Trajan

Ah, 'my bad' as you guys say... Yes, an 'R' - I was looking at the wrong photograph! OK, so it's both a sloppy and an unofficial-style marking, but I have seen worse...! And a first for me in being the first one of these EB 01 I have seen marked to a Baden-based unit - not that I claim to have to most comprehensive listing of unit-marked weapons! Trajan

I like the fixable knife but I don't like the marking - sorry! I am no expert but all the DEMAG ones I have seen are marked in the usual German fashion, that is horizontally to the mouth of the scabbard, not vertically. Also, the lettering and numbers used here are all the wrong size and the marking itself is not the regular official format. And what is the marking supposed to mean? If the "B" is for Bavaria, then there was no 8th Bavarian Jaeger unit, apart from which this would also be the first ever known example of an EB 01 in Bavarian service - the majority of unit-marked ones are for Saxon units. Sorry to be a downer... Yes, it could be an irregular unofficial marking, but to what unit? Trajan

In theory, as the Frister stamp is on the left side of the bayonet, then they made the blade. and as the Henckels is on the right side, they finished the bayonet.

Well, I was wrong on that one - Bavarian and Saxon ones dated after 1916 still have the respective King's monograms...

Thanks for the information. Uni. term has started and so I don't know when and if I can get any further with this man - but I'll keep you posted! Trajan

Thanks for that information! So, over 6,000 unit markings? That's a fair few! Perhaps at some point we ought to swap details! I have the S.14 book and have greatly enjoyed it, thanks. Trajan

Somewhat off-topic, but the Roman army used thin sheets of wood (not bark, though) for official records and soldiers used them for private correspondence... Nothing new under the sun!

Just to add for starters that it would be nice to know what spine mark and maker mark you have there? I would guess W/16, and the maker 'DEUTSCHE MASCHINENFABRIK' - but they did not always date their blades... Any marks on the scabbard finial? These are sometimes found on S.84/98 scabbards. My money would go on 1.P.S.35, using a reversed 2 for the S, and so Pionier Battl. 1, 2 Schweinwurferzug, Waffe 35 - but that's only because the field pioneers were normally equipped with the S.98/05 and a kife-bayonet would be of more use to a searchlight crew. As for the uneven-sized marks, I have an 84/98 n.A marked 'FLZ 1036', and the style and size matches what you have. Some of the early-war period unit-markings did not always match what the regulations demanded...

The 'lanyard' is a Schützenabzeichnung, indicating he is a sharpshooter. I think the one acorn on the end indicates 1st level.

The Deutsche Schutz-Division had something similar, a sword against a oak-leaf wreath. It was very short-lived, so this could be a commorative pin made after they were formed into the Reichswehr Brigade 25 in 1920?

Another step with this one - friends in Sweden and Holland have tied down the chap in the next grave (on the right) - probably Gefreiter Franz Biell, buried at Vouziers, block 3, grave 445 (= next to Sensenbrenner, in grave 446). It is probable that the grave on the left, name unreadable in the photograph, could be that of the next person to Sensenbrenner in grave 447 in the Vouziers cemetery, Fahrer Johann Picket, died 17.10.1917. As for Alb.Sensenbrenner, he is listed - as Johann - on the war memorial at his home town of Meissenheim I have been able to get this far feeding bits of what is on the original photograph to others, and now see that the original poster, Rick Research is no longer alive. I would appreciate it if one of the moderators could direct me to who can give permission to copy this photograph to help further discussion on this man and (more importantly) offer a correction to the entry in the VdK (German War Graves Commission), who list Sensenbrenner simply as 'Johann', and also send it to them for inclusion in their files in case a family member wishes to search these. Trajan

I have been trying to track down this burial with the help of friends on another forum, and all that they have come up with is Grenadier Johann Sensenbrenner who died 12th October 1917, buried at Vouziers, block 3, grave 446... The coincidence in service title (Grenadier) and DoD, along with the rarity of the name Sensenbrunner, makes it likely that he is the same man, and that his given name was Johann and his common name was Albrecht...

Never noticed one of those marks before - now I will have to search through my collection! Turkey received over 100,000 Waffenfabrik S.98/05's in 1917, and almost all of them (in my experience) are marked W/17 on the blade spine. They are by far the most common German bayonet to find in Turkey and Syria, which is why I have so many of the damn things - 10 at the last count... In fact, the reason I started collecting bayonets was simply that I found a 'relic' condition example of one of these near Palmyra about seven years back, and after a couple of years decided to find out exactly what it was!

Who is the maker please? Like to know for a list I am keeping... Or is it on the Colonial Uniforms / Bayonets web? I'll check that later! TIA, Trajan

No, but they did put their mark -"DEUTSCHER / OFFIZIER-VEREIN / BERLIN" on some 98/05 bayonets, which are though to be 'Eiguntumswaffe', and I would not mind finding one of those...

No ideas as to the chain, I am afraid... The colours are to be found in the various editions of the Moritz Ruhl guide to uniforms, of which the 1899 version is on-line at: http://verlustlisten.blogspot.com.tr/2013/09/die-uniformen-der-deutschen-armee.html

Thanks - one more piece of information to add to the data bank!

I also have a S.98/n.A 'quillback' bayonet that has no markings at all - except for a number '4' on the inside edge of the push button, the same number being found written in pencil on the inside of the grips. I did wonder if mine was one of those made for Peru in 1909 that somehow escaped being sent there: if it was Peruvian then there would be a Peruvian State mark on the end of the pommel (and a number on the frog stud), so it might be worth checking the pommel to make certain that there wasn't one there which has later been removed. Mine cerainly isn't Peruvian, but nor does it have - like yours - a makers mark, or a spine mark, or any 'fraktur' marks on the various components (e.g., the screws). I have done a lot of asking around about my example, and most bayonet people think it is just a simple anomaly, possibly intended for German use or even for the Peruvians - and perhaps one that escaped the marking process because it was a trial sample.

That is a fascinating photograph! Hitherto the only S.71 I have seen in WW1 photographs were being worn or carried by Landsturm of Landwehr men, usually far from the front, guarding railway bridges, and so on. But here we have at least two being worn by an active-service unit in 1916 or later...

And indeed a German chart of tactical symbols does seemingly give the answer = Funkenstation! See: http://www.pickelhauben.net/articles/tactica symbols.htm

On possibility worth exploring might be to get a modern reproduction and see if that can be used. Soldiers of Fortune have these... Let me know if it works, if you do this, as I need one also! On possibility worth exploring might be to get a modern reproduction and see if that can be used. Soldiers of Fortune have these... Let me know if it works, if you do this, as I need one also!

HV could be for Heeresverwaltung... Army administration - but KuK or Prussian? It would be good to see the whole object...

Thanks - I was working from memory - slap wrists and remind myself not to do so again... Of course the Bavarian cockade never had a solid centre... Incidentally though, I have noticed that in photographs, Baravian cockades often / always seem that little bit larger than the national cockades and when Bavarians are shown with men from other States, those of the Bavarians again also look larger than the other state cockades, which is the case with the what you show in the post above. I have never really looked into it - but is that really the case? Are they just that little bit larger than everybody elses?

Thanks for the correction - will bear that in mind. I am not too hot on unifoms and badges and its always good to learn

I think that's the Prussian centennial medal. I believe that the China medal had a striped ribbon and these are plain...