German stamping

[Guest private, 2nd worch. btn.]

Hello

I just got a nice german ww1 ammo pouch, found on an attic. Nicely dated 1915, with the makers stamp outside.

On the lid of the middle pouch, on the inside, is another mark. Same as in the neckguard of a pickelhaube.

In a square, saying: BA VII

1915

I assume this is the QM his mark, and 1915 is the acceptance date.

I also know what the BA means (bekleitungsamt) (don't know if it's spelled correct).

The thing that bother me is the ' VII ' marking. It has something to do with the district the regiment is from, but I don't find any information on the internet which shows al the BA numbers with the explantation with it.

So this is the question: For what regiment/district stands the VII for?

(sorry I can't post pictures, everytime I try to post one, it is too big and can't be uploaded)

[Guest Airship]

If you want a simple but quite powerfull image converting program that can resize or change the compression of your images try this http://www.irfanview.com (its free)

Try using jpeg images with say 50% quality even quite large pictures will be under 200kb which is the limit on this board i think.

hope that helps

Mark

[Guest private, 2nd worch. btn.]

mark,

I'll give it a go

tomorrow morning soon, I'll take the picture, and try to get it on with that program

thanks very much

[P.B.]

The BA stamping indicates that the pouch passed through the clothing depot of the Seventh (Prussian) Army Corps, a Westphalian formation with it's HQ in Munster. At the outbreak of war the 13th and 14th divisions were subordinated to the VII AK, which could mean that the pouches -assumining they are the M1909 three pocket infantry type- could have been issued to :

IR (Infantry Regt) 13

IR 15

IR 16

Fusilier Regt 39

IR 53

IR 55

IR 56

IR 57

IR 158

IR 159

The composition of infantry units in Army Corps did change during wartime, and it is possible -given the 1915 date- that this pouch could have been issued to another unit.

Hope this is of some help, all the best

Paul.