Thomas W

Does this handwriting give any indication of the unit? Also, can anybody identify the place name? Thanks very much.

Thanks very much. I appreciate it.

Can anybody translate the writing on this card? I can make out "Brig. Sturm Abteilung" but that's all. Thanks very much.

You can also tell they're telegraphists by the Kar 98AZ and pioneer cartridge pouches.

It's Landsturm-Infanterie-Bataillon “Chemnitz” (XIX/11).

Here you go.

Thanks very much. I appreciate it.

Can anybody translate this writing? It's on the back of a photo of Saxon Landsturm men.

Here's a mystery photo: Württemberg state cockade and Saxon belt buckle. The shoulder strap looks like either a mountain-gun battery or an infantry-gun battery; note that the cap band is black with red piping. The guy also has a small, embroidered "G" badge on his left sleeve, at the elbow. Were any Württemberg batteries ever attached to Saxon units?

Sometime after June of 1916 about 500 infantrymen were transferred into the flamethrower regiment to fill the ranks of the 3rd Battalion. In late 1916 the light trench mortar was designated a weapon of the infantry, since the pioneer arm couldn't provide enough men to serve as trench-mortar troops. It could be that the pioneer arm couldn't provide enough men to serve as flamethrower troops, either. Judging by the date Kämpfe went into the 2nd Guard Pioneer Replacement Battalion, he may have been one of those 500 infantrymen recruited as flamethrower pioneers.

If he was a kidnapper he may have been a career criminal. Maybe he came to the U.S. illegally.

The Bluse.

Here's a newspaper clip.

I thought he was a member of the Marinekorps, because he wears an M1915 Bluse with no shoulder straps. There are also no buttons for shoulder straps. All the California legal documents I've seen, as well as the caption on the back of the photo (it's from a newspaper photo morgue), spell it "Muhlenbroich." http://ufdc.ufl.edu/...028419/00103/1x

I have a photo of a German soldier named Wilhelm Jakob Muhlenbroich. I bought the photo because it showed some interesting uniform and weapon details. I recently discovered that in 1940 Muhlenbroich pleaded guilty to kidnapping the three-year-old child of a wealthy California family and holding him for ransom. He was sentenced to life in prison. Apparently it was big news here in California when it happened. Is there any way I can find out which unit Muhlenbroich served in during the war?

Thanks. I understand now.

Can you clarify this? Do you mean the men were probably awarded the EKI but were given the EKII for the photo?

Here's a larger view...

Can anyone tell if this is the Iron Cross First or Second Class? Also, can you identify the round medal worn by the man in the middle?

Thanks, guys. I appreciate it.

I can make out "Absender _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Signalist _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Signal Abteilung Metz F. F. 3." Anybody know what unit this was?

But what's the unit making the false claim? It says "4./54," which would mean the 4th Company of Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 54, right? But at the bottom its says "2. MGK 19."

Can anyone identify the German unit taking credit for knocking out this French Schneider tank?

And thanks for the translation. I appreciate it very much.

I was very happy. The photos show shock troops of Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 12 training with flamethrower troops. The infantrymen are all wearing Pickelhauben, while the flamethrower troops wear steel helmets. I'll post this photo here, because it's a double exposure and I can't use it in my book. One other photo shows that the infantrymen have "R 12" on the front of their Pickelhauben and the numeral "XIV S" on the left side of the cover. At Skrobowa there were 14 shock troops used; I think the number "XIV S" means "Stosstrupp 14."