Chris Boonzaier

Hi, I have seen numerous German cards where POWs are photographed and marked "A French Infantryman" "An Algerian" " A British XXX" etc. etc.... Possibly if he was a Guide that he was attached to the RGA as a ... guide :-) Would have been a lot surer than following a young Lt. with a map ;-)

nice piece

Anything with a unit stamp is worth twice as much to me :-)

I think George has nailed it with that badge...

Hi Chip, it was this one... http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/19097-prussian-markings-in-bavarian-goodies/?hl=alpenkorps#entry184864

my guess would be along the same lines, fireman with an added skull. best chris

Here are Hesselbachs signatures... its actually not a very comman name, so I only found one with the Jäger and the signature on his documents was the same as in the Tschako. As I said, rather an identified item from a guy who was not really the super warrior you wanted, than an unidentified one.

Hi, yeah, but it was a place that changed names some time before WW1

Years ago I was at a show and a seller had an original pre WW1 roll of white ribbon. For the life of me I cannot remember what the details were, but the label was from a town thats name changed before WW1 or something like that... Anyway, it was obscenely expensive... but in retrospect I should have taken it all....

The really interesting thing is the XVI stamp. It took a bit of research to find out why an Alpenkorps item would have one of those in it. After their stint in Verdun the combat units of the Alpenkorps were sent to the XVI Korps area in the Argonne, here they recieved many new replacement soldiers to make up for their losses at Verdun, as well as being resupplied with new kit. (One of the replacements was the guy whose Tschako is first on the thread). In the meantime the XVI sent combat troops to fight at Verdun, which they did under the command of the Alpenkorps staff. I am not sure why the cockades are not the sew on ones, but I assume that to resupply for bavarian Jägers was much more difficult to resupply for regular infantry, especially as the XVI Korps was not Bavarian... It is one of my favourite pieces, even though it was not at Verdun ;-)

I usually always get outbid, but for once others were sleeping.... I really wanted it because the name is on the back, so even though it is not a great skull pic, i went for it

Oberstleutn<nt Kumme, commander of the Regiment

Klasse oder ? The Hesselbacj Tchako i just got tonight. Expensive, but how often do you get a named Tschako... I think some other guys in the area were after it and it pushed the price up.

3 stooges...

An finally a Schirmmütze...

This 1916 stamped hat is supplied by the XVI A.K., this was where the Jäger spent a month being resupplied after verdun in Late 1916.

A Filz Tschako, was also worn by the Jäger although this one is marked with a name of a guy in the "5th Komp." so it cannot be a Jäger...

Leutnant der reserve Taffner, originally 2nd Bavarian Jäger Battalion, then 2nd reserve Battalion

More...

Today I was lucky enough to complete the set... A Mannschafts Tschako which belonged to Karl Hesselbach. It is in such good shape because he was only a Jäger for 2 months before being badly enough wounded that he never saw the front again. A bullet wound to the thigh on the 30th October 1916 in Romania. He joined the 2nd Reserve Jäger battalion after they were pulled out of the fighting at verdun. The Battalions had suffered heavy losses and needed new men and material....

Muchos Grazias guys!

Hi, Lazarettwagen oder Lazarett Wegen? Sorry, you are right "ins"

Hi, can anyone figure out what happened to him? Im Laz. Wegen XXXXX at Fort Douaumont... Thanks Chris

I have had in the past with captured pistols, and i am sure rifles that were officially issued, like old french ones were entered as well. best Chris

From a non bar collector... it certainly looks very nice/good to me!