German Unit Identification Requested

[Rum Ration]

Can anyone identify this unit? Thank you.

 

[charlie2]

Sächsisches 2. Landsturm Infanterie Bataillon Dresden (XII. 2)

Saxon 2nd Lst.I.Btl. Dresden ( No.2 of the XII Army Corps)

Charlie

Edited 8 August , 2023 by charlie2

[Rum Ration]

Thank you @Old Sweats.

[bierast]

2. Landsturm-Infanterie-Bataillon Dresden XII.2 was used as a trench-holding unit on the Eastern Front from summer 1916 (prior to that they were with Generalgouvernment Belgien). If you have a date, Feldpost address etc. on this picture I can probably tell you more @Rum Ration. Given the sleeve insignia this man surely belonged to one of the battalion's MG companies, of which it had two from summer 1916 at the earliest. The machine-gunners in such battalions were usually significantly younger and fitter than the men of the rifle companies!

NB: the same 'XII.2' collar insignia was definitely also worn by Landsturm-Pionier-Kompagnie XII.2 (each of the two Saxon army corps formed three of these companies). However this is certainly an infantry uniform, and the Pioniere didn't have organic machine-gunners.

[AOK4]

Hello,

The badge is a "Maschinengewehr-Scharfschützen-Abzeichen". It was normally worn by members of Maschinengewehr-Scharfschützen-Abteilungen. Perhaps this man was recently transferred from the Landsturm unit to a MGSsA or the other way around?

Jan

[bierast]

14 minutes ago, AOK4 said:

The badge is a "Maschinengewehr-Scharfschützen-Abzeichen". It was normally worn by members of Maschinengewehr-Scharfschützen-Abteilungen. Perhaps this man was recently transferred from the Landsturm unit to a MGSsA or the other way around?

Out of curiosity I did a search on *MGK* in my Landsturm folder, and among the group photos of machine-gunners from these units I couldn't find a single individual with the MGSS Abzeichen... certainly highly unusual. I could only realistically imagine one of the elite MGSSA gunners ending up in one of these battalions as a result of wounds and consequently downgraded fitness.

The shoulderstraps are also odd for the Landsturm, as they appear to be the regular white-piped infantry ones for the M1915 Feldbluse rather than the solid blue Landsturm infantry variety.

Edited 19 August , 2023 by bierast

[AOK4]

21 minutes ago, bierast said:

Out of curiosity I did a search on *MGK* in my Landsturm folder, and among the group photos of machine-gunners from these units I couldn't find a single individual with the MGSS Abzeichen... certainly highly unusual. I could only realistically imagine one of the elite MGSSA gunners ending up in one of these battalions as a result of wounds and consequently downgraded fitness.

The shoulderstraps are also odd for the Landsturm, as they appear to be the regular white-piped infantry ones for the M1915 Feldbluse rather than the solid blue Landsturm infantry variety.

The shoulder straps do indicate that the man was serving in a MGSsA.

Remember that untrained recruits could end up in Landsturm units as well until they were trained and then were sent to "more active units".

Jan

[bierast]

10 minutes ago, AOK4 said:

The shoulder straps do indicate that the man was serving in a MGSsA.

Remember that untrained recruits could end up in Landsturm units as well until they were trained and then were sent to "more active units".

That does make sense. I think I must have discounted the possibility due to thinking it somewhat unusual that a man who had transferred out of a Landsturm battalion would keep the tell-tale numerals on his collar (representing service in a very humble unit, quite the opposite of an MGSSA) any longer than absolutely necessary.

[Rum Ration]

On 19/08/2023 at 08:33, bierast said:

2. Landsturm-Infanterie-Bataillon Dresden XII.2 was used as a trench-holding unit on the Eastern Front from summer 1916 (prior to that they were with Generalgouvernment Belgien). If you have a date, Feldpost address etc. on this picture I can probably tell you more @Rum Ration. Given the sleeve insignia this man surely belonged to one of the battalion's MG companies, of which it had two from summer 1916 at the earliest. The machine-gunners in such battalions were usually significantly younger and fitter than the men of the rifle companies!

NB: the same 'XII.2' collar insignia was definitely also worn by Landsturm-Pionier-Kompagnie XII.2 (each of the two Saxon army corps formed three of these companies). However this is certainly an infantry uniform, and the Pioniere didn't have organic machine-gunners.

Unfortunately @bierast it is an unposted rppc.