Chris Boonzaier

I would like to advance the following theory.... 12cm long shoulder boards... it says to me that they were made to have 2 pips and a crown on them. Short boards with 2 pips and a crown looks as squeezed in as John Candy in a pair of bicycle shorts. In fact, these long boards with just a crown would have fitted very well to Gustav Schoch who commanded the regt from October 1905 to October 1908.... Does anyone remember hand me downs? My brother got my school blazer when I moved on because it was in great shape and the parents did not want to buy another one for nothing... a "Financial hand me down"... Then there are tradition hand me downs... the samurai sword passed on in the family, a guy in my company wearing his fathers badges (he served in the same regt 20 years earlier)... little neat tradition things.. a "Tradition hand me down"... So... and this requires a bit of imagination... when little brother Emil Schoch takes over big brothers old job in April 1912 commanding the old regt, while sipping sherry at the family sunday lunch, old Gustav says.."Lil brother, you are continuing the tradition, as a symbol of honour let me present you with the shoulder boards I wore...." And lil brother Emil, the family tight fist thinks "Great! costs almost EUR100 for a pair of these at the tailor, and they are so much better than the flatter ones they churn out today"... And so for "Traditions" reasons, lil brother gets a nice pair of boards from older brother, to which he ads the Cypher in November 1913. Lets not underestimate the power of tradition, and the fact that these were at the time expensive items, not cheap machine embroidered patches. Anyone think that likely? Unlikely? All the best Chris

I don't want to seem like I am going into denial here... I really do believe these are good, but they may not be one of those items that is a "One looker" accepted without a thought or two. My thoughts Rick places the boards without backing up to 1909. Skip says the Cypher is November 1913. What can be the answer? How is that possible?

So far I have nothing to contribute.. but I am hoping some of you guys do... Can someone post some, iff possible the kind with , and the kinds without backing? Thanks Chris

Hi, Me hope not!!! But looking through wartime photos of higher ranking officers and many seem to have no backing on the boards?

The 1st Bavarian Inf Regt seems to have 2 Schochs commanding it. Gustav Ritter von Schoch, then 2 commanders later Emil Schoch... Does anyone have an idea if they were related? Thanks Chris

Any thoughts to the "12cm" part? Thats pretty damn long !!

Could also have been on vacation in Trostberg and nowhere near his unit :-(

The only potential help is that the phot was taken in Trostberg.... The question is... which "1" was based there, or close to it? I would assume as he is not a crusty old fart, and he had the EK1, probably a combat unit?

I wonder if there is a way to reunite their award docs !!!! ;-)

I did the correction to the silver bravery thing you mentioned, thanks.

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How about some close ups :-)

Thanks for the info Glenn... every bit counts!

And his award doc for the White ribboned cross... anyone have an idea about the signature? Thanks Chris

Another small group arrived... His service medal signed by Gerd Schr?der ;-)

Hi, Wound badges only appeared in 1918. Many men who were gassed in 16-17 seen never to have applied for the wound badge, any number of them had already changed units in the meantime. Also, there is a difference between lightly gassed and heavily gassed. some folks who were sick after a small whiff of gas were back in service a day or two later. There must be a hard and fast rule as not everyone who was gassed was "REALLY" gassed.

..considered a wound? I assume yes but for all the documents I have everyone who got a wound badge seemed to have been wounded by shrapnel or bullet as well ..... I have groups to folks who were gassed, but without wound badge... maybe they simoly did not apply?

Ahh yes... that made it a bit easier ;-)

Duuuh.... I should have got that!! The wording made me think "Kaiserliche.." instead of "Korps.." Thanks Chris

He was commander of the K.H.Qu. at the XV. bay. Res. Korps. Did this mean the kaiser had a staff at each Korps, ready and waiting for his visit?

I wonder if 5 of them would have tipped the balance in Normandy 1944?

Seems to be a rather meaningless thing to engrave... Its not a sector i have a lot of interest in... but I think the Isonzo Schlacht is basically a 1917 event? The Germans only arriving in the area at this stage?

OK, not only a very early award, it is also for the EK1 in Oktober of 1914! But what is more interesting... I have a number of docs in this style, they are in fact THE highest form of EK doc. No preprinted fill in the names thing, but all large, about legal sized double sheets, thick high quality paper. The one thing they have in comman is they are tailor made for the recipient, (the others I have have more text), are for EK1's and are signed at the highest level. Once you have a doc like this signed by von T?lff, no regimental clerk is going to send you a preprint with your name filled in. The slight difference on this one is the "Einschreiben" which at first glance makes it look just like an accompanying letter, but as Langemak was back hoem in hospital it was obviously added as the doc was mailed. This was the find of the month for a number of reasons... f

So far all is correct... but there is more...

Blush.... I never saw anyone that high in all my time there.... ... hmmmmm... speaking of high... what kinda leaves are those???