Chris Boonzaier

I wonder if the comforts of peacetime were overtaken by the realities of war? I can really imagine these being a kind of prewar status symbol. Nice small entrenching tool while the other schmucks had a full sized one to carry around... then in 1914 they are REALLY digging in... and the MG guys are cursing the little bitty shovels..... I have not tried to dig with it, buy I have dug with a regular sized entrenchting tool... not nice, but it works... the mg spade, one handed.... forgetaboutit....

Indeed it is. However, the Spade and carrier (as is) and the Beilpicke and carrier are a real dinkum out of the woodwork attic find, so i am guessing they have been together for eons. I have never really actively looked for a MG spade, so this dropping into my lap was a treat. I definately will not be shelling out the loot for a period carrier ;-)

Its like when i was in the army, Everyone wanted to have the saw or the hatchet, so much easy to march with... if ever we had come under fire and needed t dig a hole.... we would have cursed not having the big spade! ;-)

Its a long story.... A few weeks ago an ebay deal went bad and I lost the deal of the year.... but I was able to save the day, admittedly quite a bit more expensive than originally planned... In the deal was the 1916 dated Beilpicke and the MG spade in the wrong leather holder.... I am really happy to have gotten them in the end....

Another one...

Hi, Any guesses here? Thanks Chris

I Guess the INf Lehr Battalion is missing as well...

Was sorting out my trade box and found these.... a neat set with grey underlay for I.R. 132... I assume period attempt at Cammo before the red underlays fell away....

Aaaarrgghh!! Which one??

Have you ever seen a railway badge in the cap like that?

I guess this may be the same as Dons one in post 8 ?

Hi, thanks a million!

Hi, I don't have it in my hands yet, but does anyone know what this is? ThanksChris I am used to the hinge a tiny bit lower on the cross.

Hi, can anyone make a stab at this officers name? A Captain on the Staff of the 11th Division. Thanks Chris

Whats the deal with the guy in the middle? He has a railway badge between the cockades... could that mean he is not in an Eisenbahn Battalion, but is a "real" train guy?

Hi Uwe, Thanks!

Hi, here is my only Landwehr service dadge, a bavarian 2nd class... as you can see, the wearer adapted it a little, its not how it was supposed to be worn....

A 1930s bar to an officer has a blue ribbon and is missing its medal. He recieved the Prussian Landwehr Dienstauszeichnung 2nd class in 1910. What version of the award would he probably have had on it? Thanks Chris like this?

That is really nice! Now I just need a flight of steps to hang it on!! :-)

Hi, it is good, it is with 3 other docs to him. It looks like all were rescued from a bad fate and restored... the EK2 is kosher as the day is long, one of the old roneod documents, also with ther same tear and repair. http://kaiserscross.com/41815/145101.html

Hi, This is a little gem. I posted it years ago, but lost the information about who signed it. Can anyone make a guess? Thanks Chris

The whole group could probably tell a story or two...

The Eisenbahn troops are vastly underated... and lets not forget who took over after Hindenburg!!

For some reason i thought I had seen one like mine in the Kraus Books, but I probably looked wrong,

Did american troops ever come up against the 5th Jäger or 5th Reserve Jäger battalions? Unfortunately not Bavarian, but nothing to sniff at ;-)