indeed a Hussar from Brunswijk, but does look like the Braunschweigers had those Totenkopfs on their Pickelhaubes. And funnily enough it's "die Pickelhaube" in German, "die" being the feminine form. Der Mann, die Frau, das Kind. Der, des, dem, den. Die, der, der, die. Das,.des, dem, das and so forth and so on. *gets spontaneous headache* ;-) As for the card: well, it's written from Cernay on 8th december 1914 (and why oh why did the sender not write the message in "normal" script?? He was well capable of it if you look at the address. Grrrr.......) He's now had a great opportunity to write a card and he's been in France for over 14 days already, and the rest will have to wait 'till tomorrow. JW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 25 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 25 May , 2015 And funnily enough it's "die Pickelhaube" in German, "die" being the feminine form. Der Mann, die Frau, das Kind. Der, des, dem, den. Die, der, der, die. Das,.des, dem, das and so forth and so on. *gets spontaneous headache* ;-)JW [sHUDDERS] has flashback to O Level German....and Herr Green (aka "Bubbles" who to be fair was a good bloke and got me through it - something which, 30 years on, is still proving useful) Thanks for your help JW Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 25 May , 2015 Share Posted 25 May , 2015 Totally off topic, but some 30 years ago we had an exchange student staying with us for a week or so (The 4H exchange program), she was from Texas I think or it could have been be Iowa (Those students were from all over). Anyway, she remarked "At school we had German lessons, and at the time I could not imagine there were people in this world actually speaking that language and at the same time also understanding it" ! And my German teacher was: Herr Nietzsche (no relation I think) We now take you back to the original programming.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 26 May , 2015 Share Posted 26 May , 2015 ... On the right a Telegrafen Bataillon Versuchsabteilung ? Telegraph.jpg Looks like it - and that would tie in with his short bayonet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 26 May , 2015 Share Posted 26 May , 2015 Braunschweigisches Infanterie-Regt. Nr.92 ? http://www.kaisersbunker.com/dunkelblau/helmets/dbh78.htm *edit: oh, wait, he's on a horse http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Braunschweigisches_Husaren-Regiment_Nr._17 perhaps? Wrong jacket and hat for Hussars though! Red Brandenburg cuffs with piping and red cuff-band are ok for Inf.Reg.92, and he has a portepee, so an 'horficier', me thinks. But I am no expert! If correct, though, well up to 1912, only the III Batallion had the skull on their pickels, the I and II having a star, but after 1912 all three had the skull motif... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 29 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 29 May , 2015 OK my new set of images have arrived. I was not aware of this but they appear to be a single family's collection - although it might take some sorting out. There appears to be one chap who appears in quite a few pictures (inc a wedding group( Quite a few are smaller than normal postcard size but quite a few have writing on, many with dates. Some of the scenes look (based on setting) to be Eastern Front. Perhaps the most direct source of names is this picture of graves.... although it is difficult to tell which one might be the focus (and of course I have no idea how or if it relates to the group as a whole) I'll add a few of the more interesting uniform pics below as I scan them. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 29 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 29 May , 2015 (edited) This one shows a different sort of picklehalbe with a ball instead of a spike and the plate seems quite distinctive This one looks like an early uniform but is dated August 1915 (nice view of a Gew 88, very light trousers and a dark tunic? with an ersatz helmet?) Edited 29 May , 2015 by 4thGordons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 29 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 29 May , 2015 This one has a nice view of a cooker and has a signature on the back This is one of the ones I think may indicate Eastern Front given the log construction/thatch (there are others) Chris Here is another scene which may be at the same time/location (note piled GEW 98s) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaki Posted 29 May , 2015 Share Posted 29 May , 2015 The top photo is Artillery (Guards?) Regt, the lower photo looks like the pre 1914 rig, blue blouse with light colored pants. Not sure of the name of the early pattern but I believe that combination was still worn in the 1914/15 Great War period, I actually think they look quite smart. But too visible. khaki ps, great photo's thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 29 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 29 May , 2015 This one too looks like the same location as above - although on this one you can see "3" on their helmet covers. Here is another - earlier looking uniform with a shako and some rather intricately embroidered shoulder-boards (they are outside a post office it seems so perhaps they are very impressive posties!) Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 29 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 29 May , 2015 Any ideas what this is/ where this may be? Chris Oh and one more - don't see much to id this one by. Now I am going to see if I can sort these out and identify any individuals common to the pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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