GreyC

Hi Laurentius, thank you for your in-depth answer. I totally agree with you on the bar in question and its presumptive owner. It must have belonged either to a medical doctor of the Prussian forces that actually worked in a field-hospital or the like or some medical doctor in an Army-HQ or Divisional-HQ on the South-Eastern front. I have a special interest in the Freiwillige (Kriegs)krankenpflege of which the German Landesverbände of the Red Cross constituted the largest part. But there were also the Johanniter and Malteser and also a Jewish organisation (if I remember correctly) that belonged to this non-combatant organisation. I remember reading about the EK discussion you mentioned with great interest. I have only few photos with recipients of the non-combatant EK. I have attached two fairly rare photos from my collection. a) An officer of the Johanniter (German St. John´s) as member of the Freiwillige Kriegskrankenpflege b) a group of Freiwillige Kriegskrankenpfleger, one from the Red Cross, the rest Johanniter. Note the ribbon of the Red Cross guy (the platoon-leader / Zugführer in the middle): to me a combatant EKII for a non-combatant. In comparison the ribbons of the fellows from the Johanniter (left Gruppenführer). Clearly different but not a non-combatant EKII to me. Any ideas? GreyC

Hi Laurentius, this is not meant as a rhetorical question burt a sincere one. I wonder how often the Prussian Red Cross Medal was awarded to Prussian military officers /soldiers with combatant status, as the statut of the medal states that the medal was intended to be awarded from 1898 on to those who, in peacetime or war, had great merit in the service of sick and ailing people and for special services rendered in the service as members of the Red Cross.That, for me, points primarily to the members of the Freiwillige Krankenpflege and Freiwillige Kriegskrankenpflege (non-combatants) and not to military staff of the Prussian forces (be they medical doctors or not). There were of course also medical doctors in the service of the Red Cross and the ribbon above seems to point to a combatant, or does it? Do (any of) you have photos of Stabsärzte or the like awarded with that medal? Cheers, PS: This photo shows a "Kolonnenführer" of the Freiwillige (Kriegs)krankenpflege with the medal in question. Does not, of course, proof my point, just a nice example, I think.

Hi, the Grenadierregiment was aufgestellt am 11. Dezember 1943 in Westfrankreich für die 275. Infanterie-Division. Im Dezember 1944 bei Aachen aufgelöst. Neu aufgestellt am 21. Dezember 1944 bei Flensburg. Courtesy of Lexikon der Wehrmacht. So it is unlikely that a regimental history exists. If there is no label in the tunic with his name or at least initials are in it. You´ll have a hard time finding infos on him. GreyC

Last one: Two massgraves of the 73rds from September 1914 in the gravel quarry in front of my shelter August 1916 The Füsilier Regiment 73 from Hannover was Ernst Jünger´s unit. GreyC

Hi Tony, as always, very welcome. This is an interesting lot. It´s late, so I won´t be taking out my books, but I dare say that 1) Gardegrenadierregiment 2) seems to have been comandeered to a school (Maybe NCO school) see light striped thread on shoulder flap 3)Einjährigfreiwillige of an Infanterie Regiment with a regiment that has a monogram on its flaps 4) seem to me like Kadetten 5) Firemen, first row muscians. GreyC

Hi, first one informs addressee that they have arrived in Berlin, won´t sray there long and visit soon. 2nd from Landwehr-Infanterie-Reg. 40 is to brother. A thank-you note for a parcel. Unfortunately can´t read the 2nd part. Best, GreyC

Hi, Fieldgrey top, piping red, Besatzstreifen black, visor black if I remember correctly. GreyC

Hi, 3rd June 1917 x=Head of repairshop Helmich xx=Motorcycledriver Wohlebe of Motorcycle unit 1 (Kraftrad-Abteilung 1) Charleville-Mezieres, France Merry Xmas, GreyC

Very nice! GreyC

Hi, 1) Stop working, it´s lunchtime! 2) Female cousin to female thanks for parcel, will meet Xmas 3) Brother to sister thanks for parcel almost everything reached him unbroken. GreyC

Here is my contribution to the inter-war period. Photo taken in Northern Germany. What type is the other MG, please? GreyC

Hi, the last four are Russian before or during WW1. Of those the two on the left Cossacks (I belive). The first photo over all is Russian WW2. GreyC

Thank´s for the link. Interesting stuff. GreyC

This is a very interesting photo. The sign says "Probe-Fahrt" "Tryout-tour". So the soldiers are either part of a driving school or some sort of mechanics who try out new or repaired motorcycles. GreyC

Hi, thank you, but nobody is forcing you....though every intersting picture will be appreciated ;-) GreyC

Hi MG1918, thank you for your careful observations. I am not really familiar with all of the technical terms and abbriviations, so could you tell me what an AA sight is? Anti-Aircraft? Thank you! GreyC

Thanks Bayern. GreyC

Hi, first (very interesting) photo: NCO sentry (Posten) in Dixmuiden. In the background a detonating enemy granade . Other side: Dear Emma, for you this card. Here you see a redoubt. The bags are full of earth or dirt. And the walls are up to three meters wide/thick/strong, so that no shot will penetrate easily. But if a granade hits directly it is all destroyed. The 2nd photo shows the BAVARIAN RIR3, 2nd coy. Greetings to a brother and the info that an accquaintance (?) was KIA. Best, GreyC

Hi Bayern, yes, that´s the English expression I suppose. GreyC

Hi, thank you for the promptly posted additional photos! GreyC

Hi MG1918, thank you for responding. Do you have any photo-examples of these that you mentioned? And what do you think about the idea of this being a naval variant of the MG08/15? Best, GreyC

Thank´s for the input, Bayern. But shouldn´t it be rather a Rückstoßverstärker with a MG? So the opposite? GreyC

Thank you, that helps. What´s i tersting with the 2nd crd is that it seems to originate in New York, was mailed from Cologne by a Saxon to his mother in Saxony. Now at that time the US was still neutral, so maybe it was a photographic gimmick invented in the US and exported to Germany where some German photo studio had it on offer. GreyC

Hi, 2nd card: Wants to know if mother has sent him money 3rd card: I think the name is Baues. Compare the "n" in "Untf." They usually, but not always distinguished u and n by a horizontal stroke above the letter, that is missing here above the "u". GreyC PS: It would help considerably if the cards with writing on them would be posted in the right angle to read them, not in a 90 degree angle.

Nice cards! Thank´s for posting. The Pionier-Bataillon was stationed in Harburg, today part of Hamburg. GreyC