Chris Boonzaier

You still smarting about not having a crate? :-)

Hi, I seem to remember reading there was a difference between "Mannschaft" and NCO Drillich jackets? Does anyone have any Info or examples? Thanks Chris

A touching video with a group of WW2 Veterans... http://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/afrique/video-ces-goumiers-marocains-qui-ont-libere-la-corse_426944.html

I thought you hated me already due to the MG08 box???? I thought I had nothing to lose.... otherwise I would have reconsidered..... :-(

Paris this morning

July 2014: Harry has an interesting new article about the 8th Infantry Brigade fighting in Tekrit in November 1917 A few more photos added to the Machine Gunner album

I know we have a long Bavarian thread... but wanted to do a dedicated one as well.... What/Which is the best Bavarian MVO4 maker/Variation, in your opinion? And which is the worst? Thanks Chris

I am getting something better.... watch this space ;-)

Hi, It was to slow it down and decrease the distance. The model 1913 was toooo aerodynamic, at full speed it would penetrate the ground and loose much of its power... the disk slowed it down and helped it explode above ground... The modell 1914 was supposed to be less aerodynamic and had a better fuse... with the disk used convexly it was slowed by 25% and concave by 50%... This reduced the speed and the distance fired.

Happy Family...

The red one is a rare Practise round... I have only seen three of these.. this one and 2 on a dealers site...

The 1914 type... last pic shows one with the transport plug

Am busy "doing" rifle grenades at the moment.... If anyone has anything to add, please feel free to do so... The 1913 type...

The Reichswehr Shoulder Boards of Hans Oster, one of the resistence leaders.... The 3 cuff thingees were his son's

A wise man once told me that it is a good thing that the plot did not work. If it had then there would have been the "stab in the back" thing all over again.... The only way to end the war being a complete allied victory, not a bargained peace with men who would be seen as traitors by a part of the German population...

S'funny, but in this case i remember the name, but not the face.

He was in 2eme REI with me, I remember knowing him (as in one of a group), but don't really remember him... if that makes any sense?

Hi, The Flare incident is in the Regnieville chapter. The next evening Kloppmann recced the same position but this time he was greeted with rifle shots and French Citron grenades, which we called "Enteneiern". As he lay pressed to the ground one of the grenades landed next to his head, but did not detonate. He was forced to beat a hasty retreat. The evening after that the two of us went out. The forward position was once again occupied and we were able to establish that there were 4 sentries. One whistled a very nice tune. Eventually we came under fire and had to make our way back. (Upon our return) I found myself alone in the trench. Suddenly Voigt and Haverkamp appeared. They had obviously been celebrating and had the sudden urge to leave the comfortable "Stumplager", make a pilgramage through the pitchdark forest into the forward lines to "go on patrol" as they called it. I have always been a firm believer that every man has a free will and is responsible for his actions so I made no effort to interfere with their plans. Although the enemy was still very lively I watched them exit the trench. Their "patrol" however was limited to hunting for the Silk Parachutes attached to the French Rockets. Waving these white clothes they chased each other backwards and forwards in front of the French barbed wire. Naturally the French fired on them but some time later they returned unharmed, Bacchus had them in his care. I think I got the meaning right with "und sich, diese weißen Tücher schwingend, vorm Feindlichen Draht gegenseitig hin- und herhetzen."

It may be a big coincidence... but there was a Musketier Fritz Haverkamp of the IR75 who was badly wounded on the 5th till 11th of November in Bailly... He was from Bremen. I wonder if there were two with the same name?

Apparently he was a Bremen boy, his father a ships captain. Andy had found this... "What I discovered then was that there was an Offizier-Aspirant des Beurlaubtenstandes Haverkamp (von Landwehr Bezirk Bremen) who was promoted Leutn.d.R. d. Inf. R. 75 on 22.05.1915. I believe this is the man in question even though it appears he never was assigned to FR 73." Although we now know he did transfer to FR73, albeit for a few months, in the last half of 1917 till he was wounded. There may also be a RIR78 connection of some sort... Will dig out the letter tomorrow. If you could find anything on the Bremen cross, it would be a huge help!!

I misspoke... Jünger visited him at the field hospital where he lay, badly wounded in the arm and leg, he lay on the stretcher looking close to death, but puffing away on a ciggie...

Jup indeed... the man of many vices... once because he and a brother officer were drunk and danced around under fire in front of the french lines collecting the silk from French parachute flares... the second time he was badly wounded puffing away on a cigarette....

Hopped around from job to job... ;-) I am guessing no Post 1917 service due to amputation, and just regular national service before the war, so probably no LS. I wish I did know what he did after the war just to complete the history....

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Hi, here you go....