Chris Boonzaier

Pascal's Wager Amigo.... put me on Death Row... and I will give up drinking, wild women and Satantic Militaria... and probably hedge my bets as well .... :-)

Hi, I dont think the US had covers. I am assuming it is cottage industry/Commercial? It is not really designed well... It was in an officers group... http://www.kaiserscross.com/136501/236701.html

The Problem with that one is the base just continues on, even after the thingies break off....

Hi, did he get promoted between the Golden Bravery medal and the MVO ?

Hi, The Sturmbataillon were supposed to traim themselves out of a job... a Train the trainer kind of deal.... Train Cadre who could then train at Divisional or regimental level... I am guessing this is a divisional lever training group.

" Since the Geneva Convention most forms of ammo. that have hollow points - and other nasty modifications, have been banned. However, in SA we can freely buy - on our gun licenses - hollow pointed ammo.." Hi, But that is only for the military... I think cops can use ammo that is forbidden by the Geneva convetion....

Very nice indeed... I wonder who the trainers were?

Here is another thought... Pionier Battalions sometimes floated around under various commands. The Militärpass above was part of the 21st Reserve Division... other companies of the battalion were under the 22nd Inf Div, 25th R.D., 38th I.D. and 10th E.D. ... so maybe the chances of getting other states awards increased when the units were under various commands?

Hi, the pass and the photo are 2 different guys, the pass is 11th Pio Btln for sure...

Another one...

I am suprised they allow an ammunition like this...

Hi, I keep only a bare minimum in Frames... the rest I file. Its a question of space, and I like to think preservation as the mounting methods back then did not take acid free stuff into account. If someone has space and has things mounted in acid free stuff out of sunlight, i see no problem. But sunlight, old mountings and potential damage due to broken glass make it a no no for me. best Chris

Hi, apparently at "Keiberg" ? Googling that I come up with this... Rain fell all night on 11/12 October, with only one dry interval during the day as the attack began at 5:25 a.m.On the right flank, the 12th Brigade of the 4th Australian Division advanced on time but saw no infantry beyond the railway from the 3rd Australian Division. The Keiberg cutting was captured and consolidated, along with the rest of the first objective, although with heavy casualties. Troops of the 3rd Australian Division arrived at the first objective on the left and dug in, as the advance of the right flank units of the 12th Brigade towards the second objective began at 8:25 a.m. Outpost groups got across the Keiberg spur with heavy losses, then destroyed two German counter-attacks between 3:00 p.m. and 4.00 p.m., withdrawing as the right brigade of the 3rd Australian Division, north of the Ypres–Roulers railway fell back from the first objective, eventually returning to their starting point. They must have been facing the Aussies...

Here is a shot of the ribbon... and maybe an answer, a militärpass entry from a guy in the same battalion....

Here is a nice battalion level commendation, for brave and tenacious service as a machine gunner in Flanders during a specifically difficult period of the battle 4-16.10.1917. The well known Suchodolski design also used by S.B. Rohr for their EKs.

The emblem looks like the one on my Other ranks one?

"the negative "effects" of seeking revenge, spoils, and ego at Versailles." I have very little belief that Versailles was the root cause of Nazi Germany. It is IM(as always humble)O a cop out. The treaty was signed in June 1919..... in germany the die were already cast by then... it may have added extra fuel to the fire, but Germany was already imploding by January 1919. To blame WW2 on the Allies and Versailles is as limited as the people who blame WW1 just on the Germans (and I dont think they are here on the forum)

"Of course, since we are speculating, why can't we imagine Germany being a benevolent and effective "leader" of Europe? (Oh, because it doesn't fit the hidden agenda of blaming World War I all on Germany.)" I have never seen anyone on the forum blaming it all on Germany? But I am firmly in the camp that Germany has one of the biggest pieces of blame pie. Imagining that Germany could have been an effective and BENEVOLENT leader in a conquered Europe falls into the Rumsfeldian trance that an invading army will be welcomed... IM (as always humble)O... WW1 Germany was not a Nazi state by any means... but if it had occupied Europe it could have been driven to similar excesses... (I hear you!...."There he is blaming them again!!").... My reasoning.... Germans liked order and discipline... they dont excel at "Flair"... Example... Germany was disgusted and frustrated by Franctireur in 1870... all over Southern Europe, North Africa, Middle and far east you have similar things... but it does not fit the ordered mindset. (Which is fine, different strokes for different folks... If Germans dont like Unconventional warfare they were the masters of things like Panzers warfare) In 1914 in Belgium (allied propaganda aside) they kiiled hundreds of innocent civilians in Reprisals for attacks on German soldiers, even when it was attacks from the soldiers of the Neutral country they were invading. Orders were given to take and kill hostages when war material was sagotaged.... We have all read how the Herero were exterminated because they did not toe the line... Even the crazy Belgian king of the Congo did not go thatfar... it was the result of the same fury at being disobeyed. So lets assume Germany had won... and did occupy parts of France etc.... The French are very different... They may suck at Panzerbattles... but they on the other hand like unconventional warfare. (Example... If you look at "Private contracters" today... there are waaaay more French than Germans, simply because the French thrive on the Chaotic and unconventional.) So jump to 1920... Germans maybe not occupying the whole of Europe, but are at least present eveywhere.... How long would it take until someone whose family was shot by the Germans, or village was destroyed, .. takes a knife and kills one coming out of a bar... And then what would have happened?.. There is no way to become a benevolant ruler of a population that hates you...

"And why does he think Germany would have been a repressive Prussian state that didn't seek crippling reparations? He never says. Those ideas seem to be contradictory." You dont take reparations from something thats yours, its a bit like Keying your own car.

"And in four years, EVERY capital should accept the negative "effects" of seeking revenge, spoils, and ego at Versailles." Many had already.... like vast swathes of Belgium, France, Russia etc.... Germany had not suffered at all... only war dead... and everyone had those.... There is nothing like having a war fought in your country, and destroying large parts of it, to give one the feeling that you want some payback...

"This article is worse than a "parlor game." It's a sad diversion from the real issues, which is that EVERY ruling elite wanted war "sooner or later." EVERY capital should take blame." Indeed, there was blame to go around, but it is ridiculous to assume that it needed to be the same amount for all.

"I completely disagree with the idea that pure speculation on "what if Germany" had won helps us understand the war better. At best it's an under-handed method of trying to justify the war fought by the allies was a "just" war and that the "cost" was worth it..." This I find to be confusing... especially as the article did not assume the stance of "It would all have been terrible"

Here is mine

Hi, at first glance I see nothing wrong with it? I am not a Tschako collector, but I have a couple... it is not the same as mine, but I cant see a major problem with it?

Jeff turned this up.... http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/25/if-germans-won-first-world-war