Trooper_D

Well, that will be something to look forward to. This is an entirely new field of knowledge for me and, as ever, the more pieces one sees and discusses the more one learns. Happy New Year to you, also.

Thank you for this clarification, David, which, I note on rereading it, you first made in post #7 - I should have taken it on board, then! In any event, the good news for Holmes_9740 is that he had a reasonably certain identification of his Cuirass! This has been an interesting thread and I have learnt a lot from your contributions.

Holmes_9740 (if you are still out there) Bonhams sold a tantilisingly similar cuirass for £3,840 on 13 May 2009 (see image, below). They described it thus, More details here: http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/17083/lot/370/ However, if yours has rusted, it cannot be made of brass, of course. Bonhams sold an other rank's steel cuirass for £562 on 27 Nov 2013 but the straps on that example are rather simpler than yours, http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20803/lot/57/ I wonder if yours might be a senior NCO's cuirass being made of steel like an other rank's but with the ornamentation of an officer's?

I've often thought that we need a 'like' button on this forum - and this is one of the reasons why Back to the main subject in hand, I think most of what I wanted to say about your collection, Ed, has already been said so I will only add: post more photos any time you like! [drat, no 'thumbs up' emoticon]

I've often thought that we need a 'like' button on this forum - and this is one of the reasons why Back to the main subject in hand, I think most of what I wanted to say about your collection, Ed, has already been said so I will only add: post more photos any time you like!

I think you have hit the nail on the head, IrishGunner. From the attached image, the Silver cross is bigger with a larger central roundel, a difference I think I detect in the case of Feldwebel Schnurrbart.

I am posting this fellow as much for his moustache as for his medals - which reminds me, Movember ended yesterday so time to get the razor out!

Irish Gunner has already posted some pictures of the 30.5cm M11 Mörser. For completeness, I am posting two more which give an indication of the effort required to move these gargantuas to where they could do their worst. The first is a famous photo but merits being seen again (even if it is captioned as a 320 mortar!). The second shows how the mortar was broken down for transport, with its recoil compensator placed on the middle trailer, the whole train being hauled by a Skoda-Daimler Road Tractor. Apparently the gun crew could deploy it from this configuration, ready for firing, in 50 minutes. For those who haven't seen it before and want to know more, the following are interesting pages which gives an indication of the damage this weapon could do, particularly to the Italian forts on the Asiago Plateau in North East Italy: http://www.moesslang.net/ww1_fortification_history.htm http://www.moesslang.net/ww1_jim_haugh_seite2.htm

Is the carbine diagnostic of artillery, Irish Gunner?

Niiiice :(

Thank you, Odulf. That's an aspect of the photo I hadn't considered before you pointed it out!

Is there an easy way of telling whether this gentleman is Füsilier Regt Nr. 73 or Inf. Regt Nr.79, please?

Thank you, IrishGunner and Paul, for pointing me in the direction of what would seem like required reading in preparation for next year! I imagine that other GMICers have similar recommendations and I, for one, would welcome seeing them.

Disappointing but probably correct

Paul I take it that a 'non-Christian' St. Anne is one awarded to a non-Christian. However, we learn above that Mr Lu was a Roman Catholic. I wonder if the Russians made an unfortunate assumption as to his beliefs or is there more to it than that, do you think?

Sorry, Andy (or anyone else), a newbie question: who or what was JRzPf 7, please? Edit: Cancel my last. From another thread, I realise it stands for Jager Regiment zu Pferde Nr.7!

Stefan If you go to post #150 on the following page, you will see the ribbon in its natural habitat -that is to say, on a bar with an MVO hanging from it http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/56780-bavarian-bars-show-yours/page-8

Stefan Neville identifies this ribbon as the Bavarian Medal for State Service (1898).* I know no more than that, I am afraid but that may give you a lead for further searches on the Internet. Happy hunting! * D. G. Neville, 'Medal Ribbons and Orders of Imperial Germany and Austria' (Balfour Publications, 1974), p. 43

Thank you, Claudio, for your [semi-]confirmation. I was reasonably confident of its veracity as the detailing on the crown, particularly the jewels, is rather well done (in my not-so expert opinion) so your comments fit in with this view, I am pleased to say. It clearly isn't gold as a 10x lens reveals tarnishing on the arms of the cross but it has some weight to it so silver 'feels' right (were they ever made using brass?). Unfortunately the scans are at the edge of my macro-photographic skills so I am unable to provide more visual information for analysis. Thank you again for your time.

For comparison, here's one (on an Officer ribbon) I won on the 'Bay, recently. Apologies for the quality of the scan - I don't own an Epson I note that the connector to the suspension ring (technical term?) is rather inferior to the ones shown so far (being flat rather than rounded). There are no marks as far as I can see. I welcome all comments but if it is a fake, please break it to me gently (actually, it wasn't so expensive) http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_11_2013/post-13362-0-87293400-1383564214.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_11_2013/post-13362-0-46492400-1383564717.jpg

... and that really is something to look forward to!! Thanks for your postings so far - exquisite uniforms, sabrigade.

De Bange - what a wonderfully appropriate (and onomatopoeic) name for an artillery piece

Nice dating evidence!

Very interesting, thank you. I look forward the the rest of your photos. Can you explain me the significance of the chevrons on the arm of Lt Bartos' tunic, please?

Markgraf IrishGunner might and I certainly would!