Prussian Artilleryman

[IrishGunner]

Recent CDV acquisition; unfortunately, I do not have scanning capability so quality is poor. My first real attempt at trying to determine clues from a photo; so, lots of guessing in my "analysis."

I can at least identify this as a Prussian artilleryman based upon his pickelhaube (front eagle and ball top).

Rank: I am not an expert on this, but based also on the pickelhaube front eagle (under magnifying glass) I am reasonably sure he is not an officer - my guess an NCO - but what grade?

Regiment: On his shoulder boards I seem to make out the number "18" - and no other marks (again using that magnifying glass). So, my guess is "Feldartillerie Regiment General Feldzeugmesiter Nr. 18 (2. Brandenburgisches)" - but again, I am no expert.

Circumstantial evidence: Photo studio is on card as "Emil Roitsch - Eibau in. S" - determined to be a known photo studio in Eibau, Saxony. My basic internet "research" has the 18th Regiment being based in Frankfurt/Oder. Now those two cities are not all that far from one another; so plausible that this fellow went home to Saxony to marry his sweetheart.

Other hints: He's wearing for sure an EK2.

May not be able to confirm my guesses, but does anyone have evidence to at least blow my guesses out of the water?

[Guest Rick Research]

3 button cuffs on material like that indicate Foot Artillery (Fu?artillerie). Field artillery had square cuffs with two side by side buttons.

He appears to be a Gefreiter-- all I can see is a rank button on his collar with no higher NCO collar and cuff braid.

[IrishGunner]

Rick - on the original, I can clearly see that his collar is one solid dark color (no lace that I can see - I did read about the collar lace for NCOs).

The square of material to the rear of the sleeve cuff - behind the buttons - is a similar dark color as the collar.

So, with the 3-button clue - my regiment guess is definately wrong. Back to the unit search.

Fu?artillerie regiment ... Th?ringisches Fu?artillerie-Regiment Nr. 18; garrison in Kassel - making that trip home to Saxony for love and marriage just a bit further; but he is a gunner! :cheers:

Edited February 10, 2009 by IrishGunner

[Naxos]

Rick - on the original, I can clearly see that his collar is one solid dark color (no lace that I can see - I did read about the collar lace for NCOs).

The square of material to the rear of the sleeve cuff - behind the buttons - is a similar dark color as the collar.

So, with the 3-button clue - my regiment guess is definately wrong. Back to the unit search.

Fu?artillerie regiment ... Th?ringisches Fu?artillerie-Regiment Nr. 18; garrison in Kassel - making that trip home to Saxony for love and marriage just a bit further; but he is a gunner!

Yes, Fu?artillerie-Regiment Nr.18 (Niederzwehren - Kassel) XI Armee Korps. Their shoulder straps were white with a red eight

Regards, Hardy

Edited February 10, 2009 by Naxos

[IrishGunner]

Yes, Fu?artillerie-Regiment Nr.18 (Niederzwehren - Kassel)

If he is indeed a gefreiter of the Fussartillerie Rgt Nr. 18, it is amazing how one small piece of "history" like this photo of an unknown wedding pair can generate interesting connections.

I just did a google earth search of Niederzwehren; I was an exchange student living in Kassel in 1978 and most certainly passed through the neighborhood of Niederzwehren during my teenage "adventures."

Also, found another Great War connection with the British Commonwealth War Cemetary at Niederzwehren; found the following on a website:

"The cemetery was begun by the Germans in 1915 for the burial of prisoners of war who died at the local camp. During the war almost 3,000 Allied soldiers and civilians, including French, Russian and Commonwealth, were buried there In 1922-23 it was decided that the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who had died all over Germany should be brought together into four permanent cemeteries. Niederzwehren was one of those chosen and in the following four years, more than 1,500 graves were brought into the cemetery from 190 burial grounds in Baden, Bavaria, Hanover, Hesse and Saxony. There are now 1,796 First World War servicemen buried or commemorated in the Commonwealth plot at Niederzwehren."

Not to mention what I've now learned about German artillery uniforms thanks to the GMIC crew. (I thought he was a Saxon artilleryman when I bought the item due to the city of the photo studio on the card.) Of course, I'll never know his name or how he won the EK2, but so far not a bad evening of "research."

This comment is probably .... but I also discovered they make a special dark beer in Eibau where the photo studio was located. Maybe still a good reason for a road trip to Saxony. :cheers: