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Remembered Today:

German Uniform Photos


4thGordons

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Excellent!

Thanks very much.

So...are you able to identify which individual he is based on the uniforms worn?

Thanks again

Chris

 

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A Vizefeldwebel has a braid and a button at the collar. I see two of them in the photo. The both on the right side. Probably it´s the one in the front of the photo, but I´m not sure.

The RIR77 stood under command of 2nd guard reserve divisoin, but the I.Btl./RIR77 was attached to 26th Res.Div. between September 12 and September 29

In that period the 2nd guard Res.Div. used to be in the Pozières, Thiepval, Bazentin-le-Petit area (july to september)

The 26th Res.Div. near Beaumont-Hamel, Ovilliers, Thiepval.

So he was captured somewhere at the Somme.

Here is a map of September 15,1916

Well, now off to work with me...

Scannen0001.jpg

Edited by The Prussian
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1 hour ago, The Prussian said:

Hello!

It´s probably readable with a mag. I assume, because of Leipzig and a number instead of a monogram, we see the saxon Inf.Rgt.107

 Well done! I was thinking 102, having forgotten that a '7' can have a curved tail... Also, should have noted the Saxon cuffs and the address...:angry:

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These next two photos are part of a collection of 140 that I just obtained. They appear to be photos that start in France/Belgium in 1914-5 and then move to the Eastern Front or Balkan area. Many are trimmed to be quite small and many are faded. They are all very firmly glued into an album which is very frustrating as you can see some of them have postmarks and probably writing on the back. There are lots of super images but very very few where I see obvious unit identifiers. I am trying to decide if I should post them in this thread or start another specifically dedicated to trying to work out if the album is just someones collection of WWI German pictures of it it tells a story. I *think* it is probably the latter but I cannot be sure.

Some of the images are super clear - others a little blurry/faded. There is one image of a grave which may be legible and give some clue and one with some writing which is, with the exception of the odd word impenetrable to me!

 

So here are a couple -- thoughts on posting more here or developing a separate thread ?

Chris

 

flag-group.jpg

script.jpg

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trench.jpg

One of the earliest in the collection - there appears to be E5 or ES on the pickelhalbe cover.

Chris

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Hello Chris!

If it really is an E and a 5 (I do agree with that) we have different possibilities.

a ) Ersatz-Inf.Rgt. z.b.V. 5 and 6 (one regiment) - set-up november 1918

b ) bavarian Ersatz-Inf.Rgt.Nr.5 - set-up october 1915

c ) Landwehr-Ersatz-Inf.Rgt.Nr.5 - set-up september 1914

I don´t believe it´s a late 18 photo, so I assume we´ve got the bavarians.

Another indicator for bavarians could be the bright cockades (just a guess...)

The regiment stood under command of:

12.10.15-5.11.16: bav. 9th. Ers.Brig. (39th. Res.Div.)

6.11.16-13.12.18: bav. 1st. Ers.Brig. (39th. Res.Div.)

A few main actions:

17.9.14-7.11.16: Mid-Vosges

8.11.16-17.12.16: Verdun

15.12.16-16.12.16: Louvemont and Bezonvaux

3.1.17-16.1.18: Upper Alsace

16.1.18-11.11.18: Lorraine and Vosges

Edited by The Prussian
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Thanks for that!

There are a few photos of artillery pieces later on and several pictures which seem to show construction/bridges etc which suggest there might be an artillery or engineering connection. The trouble is I am not very good with faces and I have no idea if there really is a link between the pictures or if it is just a collection. It is a typical 1920s style photo album with a padded/patterned cover with pages laced in.

Much of the landscape, many civilians and the architecture looks much more Eastern Front to me as opposed to France.

Chris

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Well, maybe it´s a foot-artillery unit (they had those brandenburg-cuffs too), but I couldn´t find an Ersatz-Foot-artillery unit.

There was a 5th Ersatz-Division, but I didn´t find any foot-artillery in that division.

Set-up spring 1915.

1916 Belgium, Somme, since december Russia

1917 Courland

1918 Courland and Livonia

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On the 'flag' one. It is a painted board, but the paint is worn and abraded, but the motto looks to be "Viel Feind – Viel Ehr", which is connected with Georg von Frundsberg of Mindelheim...

 

Oh-oh, a 'flash' to say Prussian has replied... On a different topic! So I'll continue! Mindelheim is in Swabia, and those State cockades are large enough to be Bavarian. 

Edited by trajan
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Hello Julian!

I don´t think, we can see a connection to Mindelheim...

"Viel Feind - Viel Ehr"  (~ a lot of enemies - a lot of honour) was a platitude, first used by Georg v. Frundsberg, that is right, but was in use by 99% of all german military units in every war until 1945

Edited by The Prussian
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35 minutes ago, The Prussian said:

... b ) bavarian Ersatz-Inf.Rgt.Nr.5 - set-up october 1915 ... I don´t believe it´s a late 18 photo, so I assume we´ve got the bavarians.

Another indicator for bavarians could be the bright cockades (just a guess...)

 

Just read this one - well, Bavarians would tie in with possible Bavarians in the 'Flag' photograph... So, Chris, have a quick look-see if there are any more Bavarians in the album!

 

Julian

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OK! so should I start scanning and posting here or start another thread specific to this album of pics?

I will scan the grave and see if that can be read.

Chris

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If there are lot of photos, I think a new thread would be better. But I have to leave in a few minutes. The bloody work waits for me...

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1 minute ago, 4thGordons said:

OK! so should I start scanning and posting here or start another thread specific to this album of pics?

I will scan the grave and see if that can be read.

Chris

 

How many are there? It might be worth a new thread if loads, and if it can be tied down to a 'family' group, but it would be nice to follow through on this thread also...

 

Julian

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140 pics in total but maybe 30 are landscape/civilian groups etc which give clues to location but not much military infor

here is a quick scan of the graves: and the one I think is the focus of the pic

grave.jpg

graveall.jpg

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I'll let Andy do those! Except, yes, the white cross mentions a 'Batterie'?

 

BUT, another possible and slight pointer to the 'Flag' (post 580) being connected to Bavaria... Those rifles are Gew.98 aren't they? And so the bayonets are S.84/98? Well, the S84/98 n.A. was a rarity in 1915, the date of this photograph, and it continued to be so among front-line units right up to 1918 (documents show this). And this is not a front-line unit - from their ages I would guess Landwehr... But Bavaria did have stacks of S.71/84's lying around as they were late in adopting the S.98, and these would in theory be ready for conversion to S.84/98 a.A... On the other hand, marked examples of Bavarian S.84/98 a.A. are rare....

 

Julian

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9 hours ago, 4thGordons said:

 

grave.jpg

graveall.jpg

 

William is in Grabersuche - 

"William Hamberg ruht auf der Kriegsgräberstätte in Consenvoye.

Endgrablage: Block 2 Grab 168

Dienstgrad: Unteroffizier

Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 21.06.1916"

 

R.E.B.K. 43... Perhaps Reserve Ersatz Batallion K something? Can't think what!

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# 580 second photo: according to the text the place is between Suva Morava and Prevalac (Serbia).

Christine

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Hello Christine! That´s great! I couldn´t read it...

I have the following battles:

Morava:

27.-28.10.1915: IV.Res.Korps ,parts of 105. Inf.Div. and 107. Inf.Div.

1.-4.11.1915: XXII.Res.Korps, 26. Inf.Div., 43.Res.Div., 44.Res.Div. (under comma nd of austrian 3.army)

4.-6.11.1915: 11.army: III.army corps (6. Inf.Div., 25.Res.Div.), IV.Res.Korps (bav.11.Inf.Div., 105.Inf.Div.), X.Res.Korps (101., 103., 105.Inf.Div.)

 

Could the other one be "Prepolac"?

X.Res.Korps (101. and 103.Inf.Div.)

Edited by The Prussian
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Hi,

I cannot really read the text, but it is commenting the smoke. A railway wagon burned, some barrels exploded – one after the other - but all the other machines and wagons could be saved. Something like this – I think.

Christine

Suva_Morava_map.jpg

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Ahaha...wow Thanks to both of you. I am going to scan a few more images now I am home from work and start a new thread to avoid distracting this one from the pure uniform focus) I will add a link here when I have opened it. I am a little uncertain as to which tab I should post it under but I will pick one.

Thank you all very much for your assistance!

Chris

 

LINK TO NEW THREAD ON CHASING DOWN THE STORY (if any) IN THIS COLLECTION WILL GO BELOW HERE.

 

In order to avoid distracting from this uniform thread I have started a NEW THREAD ON THESE PICTURES HERE

Edited by 4thGordons
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A date would be great. In 1915 german troops were not in that area, Christine showed us. There only was the bulgarian 1st army.

 

Edited by The Prussian
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