David Gregory

Very nice dagger! If anyone has images of the uniform worn by members of this organisation, I would appreciate seeing them. I have a document group to a member of K. S. Freiwilligen-Automobil-Korps (including a reminder to members that they should wear their formation's uniforn, and not army uniform) and later S?chsische Armee-Kraftfahr-Kolonne 362. I'll post a thread on the document group when I have finished researching it.

"Spinnen" might be translated with "crazy/spouting nonsense". This is one of the most interesting personal stories and research threads that I have read in many years. The fact that Wieprich resisted the system, refused to wear Luftwaffe uniform and also considered creating a peace initiative is frankly amazing. If there is any more to see and read, I would welcome the opportunity. Thank you very much for sharing this part of your collection and the effort involved in telling his story.

Very nice cross, Tom. It certainly ranks among the more interesting anonymous items that would tell a good story if they could speak.

Not yet, but keep posting them, they are another enticing collecting side-line.

Stogie, Thanks for posting these. I am taking my time to do my homework before acquiring an example of each of these. Could you post the auction numbers or the name of the seller for future reference, please? Thanks in advance, David

Here is the award document for the commemorative medal issued to Wilhelm Brey of Bavarian Gebirgs-Batterie 8. There is a fairly good chance that his path also crossed that of the men from RJB3. [attachmentid=20827] This postcard showing Helsinki/Helsingfors was sent by a member of 2. Reserve-Kompagnie, Magdeburgisches J?ger-Bataillon No. 4 to his wife on 1 May 1918. [attachmentid=20830]

Rick, Very interesting group! I wonder just how many Soviet troops were involved in the Khasan Lake "incident" and how many of their awards and documents have survived to be researched and treasured by collectors today. David

Paul, Your very nice album with its personal anecdotes is a refreshing alternative to the usual training/service/abrupt end photo series that are typical of such collections of images. The marching order shown in post #2 indicates that he was sent to the butcher's company to paint lettering on vehicles, so he does seem to have had an artistic touch. David

This is an exceptionally interesting group! Kust is not listed in the 1941 Berlin telephone directory, so there is a good chance that the firm no longer existed or was only trading from its premises in Stendal.

He doesn't know what he is missing ...

Amazing piece! Where did this turn up?

Here are two non-combattant bars with a Hohenzollern or Prussian veterans' association award. [attachmentid=20315] [attachmentid=20316] And another: [attachmentid=20317] [attachmentid=20318] Any opinions on which award it might be? Many thanks in advance, David

Gary, Nice bar! Denkm?nze is probably best translated as commemorative medal. David

Dan, I don't systematically collect or catalogue EK2s, they just accumulate when I acquire document groups. This is one marked G that I found fairly quickly (I know I have others, but it would take a while to find them). The condition will probably make some collectors weep, but it is undoubtedly real. Perhaps a comparison of the core details will help you. It is only marked on the large ring with a simple G. David [attachmentid=20307][attachmentid=20308] [attachmentid=20309]

Bahlsen published more than 60 Feldpost advertising cards featuring images by various artists between 1914 and 1916. The one below is the other christmas motif by the same artist (Diez) as Dan's above. [attachmentid=20304] The second card entitled "Weihnachtsabend" (Christmas Eve) was published by the Bayerisches Landeskomitee f?r freiwillige Krankenpflege im Kriege. [attachmentid=20305] Best wishes from Germany and I hope you all manage to enjoy some relaxation over the holiday, David

An entry indicating that the holder was entitled to wear the badge was included in the Soldier's Soldbuch, as can be seen in the lower left of this scan from a Soldbuch belonging to a member of 9. Kompanie, Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 60. This Soldbuch came with one of the badges with two holes, which is almost certainly post-war. I have seen these badges offered at a number of shows in Germany, usually the post-war type still attached in large numbers to pieces of thick brown card, probably as supplied by the manufacturer. [attachmentid=20240]

Brunswick's connections with the British royal family might explain the red/white/blue colours.

Don, Can you post or PM the URL? Ta in advance, David

Chris, Does the helmet retain traces of a white wash or does the finish just seem that way from the flash? It certainly looks more warlike now. David

I must add a minor correction to the information above. After its inception, RIR 234 was initially assigned to 48. Reserve-Division before being transferred to 51. Reserve-Division. This has prompted me to finally finish a couple of overviews showing orders of battle and calendars of battles and engagements for 48. RD and 51. RD which I have now uploaded at http://www.militaerpass.net/48rd.htm and http://www.militaerpass.net/51rd.htm

As Chris pointed out, there was no Infanterie-Regiment numbered 234. RIR 234 was one of 48 regiments raised in September and October 1914 and 75% of its initial contingent of soldiers were volunteers, especially students and older pupils from G?ttingen. The regiment was raised in Kassel (regimental staff and I. Batl. drawn from men of Ers.-Batl./I.R.Nr. 83, II. Batl. drawn from men of Ers.-Btl./I.R.Nr. 167) and G?ttingen (III. Batl. drawn from men of Ers.-Btl./I.R.Nr. 82) and assigned to 51. Reserve-Division. A fourth battalion was raised in September 1916, which became I./L.I.R.Nr. 435 a month later. The regimental history will reveal more (my copy is out on loan).

To put those awards into context, RJB3 was involved in the capture of Helsingfors (aka Helsinki). I have a battered copy of the battalion history at home and will see what details there are for the MGK. I also have a Milit?rpass and a Finnish award document to a member of Bavarian Gebirgsartillerie-Abteilung 2 who was there, too. Gebirgsartillerie-Abteilung 2 in Finland The capture of Helsingfors - 3 to 13 April 1918 by former commander Oberstleutnant a. D. Hans Butz The text below is a translation of an extract from "Das Bayernbuch". The detachment disembarked in Hang? on 3 April. On 5 April, 95. Preussische Reserve-Brigade (under General Wolf) started to advance towards Eken?s; with it went the 8. Batterie, which was followed by 7. Batterie after it disembarked on 6 April. The enemy had occupied the railway station and the adjacent heights around the valley near Karis. From behind a dominating defensive line, his armoured and transport trains came forward to test the ground close to the station. This was the way the Reds generally fought. The battle for Karis fought by J?ger-Bataillon 3 and J?ger-Bataillon 4 was supported by 8. Batterie and Auto-Kanonenzug Keller (motorised gun platoon). 8. Batterie engaged the enemy armoured train coming from the north towards Helsingors with some direct hits in the railway embankment and close to the engine, which caused the train to withdraw towards the north, thus freeing the route of our advance which ran parallel to the railway line. On 8 April, the enemy was repulsed from G?rkn?s station by 95. Brigade, which was pursuing them north together with 7. and 8. Batterie and the motorised gun platoon, with an enemy armoured train being driven further north. 2. Kavallerie-Brigade with 12. Batterie reached Ingo. The advance over the following two days resulted in no serious fighting. On 10 April, the troops occupied accommodation: 12. Batterie in K?klax, 8. Batterie in Massaby, 7. Batterie to the west, detachment staff in Bob?k. So far, the enemy had almost only withdrawn. It seemed as though he was assembling in the north; on the other hand, strong resistance was expected in the modern line of defences in front of Helsingfors. The advance of the Ostseedivision slightly inland of the south coast of Finland was supported by the fleet in the immediate vicinity. If the resistance in front of Helsingfors did not become too strong, this meant that the only real task of the Division was initially to liberate the capital, and then to advance towards the Red Centre between Tavastehus and Lahti along the Mittelland line to break the backbone of the entire insurgent movement. The Division continued its advance against Helsingfors on 11 April. As the vanguard (s?chsisches Karabiner-Regiment with 12. Batterie) approached, they attracted enemy artillery fire from the direction of the heights north of Allberga. All of the caves in the rocks were fully occupied. However, a detailed reconnaissance indicated that the defences could not be described as modern. The marching column was able to deploy almost undisturbed as follows: the vanguard occupied the small height north of Gut Kilo (Kilo Farm), 1. Garde-Ulanen-Regiment deployed for the attack near Gut Kilo, and was followed by 3. Garde-Ulanen- Regiment. The detachment commander ordered the mountain batteries to take up firing positions on the heights either side of the approach road at the exit from the wood west of Gut Kilo: 12. and 7. Batterien in open (concealed) position to the north, 8. Batterie in a covered position south of the road. Targets: 8. Batterie - the Grans settlement and the stronger built part of the position nearby, 12. and 7. Batterien - the enemy positions east of Grans that were to be suppressed until the attack was launched. Since heavy artillery could not have been brought up in time, the preparatory fire to take the heights near Allberga had to be extended. Negotiations attempted by the enemy at around 2 p.m. failed; at 4 p.m., firing resumed and was so effective that after approx. 30 minutes, the attack was launched and the heights were taken. At this time, Reserve-J?ger-Bataillon 3 and Reserve-J?ger-Bataillon 4 moved forward as complete formations in the north and south respectively, however were only able to secure the positions. Led by 1. Garde-Ulanen-Regiment, the Division then continued its advance into the night to the north entrance to Bergh?ll, a wooded hill. The next morning, the Division issued orders for 2. Kavallerie-Brigade to take Bergh?ll, while 95. Brigade was to advance against Fredriksberg station. The heavy artillery that had now been brought up, which fired very effectively from Allberga to prepare for the capture of the railway line and to block it against enemy transports, enabled the somewhat difficult task of 95. Brigade to succeed, with 7. Batterie contributing as a support battery. 12 April, however, was not to see the complete capture of Helsingfors. Bergh?ll could not be captured until 8. Batterie provided well placed fire in support of 2. Kavallerie-Brigade, while 12. Batterie dispersed enemy riflemen on the flank of the cavalry brigade at the Observatory. The divisional commanders plan to launch the decisive thrust on the right wing from Bergh?ll towards the Old Town was now put into action, After the very strong Red defenders had been completely dispersed, the following units advanced to the Esplanade without any resistance: 1. Garde-Ulanen-Regiment with 8. Batterie to the west following the capture of Gut Meilans (Meilans Farm), followed by 3. Garde-Ulanen-Regiment supported by 3. Reserve-J?ger-Bataillon with half of 7. Batterie. The 95. Brigade with Karabiner-Regiment, 4. Reserve-J?ger-Bataillon and half of 7. Batterie were soon able to occupy Fredriksberg railway station and ran into tough defenders in the workers suburbs of T?l? and Hermanstad. 12. Batterie, as the reserve battery, was to support 95. Brigade on 13 April. The troops advanced into the Old Town, supported by fire from the fleet on the Reede, and were involved in street fighting at the Swedish Theatre, in Brunspark, at the railway crossings in T?l? and into the Old Town, with 8. Batterie and 7. Batterie contributing with great success. By the evening, the Old Town was in German hands. Finnish White Guards who had been locked in cellars helped to restore peace. On 13 April, General Wolf surrounded the suburbs of T?l? and Hermanstad. The available artillery - 4. Batterie of 2. Garde-Fussartillerie-Regiment, 12. Gebirgs-Kanonenbatterie, half of 7. Batterie - joined in the capture of T?l?s. Between 2 and 4 p.m. the batteries were silent, since the enemy offered to negotiate once more, which resulted in the announcement that white flags would be raised from the roofs of the houses. When this actually happened at 4.15 p.m., it was no longer necessary to continue fighting and the workers suburbs of Helsingfors were occupied by the waiting troops. At midday on the same day, the divisional commander took part in celebrations on the capture of the Old Town; in the evening, the Old Town and the suburbs were occupied by strong formations. Among them was also the 8. Batterie. From 14 to 16 April, the necessary orders were issued, delegations were received, white Finnish occupation battalions were raised, a Finnish J?ger brigade was created and trained and a Finnish volunteer field artillery detachment was established at the request of the detachment and artillery commander. On 16 April, the men who had been killed in the fighting to liberate Helsingfors, including members of the mountain artillery detachment, were buried. The funeral ceremony was attended by all of the inhabitants at the Honour Square, between the Andre and Boulevardsgatan.

Bob, That is a very attractive bar. I wonder why there are no swords for the SEHO medal to be seen on the bar, which otherwise seems to be for front-line service. Could the medal also be awarded to comabattants without swords? David

From the pictures you show, I'd say you have a very bad paint job on an otherwise interesting shell. If you manage to remove the green and black splurge without completely eliminating what finish there might be beneath it, you should have a nice item to gather dust on the top of a bookshelf (which is what my helmets do).

Don, 26. Reserve-Division was one of four W?rttemberg divisions that saw very heavy action in Flanders from late August to mid September 1917. "Die W?rttemberger im Weltkrieg" really only mentions it in passing and refers to the various regimental histories for further details. I'll sort out some more divisional overviews with OOBs and a list of battles and engagements and post them over the Christmas break. The map below shows the advances made during the German counter-attacks in the area where your man was at the time he received his EK1. Keep looking for that regimental history as it will almost certainly discuss the events there in some detail. The history was published in Stuttgart in 1931 and was written by Vischer, who also wrote the pamphlet I mention above. David [attachmentid=19720]