Chris Boonzaier

A silly question, should the name be engraved.. as opposed to stamped?

Poetry in Motion... Big thanks to AOK4 :-)

Interesting shot indeed!!

Hi, interesting, but difficult to read, is it possible to scan them? Thanks Chris

Bad photos indeed... it looks like the center is stamped from thin tin as opposed to cast?

2

Hi, can you post the ek2 Doc? Thanks Chris

That is a fantastic doc, for the content, and for the fact that it is ANOTHER Gr. Hauptquartier document from the 1st Quarter of 1916 issued for a 1914-15 award of the EK. So not only a great doc, but for me another building block in a theory :-) Thanks Chris

Hi, a quick question... what is "the Battery Squad of Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 57" in german? Did they have training different to other Feld Arty units? Thanks Chris

I think it is difficult to say, by late 17 into 18 many, many units had Assault troops. It remonds me of a memoire of a SAS guy who fought in the Falklands. They were told they were up against an Argentinain Special Forces unit. When they captured them they found them to be a bunch of pimply conscripts. They were "special forces" simply due to the fact that they had been badged and told "now you are special forces". As the war progressed and Sandbags became a symbol for the "elite" it seems more and more units began to create "assault troops". Some would have been better than others, and a few may have become "assault troops" because they were the youngest, had had 2 days training from a guy who had been on an assualt course and then got two sandbags to hang around their neck. So yes, the Gewehr 88 guys could technically be "Asaault troops" for a landsturm battalion, or any number of units where there were not enough 98 carbines to go around. Pits there is not a unit stamp on the back to clear up the mystery.

What a fantastic piece indeed. Its kinda "First showcase in the museum" reif. Best Chris

I want to get a full right up... German sources, French sources etc... then show it all... :-))

Well.... some guys just like the "Minty" ones.... you know..."Dont buy the story... buy the piece..." ;-))

Strap

Front

I want to get it together before posting it.... :-)

Ohhhhh... you are going to get yourself deported!!!!

The owner of this jacket is buried in Block1 Grave 292 of the German Military cemetary at Mangiennes at Verdun. He was not wearing this jacket when it was shredded by a French Mortar / Artillery round. His grave will be my first place to visit on the next Verdun tour. best Chris

Check it out!

The wooden handeled KS98 was "souveniered" by a South African Soldier in GSWA during WW1. It is the twin of another GSWA non stamped wooden handle in a collection I saw In Cape Town last year. These DSWA bayonets were the standard souveniers for South African soldiers after the campaign, making South Africa the "Mecca" for Schutztruppen bayonets for many years.

Top one must have been one of the last leather handeled ones...

KS98s

And a late arrival in GSWA, has no unit stamps

Now a selection of KS98s The one we all recognise right away