Chris Boonzaier

Another try for this.... :-)

These must be a fantastic collecting field in their own right. I have a lighter that was made by a POW in either East or North Africa, I assume in WW2, but maybe WW1. It has one of these on it... will dig it out when I get home. Best Chris

I have since found out that the man worked for a major railway engine company and was a reservist. Released in 1919, waaaaay later than most other POWs. I hope to get some info about him from the archives soon...

4th Generation....

although.... I dont think there was a 149eme Chasseur battalion...

Chasseur, or light infantry.... like the German J?gers.

The research possibilities of these citations is just phenomenal ! Nice doc!

The CdG does not belong to the document, maybe even the frame does not.... The seller wrote "From the 9th Regt de March of the Algerian Rifle regiment" Which sounded good for me... so i bid and won it.... My Joy! He was attached to the 9th Alg. Rifle Regt.... but as part of Group X, Artillerie d'Assault. The citation reads "Excellent gunner, brave, energetic, cool under fire. Was of great service to the crew of his tank when they were pulling back after a combat mission he engaged and kept a German Anti Tank gun occupied" Really nice WW1 citation :-)))

Not much can be seen from the ebay photo....

That is super! Can you give us some details on the group? Best Chris

But... but... but.... dont forget, the Marine Divisions fighting in the trenches got naval wound badges as well. So, both legs lost in a barrage in Flanders.... and whammo.... there you have your golden wound badge....

I dont have the Group.... but I do have his EK2...... Can give you a good price on it.... :rolleyes:

What is a Grenzflieger? Best Chris

This one is historically interesting. In 1870 the French sent troops from Algeria to France to fight the Germans. At the same time some of the French home guard was sent to Algeria to keep the status quo. In the Kabilyie the Khabyle decided time was ripe for a revolt.... Fort Napoleon no longer had its garrison of 4000 troops, just 400 or so old codgers of the Garde Mobilise of the Cote d'Or who had been sent from France to hold the fort while the real soldiers were away. While they were there the fort was besieged for 60 days, part of it occupied. This is for one of the Garde Mobilise...

As a paper guy I really love the documents.... Here is one with the Sahara clasp, back on the days when it was not yet conquered and mobile columns were being sent off into the desert to try and pacify and navigate.

Some really Great stuff! Walter Nuhn has very kindly let me use a translation from his book to to describe the battle at Gibeon along with some very nice Schutztruppe militaria from my humble collection. Harry has been doing some work to broaden "his Africa"... adding a section on German Kamerun.... See whats new... http://www.kaiserscross.com/152301.html

And were later awarded the Ehrenkreuz... http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3398...mp;#entry319166 ;-)

And now no longer German......

An interesting case, as by the time he got the Ehrenkreuz, he was a foreigner ;-)

Hi, the one in the very first pic is a "Granatwerfer 15" it says so on the makers plates eg. "Granatwerfer 15, Rheinische Metaalwaren/Maschinenfabrik" best Chris

Will be a nice write up for the site one day (When I get to it)...

His MM document. He was a runner, killed delivering a message. There must have been some confusion as the wrong area of operations is in the citation....

With a name like that he seems destined not to survive the war... His medals...

Here is a (almost) A4 sized enamle and painted plaque...

Just recieved this small KIA group today. He was killed at the tail end of the failed German Champagne offensive in July 1918 (For the back ground see http://www.kaiserscross.com/41902/43401.html The regiment was right at the eastern edge of the battlefield...