Chris Boonzaier

Here is the reason for the questions.... he was originally in the 2nd bavarian Jäger, but at some stage the Bicycle companies were cut loose... and ended up god knows where....

A partial Alpenkorps unit....

What is the Saxon Connection? It seems to be on most of the bars, best Chris

Hi, I have the research somewhere... I will try and find it tomorrow....

Hi, indeed. Captured French MG were used by the Germans, usually in quieter sectors where the units in place did not have a full dotation of German MGs.

Hi, this one has a very skinny "W"... anyone know who made it? There are some scratches on the ring, but I cannot read anything out of them, I think they are just scratches

2nd machine Gun Company of the RIR122

Fantastic! Thanks :-)

A last update for the year... Minenwefer, Sturm-Bataillon and the Somaliland Camel Corps!! http://www.kaiserscross.com/152301.html

No, mostly just a number. Here is one... they come with and without the hook, some later ones are shortened.. http://www.bayonetsonline.com/images/bayonet1-607.jpg

Ohhh... that's fantastic... I did not know they existed!!

Nice 1916 made one... I love these... it takes the regular Lebel Bayonet.

very nice! i love these. Whats the date on the barrel, on the right side, between the bolt and the rear sight?

Hi, does anyone know what this is? unfortunately no details on the Photo... Best Chris

Just cataloging some stuff, Here is some info... Heinrich Gustav Albert Barthels was born in Lübeck on the 15th of April 1898 and joined the army on the 24th of September 1914, aged 16 and a half. One day after his 17th Birthday (15th April 1915) he was transfered to a combat unit, the 13. Komp. I.R. 162 (which became the 9. Komp I.R. 187) On the 1st of July 1915 he was wounded by a bullet on Height 664 to the east of Metzeral. On the 17th of September 1915 he was wounded by artillery on the Schratzmännle. A week later he was promoted to Gefreiter. On the 8th of March 1916 Barthels was sent to "Sturm Abteilung Rottweil" (The official name seems to have been "Oberrotweil"), he stayed until the 7th of May 1916 when he returned to his unit. The I.R. 187 fought in the Munster Valley at the Schratzmännle, Metzeral, Height 664, Barrenkopf etc from June 1915 until August 1916. In July 1916 he was awarded the Lübeck Hanseatenkreuz, became a very young Unteroffizier in December 1916 and recieved the Iron Cross 2nd Class in September 1917.

Duh... sorry, you are right, I should have seen that... age getting to me....

Must be the Smell of unwashed biker ;-) Ok, here is a question.... ( K, B, C, backwords R ) have these been seen on crosses that have any other maker stamps on them?

Hi, I had noted it, but have forgotten where... can anyone tell me what award he had recieved on the 5.7.1916? Thanks Chris

Sorry, I meant 1916 onwards... even in ancestry.com the entries for the men stop in about 1916. Where they were for the last half of 1916 until the wars end is missing. Best Chris

Hi, I loose all traces of the 3rd Bavarian Radfahrer Batallion from the beginning of 1913 onwards... does anyone have any idea who they were attached to in that period? Thanks Chris

Why would a pin maker bother? For me the Makermark/Quality control stamp theory holds no water as the stamps serve as both at the same time. To identify the maker so the Army/Govt can control the Quality. A Stamp of "Z" on an EK2 ring is surely not there so soldiers ca marvel about the Quality of the Crosses made by some strange firm they have never heard of, but rather that a control dude can look at a delivery and say "500 crosses from Firma Zicklewaffelmann, random control shows they are fine"... so maker identification for purposes of control... How many flat crosses DON't have a maker mark of some kind? I am not a cross expert, so maybe there are, but what are the chances that at the same time the "Y" crosses are one of the very very few NOT to have a maker stamp on the back, but by coincidence some guy making pins stamps the back of his pins?

That is a fine looking bayonet, and an unknown model for me!! Nice find...

You asking me?? :-) The only thing i know about Picklehaube is that they would be painful to sit on. I just wanted it because of the "101" Does it not fit the helmet?

Hi Bernhard, Thanks for the additional info! Best Chris

They could of course stampt the pins before assembly ;-)