Naxos

Unfortunatly, no names but location and year. The men are from a Burschenschaft of the University Freiburg.

As Chris said, Unterscharführer der Waffen-SS (Unteroffizier equivalent)

Chris, all I can make out is: Mutter verst. 25.10.18 (most likely in this case abbreviation for verständigt but it is also the abbr. for verstorben). The rest are more abbreviations, sorry.

It appears to be a French Lebel M 1886 re-barreled with a Gewehr 88 barrel.

entire picture

Baden soldier (note belt buckle upside down)

The Verzeichnis is the Gefechtskalender of the Regiment.

yes, it reads: nach Verzeichnis

According to the German War-Grave data base A (not sure he is the same man since he would have been a very young Lt.) Gerhard Eisenträger, born on July 21, 1923 is missing since January 1945 in East-Prussia.

I think the document is signed by Otto Schniewind

From June 8 to 10, 1942 the minelayers Ostmark (Kapitän z.S. von Schönermark), Ulm and Brummer, protected by the 5. M-Flottille were laying mines at Varangerfjord ( the east-most fjord in Norway bordering on Russia and Finland). It is believed that the Russian Submarine M-176 was sunk by one of these mines on July 4, 1942. The next operational entry I find for the Ostmark is in January 1943 of Jutland.

Infanterie Unteroffizier - Summer 1941

Signature is from Oberstleutnant Udo de Rainville

Yes Horst Thomas received the DKG on 13.01.1944 as Oberleutnant d.R., of 7.Kompanie, Grenadier-Regiment 364

The man has awful handwriting - no mentioning of anything other then the usual ... I'm still fine, hope you are well ... ... You know, they got a message from the action man "I'm happy, hope you're happy too ....." and the Chorus goes: Ashes to Ashes, funk to funky We know Major Tom's a junkie Strung out on heaven's high Hitting an all-time low

In the Soldbuch his rank is Kriegsassessor. His units were: Feldkommandantur 531, Wehrwirtschaft Kom. Nord Pleskau, Wirtschaftskomando 307 and with Infanterie-Regiment 116 in Marburg.

Most interesting Gordon, thank you so much for the information. Gordon, I have only the divers license shown above for this man in my possession. I do however have some details of his career from his Soldbuch that I don't own. I will post all the information I have including a much better scan of the picture when I get back from Europe. Hardy

You can place an order with the below company and get within 6 weeks any of the ribbon bars assembled, ridiculous or not, shown in this thread. There will be no way of telling the difference. https://www.bandschnallen.de/shop/category_WK%2520II/WK-II.html?sessid=RlpYgrsU25AFip03Aw1P0aENW4ZeZ5WGoJotEWGq0H2AGWdzYBUWkJYJAuobmnTd&shop_param=cid%3D%26 https://www.bandschnallen.de/shop/page/3?shop_param= IMO, unless you have provenance, like the Eberling bar shown, you have nothing of historical value.

Peter, the parts that were used to make the bars of the above Officers are still available. Anyone can have a bar made to their whishes. So it becomes virtually impossible to differentiate between an "original" i.e. worn by a real officer of the Bundeswehr and a fantasy bar. The TDB and cuff-titles did not need a design change - therefore not mentioned in the 1957 law.

With "original" I meant original post-war (post 1957) Bundeswehr ribbon bar parts and assembly.

" ... ruhiger Winter 1916/17 vor Soissone." März 1917 Nach dem genialen strategischen Rückmarsch hierauf im Frühjahr 1917 in die "Siegfried-Stellung" von Arras bis zum "chemin des dames" mit nur leichteren Nachhutgefechten wird unserer 211. Division der ehrenvolle Auftrag, sich im Brennpunkt der zu erwartenden Kämpfe, bei Laffaux, zum hartnäckigsten Widerstand bereit zu stellen. Die gesamte Westfront verläuft von der Nordsee bis Laffaux in nördlicher Richtung. Hier schwenkt sie nach Osten zum "chemin des dames". Laffaux liegt mithin genau im Scheitelpunkt der ganzen Westfront. April 1917 Am Karfreitag, am 6. April 1917 beginnt die erwartete große Doppelschlacht an der Aisne und in der Champagne, und tobt auch bei Laffaux in unverminderter Stärke bis zum 18. April. more here: http://www.litochleb.de/Familie3.html

From the same catalog: You can still buy this cheap crap brand new in any combo you want. For me it has no historical value.

I believe that the bar shown by our member FrontlineAntiques is a fantasy arrangement, assembled with original pieces in the original manner. One could buy still in the mid nineties these bars from Military surplus-stock dealers - you told them what you wanted and they put it together for you. US-Waren Schaake mail order catalog of 1993. Translation: Ribbon-bars to the specifications of the Bundeswehr and Grenzschutz (border guards). You can request any arrangement of WWII awards and we will build your ribbon-bar for 10 to 15 Marks per award. .

They actually were part of the combat engineers and wore Pionier/Artillery type uniforms. The divisional Minenwerfer-Kompagnie was part of the divisional Pionier-Bataillon (combat engineers). There were also 13 independent Minenwerfer battalions in the Imperial German Army.