Jeff Noll

This belt/buckle was a very late addition to my menagerie. It is a beautiful belt with a 1918 tab marked buckle. It looks apparent to me that the belt/buckle have been together for ever. The belt "thingie" came with it. Note the remainder of the feldgrau finish on the metal.

Here is the real deal. I realize it is on the belt backwards. Enjoy.

Chip, Me too! I found the reference in Peter Meinlschmidt's book on Identity Tags/Disks. It is on page 43, "In a circular (dated 11 Sept 1917) issued by the Prussian War Ministry to all Clothing Depots it was pointed out that booty stocks, available at Bremen, of black-colored hat lace (made of "Tagal") should also be used as cords for identity disks. However, its tensile strength was to be tested and only lots with a minimum tensile strength of 10 kilograms would qualify." Beyond that I have no info. I recently got two MG dog tags with this cord on them (pictured above). I also have one tag in my case with this style cord. I, like you, are used to seeing the braided color cord or the light colored cord with the external lacing on dog tags.

Here is the fourth and final for today. It is the standard m1916 pattern however is is made of zinc plated steel (magnetic). You can see the areas where the plating has flaked off and rust has appeared. This Erkennungsmarke is obviously harder to stamp as evidenced by the shallow markings. This guy as originally in the 3rd Ersatz MGK of 13th Armeekorps and then assigned to Reserve Infantry Regiment 119's 1st MGK,

Here is the 3rd. This is also a m1916 although is technically the m1917. This guy was in the 2nd Ersatz MGK of the 14th Armeekorps. The original black colored hat lace made of Tagal is also present.

Here is the second. This guy was originally in Reserve Infantry Regiment 247's 3rd MGK and later was assigned to Infantry Regiment 120's 3rd MGK. It is a standard m1916 Erkennungsmarke. It also has the original black colored hat lace made of Tagal.

Here is the first of four new (old) MG dog tags. This one is 5.2 cm. X 3.6 cm. It is from a guy in Feld-Maschinen-Gewehr-Zug 312. There were 530 Prussian and 38 Bavarian FMGZs. They were all combined to make the 2nd and 3rd MGKs of infantry regiments.

Well guys back on 15 June 2014 I posted this photo of my MG dog tag collection case. Someone (Chris Boonzaier) asked for individual photos. Almost a year later I am ready to execute but want to know if anyone is still interested in seeing all of them? I will be posting photos of four e-marks I recently added but they haven't made it into the case. (I am a bit a a loss to figure out how?). I guess I will have to go the sardine route of packing to get them in.

Here is the second. It is 5.2 cm. wide X 3.7 cm. high. Front "Kurt Wagenblast" and back "XII.M.A.A.5. / 5. This guy was part of the 12th Marine Artillery Abteilung, 5th Company. Note the "800" sliver mark.

A little departure from MGK soldaten but thought you all would like to see these Kaiserliche Marine dog tags. This one 5 cm. wide X 3.5 cm. high. If my read of German script is correct is says "Titschack / Mar. Ob. Stabsarzt / Kriegslazarett II" Translated "Titschack // Marine Ober Captain (medical rank) / War Hospital II"

Adler 1, It is marked on the right side. Jeff

Well I thought I would send my browplate out into cyberspace. The strap is made from a WW2 German strap.

They are definitely not WWI MG straps. They could be for a Minenwerfer or for that matter any number of other country military hardware. Sorry I could not be more helpful. Jeff

Looks like the 18th Infantry Regiment and the 14th [XIV] Reserve Division. Oddly the 18th infantry regiment was not in this division.

I would have interest in any Machine Gun Abteilung photos of soldiers in Grungrau uniforms with shakos.

Jock, I believe this soldier is wearing a M79 Reichrevolver not an artillery luger. Jeff

Here is the Dombrowsky figure now. A more fitting face for a senior officer.

I am still looking for this guy. His name is spelled with a "y" vice "i". Louis Dombrowsky. The only data I have been able to find is his listing on the Naval Rank List and web page on SMS Schwaben.

Hoss, Although the "/" is normally associated with the Weimar period (and documented in the 1923 hand-weapon stamping manual), it is not uncommon on non-weapon unit designations. There are also lugers reported with the "/" which because of the regiment number have to have been applied pre 1919. Jeff

Prussian, Yes this is a reprint of my book. What you have is the soft cover folded and stapled gray covered booklet (~80 pages). It was my first attempt at publishing. In 1998 the hard covered The Imperial German Regimental Marking [Revised Edition]. It has a black cover and is 198 pages. I have been sold out of them for ~10 years and the secondary market is selling them for very high prices. To help those collectors who were unable to find a copy I basically republished it as the spiral bound version [Redux] (see in the classified section). Although not a bound hard cover book, I used better paper and the printing is very crisp. I have attached a sampling of the chapters. Jeff

Steve, My book is available again. I just published a Redux. Please see the classified under books. thx Jeff

I agree with The Prussian.

Minen, MY FACE IS RED! I just looked at the single photo and did not realize it was part of a grouping. Please forgive my false start. I have a ensemble from a sailor who served on Molke. Here is a photo. The oval colorized photo is of him also. His name was August Elske. I have many of his documents (few military) and his named stein (on roll-top between Collani and jumper) from Molke. Please excuse poor photo. Jeff

Minen, L.J. is Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment. German old text (Fette Fractur) used the same character for the "I" and "J". That is why you sometimes see Infanterie spelled Jnfanterie. I have done a Redux of my book, The Imperial German Regimental Marking, Where the book is primarily for the hand stamping of weapons, most practices overlapped with other markings on WWI German equipment and Militaria (like dog tags). I need to get an advertisement placed on this website. Peter Meinlschmidt's. German WW1 Identity Tags/Disks is well worth the effort to find. It was printed in 1993 and may prove a challenge if Peter does not still have a stash. I have not had any contact with him for may years.

Chis, It is a tailor's private purchase tunic. Not converted. It has been on this "headed prick" for so long I do not remember if it has a name on the tailor's tag in it. I will have to remove it sometime and check. Find some period sun glasses!!!! Very tough. I thought I would get beat-up over the goatee?? BTW the officer's belt is a peach. Jeff