GreyC

Hi nesredep, interesting photo! I think its pretty rare for navy personnel to wear three Kriegsabzeichen like the man in the middle. The photo is a bit blurry but I mean to make out a Minensucherabzeichen and a Zerstörerabzeichen. Can you recognize the third? GreyC

Hi DrDerek, if he indeed was an officer in the late 30s he would most probably not have lived in the barracks, especially if married with child. I did a bit of random sampling in the Berlin address-books of the mid-thirties. No Hermann Jordan listed I am afraid. Do you know if he died in Berlin? GreyC

Hello Derek, if your grandfather was with the 9th Infanterie Regiment he was an Infanterist not an Ulan. If he served with Reichswehr Kavallerie he couldn´t have been an Ulan either, as the Reichwehr did not distinguish between different branches of the Kavallerie. There was just Kavallerie. They did all, however, have lances till 1927. If he was an Unteroffizier in the mid-twenties he will probably not have been promoted to an officers rank unless he was on an officer´s path from the start. Do you know the first name he was called by? GreyC

Hi there, could the yellow ribbon be the Zentenarmedaille? It is the least "valued" Prussian one, not even featured in the RL, so every medal after that on the bar has to be non-Prussian on a Prussian bar, which they obviously are. GreyC

Thanks for the info Nigel. Looks great. Greyc

Hi leigh kitchen and nigelbristow, interesting topic. @ nigelbristow: very nice. Is this the one in "private hands" as mentioned in the text in the photo in #1 or is it a fourth specimen of this now rare breed in GB? GreyC

Hi Larry and Morten, nice photos! Congrats! GreyC

Good mornig, just in case anybody was wandering: ZfE means "Zur freundlichen Erinnerung"= In friendly memory of GreyC

Hi Solomon, no haste! GreyC

Good evening, glad I could help. GreyC

Solomon, could you please scan the reverse and post it. Maybe i can date it more accurate than just state that it is 2nd half of the 1860s. GreyC

Good morning Gentlemen, after having posted this photo in a German forum to no avail, maybe here are forists who can help identifying these two generals having some soup. One is clearly from the Luftwaffe the other must be a German ally, but of what country and airforce? No other information available on this photo, I am afraid. Thank´s for your help. GreyC

Hi, the photographer was one of the most prominent members of his profession and therefore top address in Cologne at that time. GreyC

Hi Jeff, this migt help further: http://littlegun.be/arme belge/artisans identifies e f/a fliegenshmidt gb.htm GreyC

Hi walfisch! Have a look here e.g.: http://www.frontflieger.de/2-faa240.html GreyC

Good morning, it´s a pleasure. GreyC

Hi Trooper_D, what I could gather in a quick internet search is the following: The MIRS (Military Intelligence Service) was a joint Anglo-American agency with offices in Washington DC and London (Victoria Hotel), founded in May (other sources say January) 1943 under the supervision of Britain´s MI14 (Order of Battle German Forces) and the State´s G-2 (Assistent Chief of Staff). Shortly before the joint landing of British and US forces in North Africa. Its personnel was comprised mainly of German emmigrants to the US, its task was the analysis of captured German documents (150ts until 1945) and the dissemination of the knowledge gained through this. They had field agents who, especially directly after Germany´s surrender, discovered valuble documents in Germany that helped the allies prepare for the Nürnberg trials. GreyC Source e.g.: Germany and the 2nd WW, p. 306; Vol IX/II, Oxford 2014.

Hi Trooper_D, the hotel seems to have been in Northumberland Avenue, London. The document can be found here: http://wwii.germandocsinrussia.org/de/nodes/1850-akte-52-akte-nr-42-1943-der-2-verwaltung-der-hauptverwaltung-aufklarung-gru-der-roten-armee-gefechtsausbildung-und-erganzung-in-der-wehrmacht#page/194/mode/inspect/zoom/6 I chanced upon it in a different forum. GreyC

Hello Trooper_D, much appreciated! GreyC

Hello, I came across a German document detailing execution procedures for Serbia. This document seems to have gotten into the hands of British intelligence, copied and given to the Russians in 1943. The British "address" was M.I.R.S., The War Office, Victoria Hotel, London. As far as I know this hotel was requisitioned from 1940 on by the War Office to house part of the SOE. So given the nature of the document the M.I.R.S. seems to be an intelligence gathering or producing agency. Can anybody of you tell me what the abbreviation stands for Military Intelligence... something? And what did it do? Thank you, GreyC

Hi, see here, too: http://feldgrau.pytalhost.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?35648-Afro-Husar-welches-Regiment&highlight=farbiger http://feldgrau.pytalhost.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?34524-farbiger-Freikorpsk%E4mpfer&highlight=farbiger GreyC

Good morning, SMS Endeavour was a survey vessel. 1,280t, launched 1912, armed with 1-3pdr, 13kts. Served in WW2, sold 1946. (British Warships 1914-1919) While your guy was on board it was commanded by Sidney Arthur Geary Hill, D.S.O., R.N. (5 August, 1881 – 18 March, 1953) (http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/H.M.S._Endeavour_(1912)) GreyC

Good evening Gentlemen, having had a lot of fun watching you post cap tallies of the Kriegsmarine I have decided to join in, though my focus is on Imperial Forces / Navy. Here are some from the Befehshaber der Sicherung der Nordsee. As the unit and the boat might not generally be known here a few informations: Built 1915 as trawler ESTEBURG for Pickenpack, taken over by Imperial Navy Dec. 1915. 13th January 1917: 4. Minenflottillle 12. Halbflottille. 16th June1919 back to owners. 1936 bought by Kriegsmarine. 14th March 1937 named SIGFRID. 3rd July 1937 Hilfsminensuchboot. 1st. April 1939 BSN Schulflottille (Befehlshaber der Sicherung der Nordsee). Survived war after short British ownership back into German hands as trawler broken up 1952. (Gröner) GreyC

Hi, Text translates as: Franz und Heinz/Heinz sails on the steamer in the background now for the last weeks. Auf dem Dampfer im Hintergrund fährt Heinz jetzt die letzten Wochen. There are till today a Scharnhorstbrücke in Kiel and Wilhelmshaven. By the looks of it, and because the Schiffsartillerieschule was in Kiel, I guess the photo was taken there. Actually, they both function more as a pier than a bridge. GreyC

Hello, here another trench image, this near Höhe 304. It was a very contested point on the western side of the Maas on the battlefield of Verdun. Won by the German troops almost 101 years ago today (29th May 1916), it remained contested till the allied forces won it back on 22nd August 1917. GreyC