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.

Thanks,

Can you see the roman numbers on their collar to know to which Army Corps they belonged?

Jan

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

Hello,

Could you post a scan of the front?

I would be very interested to see it as I live in that area.

Regards,

Jan

Here you go.

Lieber Hans

Sende dir Herzliche Grüsse aus Flandern

bin hier mit Landsturmleuten,

mit welchen ich auf Patrouille

bin in einem Dorf unweit Menin

Ein Unteroffizier hat uns geknipst.

Dein Onkel Hugo

Dear Hans.

I send you heartfelt Greetings from Flanders. I'm here with some Landsturm men, I went on patrol with in a village near Menen. An Unteroffizier took the picture.

Your uncle Hugo

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.

No one by his name is registered in a transatlantic passenger or immigration list.

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.

Thomas, are there any clues in or on the picture that could help answering your question?

Is it Muhlenbroich or Mühlenbroich?

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?

No, the first two NCOs are wearing an Iron Cross second class on a proper ribbon bar with a Baden Merit medal.

The third man, the Unteroffizier, he is wearing his Iron Cross second class on a crossed ribbon which could but not have to indicate that he was awarded both Iron Crosses.

Thanks. I understand now.

Yes it is a second class, but the manner of wear (with the crossed ribbons) indicated at on time (in lieu of a proper EKI) an Iron Cross first class.

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

The cross on the right is definitely 2nd Class. You can just make out the ribbon loop.

I'm not sure about the medals - ?Baden?

Regards

Mike

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?

Thomas, that is a false claim on a Schneider tank that was originally destroyed by the Bavarian Nahkampf Batterie 218 on April 16, 1917.

It reads: Im Nahkampf erledigt 4./54 am 16/4. 17

Have a look at this thread: http://gmic.co.uk/in...52

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?

Very nice!

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

Thomas, that is a priceless score!

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."