Farkas

All War Department Service Dress issued post June 1915 had either an RACD paper label, maybe the tunic once did, or a WD stamp.

All War Department stamps before, during and for years after WW1 had ‘W/|\D’…

Specifically in 1916 and 1918, all had W/|\D, the inspectors identification number and the inspection depots identification letter.

So it is not a War Department stamp.

- example below on the right.

I’ve suggested the alternative that I think it is, a ‘soldiers mark’.

- example below on the left.

I don’t see the problem, it’s better than a WD stamp in my opinion too 🤷‍♂️ Anyway, think I best leave you both to it. 👍

tony 🍻

On 12/03/2024 at 01:52, ayedeeyew said:

 

This is 100% incorrect I'm afraid. Perfectly as marked before it ever got to the original owner.

I don’t see why you disliked any of what I said and I may be taking you the wrong way but for now I’ll answer you in the same tone…

In my opinion the stamp on your trousers was applied at a unit level once received by the Quartermaster or soldier. Pre war more detailed and done by the soldier, later becoming more basic and usually by the CQM.

For you to claim I’m 100% incorrect so ‘directly’, of course I have to presume you must know

what the stamp is there for?

& who put it there?

Honestly I don’t think you do know…

but if you do, I’ll be happy to hear about a stamp I’ve not known of before.

I’m here to learn, so please enlighten me.

tony 🍻

On 12/03/2024 at 02:03, TracA said:

Thank you Tony! Forget me not...Send a night prayer...a much sought after article. Serious...sad...and humorous.

 

These postcards are wonderful.

 

Tracy

 

 

I’ve got to admit that I find these latest six a particularly nice bunch even if I say so myself 😊

Many such postcards appear to be part of different series’ that use the same ‘soldier’ and lady in similar looking pictures. The early themes used proud/patriotic  ‘off to war’ type images. Later ones noticeably more about the men thinking about, or writing to, the women waiting for them back at home.

I think I will organise the postcards a bit to show the ‘related’ designs together.

tony 🍻

Hi Gents,

and the back for this one 👇

and the last one, it looks maybe post war to me…

cheers all

tony 🍻

On 09/03/2024 at 17:24, TracA said:

My pleasure.

 

I especially like the "longing fills my heart" postcard.

 

Tracy

I put a couple more postcards in this one for you 🍻

9 hours ago, ayedeeyew said:

 

People tend to forget that increasingly from the mid-war period onwards an option available to officers in the field (and those less well off) was to purchase/replace their kit through the War Department. The markings Will describes and the label he shows are typical for these "off the peg" garments (I have previously seen the general quality described as "workman-like"). They have a much lower survival rate than the usual private purchase items, and I consider myself very fortunate in having a 1918 dated pair of the trousers of this type:

The stamps on these trousers were put there by the recipient, it’s his unit and the date. ‘A’ Company presumably and 1918.

If there was also a War Department arrow then the ‘A’ would presumably mean Aldershot, a quality assessment facility opened in 1916 to be responsible for Officers uniforms.

So

21 hours ago, Farkas said:

if I can see the ‘1916’ stamp you mention that will help explain its origin

On 23/02/2024 at 03:21, USN said:

Does anyone know how to identify the proper collar insignia for this period tunic? I have seen a few different examples but am unsure of what would be the proper style.

These are the officers badges

but I’m pretty sure officers would have used a subdued version, or an other ranks version, on the khaki dress during ww1.

I can’t find a record of ‘E. Clark & Sons’, is there more on the tailors label? maybe it’s bigger & folded under on the left? 

to me it’s an unusual label for a private purchase tunic,  though hopefully if I can see the ‘1916’ stamp you mention that will help explain its origin and regardless it would be interesting as that’s also unusual on an officers tunic….  
 

tony
 

On 09/03/2024 at 06:08, Christian1962 said:

 

Dear Tony,

please mind that Zagreb was called "Agram" during the Habsburg period until November 1918. I am not sure if a company working for the crown would have the used the name "Zagreb Metal"?

 

Kindest regards

Christian

Well that’s a shame, I’ve just lost my lunch money I guess….

& thanks Christian, I do need to get it right or there’s no point trying.

Back to google search for me 🍻

On 09/03/2024 at 17:28, TracA said:

 

Tony,

 

Unfortunately my old eyes don't let me see the marks in the pictures. However, I look forward to when you have more time for taking pictures and then posting them to the Show Your Japanese Medal Hallmarks & Maker's Marks thread.

 

Tracy

I know the feeling 🤓

I look forward to seeing what you make of them. 🍻

cheers both

tony

Moving this back up 👍

On 10/03/2022 at 18:28, nickstrenk said:

Good evening!Here we have some Spanish awards.All stars have marks.Who will be able to give an approximate price?About 500euro?Thanks for the answer.

 I don’t know what they are worth but they are great looking things 👍👍

Hi Gents,

cheers 

tony 🍻

On 02/03/2024 at 00:30, TracA said:

More great postcards/pictures, Tony. Splendid!

 

Tracy

Thanks as always Tracy 🍻

47 minutes ago, TracA said:

Tony,

 

Unfortunately I cannot contribute any knowledge, but I can say "great detective work!"

 

I certainly understand your lottery comment and share your excitement. When I purchase a Japanese order or medal, finally get it in hand, and discover a hallmark that did not show up in the seller's photos, then it is definitely a celebratory moment.

 

All the best,

 

Tracy

👍👍
I’ve seen your enthusiasm 😊

I’ve been following your thread on the hallmarks, and it made me look at some photos I have of some of my small Japanese collection … 👇

I don’t know if you can see the marks

👆👇

I’d never noticed the marks before 😃

I’ve got to dig my ‘Japanese’ box out  and have a proper look at them all. I’ll make sure I put some better pictures on your topic asap. I’ve got a couple of ‘rising suns’ (7th & 8th) in lacquered boxes to show you too.

cheers

tony 🍻

Hi Gents,

we have an exclusive 👀

I had a new Karl Truppen Kreuz arrival today, nowadays it’s like buying a lottery ticket… I’m that excited to check for the makers mark.

Well Gents, we have a winner.

A ‘new’ mark for the

‘GMIC KTK Makers’ list..,

Excuse the poor pictures 👇

It wasn’t easy to make it out at first.
The mark is worn but I could see it was either…  

ZM  or  WZ , 

depending on which way up you read it.

It was tempting to just assume it was ZM for ‘zinc’ metal/material or similar and I admit I was about to give up, nothing else was apparent.  But thanks to you Gents and your previous input, I stopped thinking jewellers and started thinking maybe a foundry or metalworks.

I can’t prove it yet but I’m saying it’s 👇

Since 1923 known as ZM-Metal Ltd , I’m betting it’s them.

I can’t find as yet anything else.

Ideally, I’d like something more to support ZM-Metals existence before 1923, (though as it’s on a ‘later’ ribbon could it be made post 1923?)

or, confirmation of their use of this mark but I’ll bet my lunch money they made this.

As always Gents, any comments or corrections are appreciated.

cheers

tony 🍻

Hi Muckaroon,

I’ve been meaning to dig these out since seeing that you collect Royal Warwickshire Reg medals…

I’ve got these 2 BWM

both were unloved and at least one, but I reckon both, have had the edges redone… they both changed units, so I think it’s safe to presume these medals were issued with their 2nd unit and service numbers and that they changed them to R War R.

And

I love picking up the unloved ones,  I don’t often bid more than 20 quid if someone else is bidding, but I paid 13 quid for one the other day, less than scrap 😡 

A pic of my disc only club… 👇

If perhaps you want these 2 just let me know, 20 quid each, I’d love them to find a good home, 

tony 🍻

So Gents, obviously I’m aware I got a bit ahead of myself but nothing wrong with a bit of wishful thinking… 🍻

The cloth at the base may have been wrapped around the base of the tassels, I can see mine has been tied with a light thread so I’m not sure it’s as distinguishing a feature as I first thought, anyway…

first little update,

the cardboard lining isn’t fixed and I think was added by someone to give the fez some rigidity.., it now looks like this 👇

Second little update,

as I was searching for information I found several pictures, below is an example 👇

A close up 👇

You’ll notice the sprig of something attached to the fez, well… it reminded me of this 👇

I bought it years ago for 99p cos it was with other items that were from the Tirol area. It’s been in an envelope ever since.

Now I can see it has a fitting & it is a hat ornament…

So regardless of whether or not the fez is Bosnian… and whether or not the ‘sprig’ ornament would belong on it even if it was.., I think I’ll let them keep each other company from now on, why not… 😊

tony 🍻

On 08/01/2018 at 22:26, Daniel Cole said:

As a follow up to this.  I found him! After going page by page through more than 6000 files, I found him. 

He was in the 11th Austrian Infantry Regiment "Georg Prinz von Sachsen".

Now I could use some help from a native German speaker that can help me with the handwriting.  What I know is: Ort: Stehlowitz, BezirK: Muhlhausen, Kreis oder Komitat: Budweis, Land: Bohmen.  Geburtsjahr: 1834, Religion: katolisch, Stand: Ledig, Profession: ?  That all matches other family docs I have.

I sure could use some with the rest of it.  next stop is to figure out if he was in the Italian campaign of 1859 and the battle of Solferino,.

 

This Entlass schein which was the secret to finding where to look in Bohemia is still in the family's possession aftetr 100+ years.  It confirms the birth year and place of residence Stehlovic and Muhlhausen.  The family name has changed to PINTZ now.  But the church records show PINC.

That’s got to be some of the hardest writing to work out…. normally I can at least make out some if it 🤷‍♂️

On 25/02/2024 at 13:01, 1812 Overture said:

I am 1.97 tall.. Genetic mutations

Overture…

the average height in China of men aged 18-44 has increased to

174cm   =   5 foot 8.5 inches (2022)

You :  197cm  =  6 foot 5.5 inches !!

That’s really tall anywhere mate, 

do you have ‘sperm banks’ in 🇨🇳?

-  You could make a fortune 🤭

这在任何地方都很高，伙计，
🇨🇳 有“精子库”吗？
- 你可以发财🤭

I just checked… you do!

我刚刚检查过……你确实如此！

You need to get busy my friend 🙈

tony 🍻

178cm

Hi Gents,

I love taking a punt on a hunch…

I saw this job lot of ‘hats’ 👇

There were no other angles or details available. The two alpine hats caught my eye at first but then I noticed the Fez looked nice too.. There was stitching around the crown for starters.

I started to imagine ‘what if…’ this and that. So I have had a punt, the alpine hats being the ‘consolation prize’ should the Fez have a sticker saying ‘2017’ or similar inside.

Well, it’s arrived and now I have to put it up on here for opinions 👍

From the front 👇

Some 1st impressions…

Its definitely been worn.

its not ‘newly made’.

It has no makers mark or label though the lining and sweatband it presumably had are missing…

Originally the tassle was held in place to keep it to the rear

tassel group was held in place under the long stitch at the centre/rear of the crown.

& there is a black circular cloth piece at the base of the tassel, affixed before the tassels not around them

I didn’t notice this cloth in the picture in the listing , I only noticed it when I had it to look at in the flesh.

So ‘why…’ I hear you ask ‘..,are you showing it here?’  well, it’s because I’ve just read this 👇

and I found two details particularly of interest.

- Tassel had to be worn to the back 👍

&

- Tassel was mounted on a rosette 👍

I’ve looked through all the Google pictures of Fez’s I can find and none have the black cloth base. All I’ve seen had tassels that are loose however I would expect that is not unique as the black cloth.

So Gents, without any real indication that it was & really just because I wanted it to be something, I bought it…

but am I that lucky?
 

Does anyone think I may have bought a ‘KuK / Bosnian Fez’  ??

Any thoughts or comments welcome as always… 🥴

cheers

tony 🍻

“Some you win, some just make you look stupid”

On 18/02/2024 at 06:27, Christian1962 said:

It's an interesting feature. There were some solutions for it.

We could assume that the bar belonged to an (f.e. engineer) officer who startet his career als "Fähnrich" in WW1. He could have owned a "Bronzene" or "Kleine Silberne" Tapferkeitsmedaille (nr. 5 ribbon - there was mounted a small medal or cross), then he received the "Bronzene Militärverdienstmedaille" (nr. 4 ribbon - there was mounted a medal or cross with a crown), then "Militärverdienstkreuz 3. Kl. mit Kriegsdekoration und Schwertern" (nr. 3 ribbon - there was mounted a cross without crown) and then a "Ritterkreuz des Franz Joseph-Ordens" (nr. 2 ribbon - there was mounted a bigger cross without crown suspension). KVK II on nr. 1 ribbon is out of question. The blue one should have been a 25 years service cross, followed by the "Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13. März 1938" (illegal nazi!). Then red cross "Ehrenzeichen 2. Kl. mit der Kriegsdekoration" (most probably) and on last position a red cross medal.

 

Just one option which would fit.

 

A less likely option would be an officer of medical or veterinarian service. He would have earned a "Goldenes Verdienstkreuz am Bande der Tapferkeitsmedaille" (nr. 5 ribbon), a "Goldenes Verdienstkreuz mit der Krone am Bande der Tapferkeitsmedaille" (nr. 4 ribbon), a "Bronzene Militärverdienstmedaille am Bande des Militärverdienstkreuzes" (nr. 4 ribbon), no idea for nr. 3 ribbon (that makes it less likely), and a "Ritterkreuz des Franz Joseph-Ordens mit der Kriegsdekoration" (nr. 2 ribbon).

 

Regards

 

Christian

i love it when you do this Christian 🍻

3 hours ago, V_Firu said:

Thank you Christian1962 for the valuable information you shared and the real detective work to help me identify the missing medals!

 

When I will be able to restore the bar, I will post the "after" pictures.

it will be worth it, it’s a lovely bar 🍻

7 hours ago, Graf said:

Very nice Tony

cheers Graf,

I love any excuse to post pictures of my stash!

tony 🍻

Hello Gents,

Front and back of this one…

The reverse 👇

Cheers

tony 🍻

Bonus German pic 😊 from 1910.

it was in the wrong box 🤷‍♂️
but I liked it .  😊

16 hours ago, diwe said:

Hi Tony, this is a beautiful tunic. I assume they used ink to add the name of the owned and sadly that is fading quickly. 

Thanks diwe. 👍

I got it recently but I had been aware of it for a little while. I already had 2 out of 3 I was aware of, that belonged to the same man and then it came up for sale, I recognised it and snaffled it up!

I am/was the only person in the world who knew who it belongs to…

This is the label on one of the other ones👇

and I have this 👇

Captain A W M Ponsonby.

I was over the moon and so it’s history is safe now.

tony 🍻

Hello Gents,

I recently used the research services of the Austrian State Archives to find out the various addresses of my Family before ww2. They responded quickly in writing with an invoice for 35 euros, I paid it and then just a few days later I received the information. It was efficient and comprehensive.

It seems like Forever that I have been googling my Family, particularly my Grandfathers name. But unfortunately I mostly get ‘distracted’ by the records of family members killed by the Nazis, more and more records are digitalised allowing me to find the fate of family that my Father lost contact with.

Anyway…  

to my point, my Grandfather was an Officer (Res. Lieutenant ) in KuK Infanterie Regiment 83 ( IR83 ).

Commanded a machine gun platoon and survived the war.

The website states that records, which should include his, are held at the Austrian State archives,

After my positive experience recently I have decided it’s worth the fee to obtain these records.

I thought as I go through the process I’ll share it on here. 
 

First, this is the page that has the links for the application forms 👇

https://www.statearchives.gv.at/services1/inquiries.html 

it looks like this 👇

The PDF then looks like this 👇

I have interpreted  (to the best of my ability!) the 2 page form below…

If any of you Gents spot an error in the above translations or have any other thoughts please let me know,

all comments are welcome as always…

cheers Gents,

tony 🍻

That’s so annoying isn’t it.

I recently found a ‘dead’ relative on an immigration list in America… only available to see the in person 😡 I wrote to them ‘expressing my disappointment’ and they kindly helped me themselves.

The other scenario is these institutions will often do research for a fee…

Austrian archives charge 35euros.

It may be worth an email to them 🤷‍♂️

tony 🍻

Hi Ian,

I think Terry might have been referring to the Royal Canadian Navy 👍

I’ve just been having another look, there is a similar style worn by the Royal Navy 1795 - 1812 but not the same.

Without remembering you mentioning the medical connection I had a look at Naval Surgeon uniforms and there is great similarity, I haven’t found one the same jumping out though.

The collar is the feature I’ve been trying to match. 

I think that’s where the answer is.

I’d concentrate on finding a Naval Surgeon (Officer equivalent) uniform, from 1800’s, remembering that they each had more than one, formal/informal etc…

Cheers

tony 🍻 

On 25/02/2024 at 13:35, JeffTong68 said:

Please could someone help clarify the time frame for wear (WW2 or post war) of printed shoulder titles (for the battledress uniform). I understand that they may have been short lived, but I have seen them for Army regiments and the Royal Navy.

Thank you.

Hi Jeff,

The period the British army battledress those curved titles were worn on was (I believe) officially…

1937 - 1961.

Cheers

tony 🍻