Chris Boonzaier

Hi Chip, what did they look like after March 1916? I did not know there were different Bavarian ones. Best Chris

Could it be something very different to a unit marking? i.e. maybe in town XXX there was a Bunker/Guardhouse/HQ/whatever.... with an NCO with a strong sense of order. As it was not wartime, and the men who would use the bunker would only be there in emergency, the bunker was piled to the roof with nice equipment... all in its place and numbered to prevent pilfering and to show at a glance if all was accounted for? Just a wild theory,

I think it was a qualification he picked up while detached to Rottweil. He seems to hae been there longer than the usual Sturm training. The detachment in Rottweil was basically winging it as Rohr had not yet come up with a proper training program. best Chris

"Sturm. Abt. Rottweil" Back in the days when Sturm bataillon Rohr was still simply the Sturm Abteilung, stationed in Alsace it was ordered to pack up and move to verdun... A small detachment was left behind, apparently to guard what the Abteilung could not take with. This small detachment passed the time by continuing Sturm tactic courses. The guy in the Militärpass above was detached to the Sturm Abteilung for a longer period than the regular courses. Rottweil was the town they were stationed in. At about the end of the time he was detached, Rohr had the detachment returned to him, and the "branch office" in Rottweil closed. This is a fantastically rare little Sturm bataillon Rohr footnote :-)

We are not flagging!!!! Keep on with the posts, I find them very interesting!!

A 1913 shooting prize from the 26. I.R.

Thats a fantastic looking piece... can excuse it for not having a liner IMHO ;-)

Does anyone get the connection here? :-)

And then.... the little entry at the bottom... abkommandiert to..... Sturm Abt. Rottweil !!!!!

Attacking with the Rohr element that day... was the Militärpass owner... and he was wounded.... 12. 10.1915, wounded on the Schrätzmännle by G.G.

2 Connections to Sturm Bataillon Rohr..... when it was still simply called "Sturm Abteilung".... This is one of my Prizes for Rohr.... this early Sturm Abteilung Death document an the mans oil Painting.... http://www.kaiserscross.com/40029/129601.html

Was lucky enough to get a button lot on ebay for 11EUR ;-)

When it arrived... things only got better...!!!

I was in the Munster (not Münster) valley for 2 weeks this month, spent some nice time on the Battlefields... including the Barrenkopf-Schrätzmännle and Lingenkopf, 3 peaks it takes maybe 45 minutes to walk between. Only 3-4 regiments were there for the really interesting period... so when i saw this with an EK2 doc on ebay just 3 days after my return... i had to jump at it.... this was the only readable page on the auction... I saw he was at Metzeral.. and on the barrenkopf!!!! On my way back from my visit, I was beginning to prepare myself for years of searching to find something like that.....

Hi, at what age could a guy join the army in 1914? I dont think they had bugle boys? Was 17 the youngest possible age to go into combat? Thanks Chris

... There were some coats....

I always wonder if the guys had to buy a completely new helmet plate, or if they just brought them in to a jewller who added an EK shape once the guy was no longer active. It would seem to be a waste of money to buy a completely new one when the EK was just an add on anyway...

Is it 11 General Kommando, II Armee Korps? Thats as close as I get...

OK, it seems Holler was shot in the knee, had nerve damage, spent lots of time in hospital and recovering... and it looks like he was on a staff from 1916?

Hard to tell, I think it was yellow.

The award doc is number 885... do you think this was the number of awards from 1857 to 1907?

Some more of his goodies, i had these before gettng the docs etc.

Sigh.... that is indeed a dream Bluse.... I need one just like it to be able to close off my german tunic collection... (As a document collector i just need the basics). Great piece!

Hi, he slipped straight into the Customs Service upon release, retiring in 1932, so i guess he was one of the guys in the prison who had a set of keys ;-) Thanks for the info. best Chris

He seems to have deserved an EK2 even though he was at the front for just 6 days, the award was much later. It is easy to say "hah! cheap award , only 8 days at the front!"... but that is totally wrong, a lot can happen in 8 days... certainly more than i ever experianced.