Chris Boonzaier

Posted elsewhere on the forum, to a member of the Kaiser's headquarters Infantry Guard

Family ones are fantastic.... an ugly Family Vordruck is worth 10 times a fantastic Vordruck from an Unknown...

Dave, you are a star, somehow I missed the answer to my post.... I spent almost 4 months totally miffed that noone was interested, then found this today by coincidence.... thanks a million!!

I suppose in sectors where there was no great chance of offensive action on either side, a SMLE with a few hundred rounds of captured ammo was worth just as much as a G98 with steady supply. Some old landwehr guys may have fired a couple of rounds a month, if that... So a SMLE with a few boxes of ammo would have fit the bill just fine...

So THATS what the Jocks call it! Anything worn under the kilt? No, all in perfect working order!

I hope so to, at the moment I have not really taken pics "Now and then"... but I will....

Is the guy on the left wearing a kilt??

Well, a nice surprise on this one, I ordered the book "Batterie Hieronymus: Eine Infanterie Geschutzbatterie im Weltkrieg".. Falke is mentioned a few times and there is a Photo of him. The Batterie was really hot, 4 guns, trained with Sturmbataillon Rohr, trained as Gunners and infantry, and they were heavily involved with the 10th R.D. one of 2-3 Divisions i have really concentrated my focus on over the years. Lt Hieronymus was the only Battery Commander in WW1 to recieve a PLM.... because his battery was a battering ram in the hardest fighting. At the same time Harry Falke (see docs above) was promoted to Lt. d. Res. So a really nice doc to a very small, and elite unit.

Does not seem to correspont to any UK or commonwealth divisional badge.... maybe sold elsewhere after the war?

A very tough call i think. I would not dismiss it out of hand, but I would be weary about buying it.... Some folks would say the detail is lacking and the boat is a funny shape, others would say , they are individual pieces and the quality may depend on the guy making it... The other side of the Problem.... who knows which guy it was.. and when? I think in a room of 20 people you would get 20 different or varying comments, unless a "major expert" was there... then everyone would jump to agree with him... Hard call indeed... dunno...

The 2nd one in Post 6 is seriously cool! Does it have any details on the back?

Here are some lads cleaning their goodies....

Hi, is this the regular uniform of an Army Kraftfahrer? Or is there a paramilitary element to it? Thanks Chris

A silly question, but were there different lapel badges for RAF units? I thought they all just had standard RAF Lapel badges? Best Chris

So if the one with the star has no Agrafe (article 46) then technically he would have 2 DNs on his medal bar. Thats pretty interesting.

Indeed, I had hoped Tiemann would be a rarer name, but it is too common to pinpopint

The secret is out in the German Research forum, Metzger was a "victim" of politics and moving borders. In 1914, due to no influence of his own, He was "German" and served in the army, and in 1918 he was "French"... I am not sure of the exact rules and regulations, but having served, he qualified for the combattants cross and wound medal, but NOT for the war medal and Victory medal, as he did not serve in the French/allied army.

Hi, often award documents were designed by soldiers who were gifted hobby artists. I think it is Freiherr von Münchhausen who signed it. Unfortunately it is not possible to see which Friedrich Thiemann he is, there are a few on the wound lists, so no idea which previous unit and where he was wounded.

Hi, is it possible to post some photos, this sounds nice and exotic :-) All the best Chris