Chris Boonzaier

back is difficult to read...

Here is an interesting one....

This is a pretty cool one eh?? His mother must have pulled his ears when he was bad.... must have been a really naughty boy...

Here is a really high house number, arty.. and notice how, in absence of shoulder straps for the unit they have metal numbers...

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2nd diary...

OK, last page from diary one, then he skios a bit and jumps to the time just before the attack on Verdun, from here it becomes more historically interesting... It is the only Verdun day one diary I know of... although there must be some out there...

Looks like he is back from a hard route march... I dont know if they did Topo/Maptreading marches back then. Maybe there was a route march race? Whatever, a great pic showing sweaty and tired... best Chris

Here is what I mean... although the cover of the saxon does not fit well on the longer prussian spike. best Chris

Although they say it was a technical malfunction. Wasnt the 1st Delta force operation plagued by the same stuff?

Well... Cheers then! Being someone who did NOT support the war on terror, thinking it was just blindly hitting out at anything any everything to get satisfaction... I do now take the oportunity to say "well done USA!" this was "the right stuff!" One cannot oppose the "war with errors" as not being clinical enough... then complaining about this clinical operation. If only this had been done waaaaay back when... I will indeed be drinking something nice tonight, partially because he is dead, partially to the brave men who carried it out. (By the way... whats with US Special operations helicopters... there always seems to be one that breaks down.) Is this a victory? YES! Is it THE victory? Obviously not. But it is the achievement of a goal, A full stop at the end of a sentence, the end of a chapter etc. etc. etc. With this goal achieved it allows the US to reaccess its focus. Maybe change its game plan.... I wonder if Obama has a "mission accomplished " T-shirt ;-) As to complaints that Osama was killed... he went down fighting, I am sure capturing him was the prefered option and would have brought more, buy hey... deads better than nothing. Although I have heard that Donald Trump is doubting the outcome, insisting on seeing the death certificate and insinuating they actually killed Elvis. I bet the Team Medic took all that was needed for DNA and photographic proof.

thats what I read as well, I assume an overland navigation excercise or something?

Does anyone recognise anything here??? http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/49051-newer-iraqi-items/page__gopid__451617 I would imagine there are some Rhodesian/South African advisors involved in this unit?

Bloody hell... does made in China and /Copyright violation never stop??? Thats a selous Scout beret badge design!!

Was there some kind of rule when it came to officers spikes? I notice my prussian spike is a few cm longer than my saxon spike. Is it dependent from which state? or shorter officers order longer spikes to look bigger? Thanks cHRIS

A huge thanks to Speedy for his help on this :-) 4th january After a reasonably good sleep I got up at 04:00am, had some coffee then went out into the trench. At 12:30 lunch in the bunker, Cabbage soup, pork chop and coffee. At 13.30 I went to Unterarzt Bührmann to report my toothache. Will be sent to the Kriegslazarett at Montmedy. At 13:45 my section marched to the rear, due to the mud we were relieved after 4 days. In the evening 4 letters from my dear wife, I sat down right away to answer them. Early to bed, at least there is a bed tonight, although not that comfortable. 5th January Leave for Montmedy to get my teeth done. Leave Crepion Station at 08:15, arrive in Montmedy at 09:52. On the journey I see a man swimming… he has nerves. The castle in Luppy (Louppy) is apparently a site to see. It is just before the fortress at Montmedy, which had been captured without an Artillery round being fired. The commander then shot himself. He allowed his position to be taken by surprise. There is a big military presence in Montmedy. It is a well laid out town. The dentist practice, elegantly equipped, took me right away and after half an hour I was finished. I needed work on 2 fillings. In the evening dinner in the apartment of the Batallion commander (doubled as a kasino). He had Herring Salad. It tasted very good, only down side was, it was not prepared by my wife. After dinner I wrote another letter to my wife, then I went to bed. 6th January As we were to the rear I got the men working to improve a farm (?). During the work I found a newspaper “Feldpost No 4”. This was the well known Newspaper printed in France and dropped by Balloons with the goal of attacking the morale of our troops. The propaganda was not a success; it is all too easy to see through the lies. We use similar methods to announce our victories to enemy soldiers and civilians, but at least our articles are based on truth. At lunch I try the other ranks meal. Cabbage with bacon, it tasted very good. Later in the Kasino we had soup, roast, Spinach and potato. Inm the evening, after dinner I am able (after a long time) to enjoy a fresh draught beer. That evening the Company got a beer ration. Along with the company of Herr Bath (Batln Commander ?) and other officers, I also watched card games. Unfortunately another day without mail from my wife. In the hope I would get mail in the morning I went to bed at 23:00. 7th January Suddenly an order that 2 sections of each Company were to move to the front lines. The 3rd section was to remain in the rest area. Because of our work on the farm, we were to remain. I changed my quarters, a positive change. I shared with Lt. Möllman and had a living room and bed room. At 14:00 the two sections left and I….

Hi, the Souville, Somme and Aisne do not have the guys names on them, but one set I have has his name and company written on the back (with a stamp if i remember correctly). Definately war time in this case.

Hi, I have to look, but I think this was all done by the same guy. Best Chris

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Some really, really good stuff up today.... http://www.kaiserscross.com/152301.html