jay dubaya Posted 26 February , 2021 Share Posted 26 February , 2021 Hoping some kind folks may be able to offer any regimental ID on the uniform. He may be from Berlin if that throws any light on his regiment. Any help will be greatly appreciated. cheers, Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 (edited) Hi Jon! That´s a hard nut... Because of the uniform I only can say, that he was an infantryman and because of the red piped shoulder straps probably from III.Army Corps (there were more army corps with red piped shoulder straps, but the III.Corps fits with Berlin, IF the location is correct). It´s just a guess, but there was a Willi Kluge in Inf.Rgt.52, wounded 1916. IR52 belonged to III.AK. But he came from Guben (120km from Berlin) http://des.genealogy.net/search/show/3954974 Edited 27 February , 2021 by The Prussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 27 February , 2021 Author Share Posted 27 February , 2021 Many thanks for that Mr Prussian it’s a great help. I have just been informed he was a POW in the UK. Searching ICRC records on an iPhone is nigh on impossible, can I assume there may be a record for him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 There are a couple of Willi(y) or Wilhelm Kluge in ICRC, but I couldn´t find the man from IR52. But here is a Wilhelm Kluge from Berlin: https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/List/141955/897/46956/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 3 hours ago, The Prussian said: Hi Jon! That´s a hard nut... Because of the uniform I only can say, that he was an infantryman and because of the red piped shoulder straps probably from III.Army Corps (there were more army corps with red piped shoulder straps, but the III.Corps fits with Berlin, IF the location is correct). It´s just a guess, but there was a Willi Kluge in Inf.Rgt.52, wounded 1916. IR52 belonged to III.AK. But he came from Guben (120km from Berlin) http://des.genealogy.net/search/show/3954974 I think drawing conclusions from a later (very recently?) coloured picture seems extremely dangerous to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 17 minutes ago, The Prussian said: But here is a Wilhelm Kluge from Berlin I doubt that is him, he would have been 40 years old in 1917, the soldier in the photo is much younger. Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 íf his name is Willi, and it's not short for Wilhelm, ánd he's from Berlin, maybe this Willi Kluge is a possibility: Born Christmas 1899, a POW of the British (interned in Cat. 10357) , and his father lived in Berlin-Neukölln? https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/4505215/1/2/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 Doubtfull, as he was only born in 1899, he would have been called up at the earliest in 1917, so a model 1907 tunic would be extremely improbable for him. He is also an artilleryman, which doesn't suit the shoulder boards. Just a possible quite common name without further details to research is really looking for a needle in a stack of needles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 (edited) Hello! I agree with my previous speakers. Too young (I didn´t check his age...) and the uniform doesn´t fit to fieldartillery. Unfortunately we can´t recognize the cypher upon the shoulder strap. In ICRC the addresses are from their relatives. If you say he´s from Berlin, does it mean, he was born there or did he live there when he joined the army? Edited 27 February , 2021 by The Prussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 If his name is correct and he was a PoW and also assuming he has taken PoW on the western front there are no other matches in the ICRC database. There are only two other possibilities (no place of birth is given) in the database and neither would look to fit IR 103 - Cuffs and shoulder straps wrong, and IR 153 - no monogramme on the shoulder straps. As Jan has said it looks like a dead end. Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 (edited) Hello! What about: https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/960122/1/2/ born 1893, Füsilier-Regiment 34 (IV.Army Corps, Magdeburg, red piped shoulder straps) https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/4374648/1/2/ born 1895, Inf.Rgt.153 (IV.Army Corps, Magdeburg, red piped shoulder straps) Note, that he doesn´t have to serve with a Berlin regiment just because he was born there (or lived there) Edited 27 February , 2021 by The Prussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 34 minutes ago, The Prussian said: Hello! What about: https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/960122/1/2/ born 1893, Füsilier-Regiment 34 (IV.Army Corps, Magdeburg, red piped shoulder straps) https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/4374648/1/2/ born 1895, Inf.Rgt.153 (IV.Army Corps, Magdeburg, red piped shoulder straps) Note, that he doesn´t have to serve with a Berlin regiment just because he was born there (or lived there) Don't look at the red piped shoulder boards, these have been coloured afterwards, so there's no telling what colour they really were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 Hi Jan! Yes, that´s right, but the photo is professionally coloured, so I assume the artist took the right colour. It´s not a fact, just a guess. But where should we start? Probably it will be an endless game... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 39 minutes ago, The Prussian said: Hello! What about: https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/960122/1/2/ born 1893, Füsilier-Regiment 34 (IV.Army Corps, Magdeburg, red piped shoulder straps) https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/4374648/1/2/ born 1895, Inf.Rgt.153 (IV.Army Corps, Magdeburg, red piped shoulder straps) Note, that he doesn´t have to serve with a Berlin regiment just because he was born there (or lived there) He served with Füsilier Regiment 36 not 34 and was born and lived in Halle/Saale I can‘t see the EE monogramme for IR 153 on his shoulder straps Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 20 minutes ago, The Prussian said: Hi Jan! Yes, that´s right, but the photo is professionally coloured, so I assume the artist took the right colour. It´s not a fact, just a guess. But where should we start? Probably it will be an endless game... I am sorry, but I doubt anyone recolouring pics has a serious clue about piping colours of German uniforms, when even a lot of serious collectors don't fully understand the system and its changes during the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 I agree. So we are back to the start. Maybe Jon has other informations about him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 27 February , 2021 Author Share Posted 27 February , 2021 Many thanks for the replies folks. Jan you make a very valid point regarding the colourisation of period images. I’ve now been sent the rear of the photo which may hold further clues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 4 hours ago, JWK said: íf his name is Willi, and it's not short for Wilhelm, ánd he's from Berlin, maybe this Willi Kluge is a possibility: Born Christmas 1899, a POW of the British (interned in Cat. 10357) , and his father lived in Berlin-Neukölln? https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/4505215/1/2/ It is the one JWK found the address matches that in the ICRC database. So No3 Battery Feldartillerie Regiment 21. Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 The number also matches: 10357 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 Holy c.... The photo doesn´t show an field-artillery man! How can it be? The only explanation is, first he was in an infantry unit and later in that artillery unit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 Think the photo was taken in the POW Camp. Well, he's written the address of the POW camp on the photo to his father. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 Maybe they took him naked while he was swimming... In the camp they gave him an infantry uniform... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 (edited) FAR21 belonged to 12th Inf.Div.: 27.9.-7.10.1918: Defense battle between Cambrai and St. Quentin That fits! The regimental history mentions, Sept. 29 they were on march to the 17th army. Edited 27 February , 2021 by The Prussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 27 February , 2021 Author Share Posted 27 February , 2021 Fantastic, thank you folks. Is it possible to search the reference numbers on his index card? There are no prefixes to either of the three numbers. It would be nice to know where and when he was captured. It’s interesting to note the anomaly of his uniform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prussian Posted 27 February , 2021 Share Posted 27 February , 2021 (edited) Hi! Don't chose any letter. Keep the space free and enter just the numbers Edited 27 February , 2021 by The Prussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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