Theodor

The Bulgarian commemorative medal looks correct. No, I do not think they have been faked. Simply they are like this, shiny even after bad storage.

Very nice! Who is the maker?

I have many WW1 pictures, They are easy to find. Unfortunately most follow one and the same pattern - a group of ordinary, unknown soldiers or officers stare at the camera, not even ordinary guns near them More interesting pictures are hard to find, but little by little have made a collection. I have no more about the assault groups, but if inteersted generally about the warfare on the Balkan front, I can scan some pictures

Lets look closer... looks like a flare gun

Last picture that I have, on 20 November 1917 an assult group fro mthe 18th Infantry Regiment has captured POWs from a different sort - French. That's what I have, hope you like the pictures.

I know their regiment, because surprisingly saw those easy to remember faces on this picture, which foumd from completely different source...

Sometimes the missions were successfull. An assault group has captured two Brits. Fortunately this one is well documented through the text written on the picture. The men are from the 84th Infantry Regiment - one of the later formed regiments, with older reserve offciers, called back to service. That small assult group from that regiment was lead by the quite older officer on hte picture, Poruchyk /Lt./ Boris Abadjiev. The successfull attack was made in September 1917, 3 hours after Midnight. On the back side it is also said, that the whole attack was made by 30 men, and those Englishmen were captured by him together with 9 of his men. He was not a show-off, he signed himself only as "Yours, Boris, grandson of the Bismarck, cavalier of the Bravery order, the hunter of Englishmen"

A whole assault group. Again helmets, gas masks, stick grenades, Mannlichers. Dated 11 June 1918

Ready to attack. Helmets, stick grenades, rifles, gas masks. Is this a signal pistol? And what is that brick in the man's hand, explosive? On the back: "A part of our assault group on November 4th 1917$

Hi guys, There was a talk about this in another thread, so I decided to show here the pictures that I have on this subject - WW1 Bulgarian trench assault groups. The Southern Balkan front was a heavy trench war, with lots of artillery and infantry attacks. There were also assault groups, making sudden attacks on the opposite trenches. The Bulgarian tactic was not only destroying a part of the enemy's trenches and thus preparing path for possible attack, but also capturing alive enemy soldiers, they were considered very good source for information. These roups were armed with the standart army Mannlicher rifles with ordinary bayonets, also knives, pistols, German stick grenades, various types of explosive matherials, German gas masks, M16 steel helmets. The groups consisted of ordinary frontline soldiers and officers, but it seems at least the officers were going though some kind of short education for their role, in frontline conditions - here is a picture of young officer to his mother, on the back written: "Dear Mother, Here, you can see the picture of what our craft is at the positions. This photograph is taken in the Assault course at the Division." /Dated January 22th 1918/. I just see I can put larger files! If this is not an automatic change - thanks a lot!!! So, here is a much better seen picture:

According to a Russian collector, it is a Russian soldier dragoon sabre model 1841 He showed this example, seems exactly the same

A WW1 period picture with similar pouches

I have put on the picture a popular WW2 burner heater box, to show the size of the pouches.

I have these pouches, but have no idea what was carried inside! The more square ones are unmarked, but I have seen these kind marked "BERLIN". The more round one in the middle is marked AM 19 16. I have seen pictures of WW1 soldiers carrying such pouches - all soldiers, so it was something common, maybe ammo?? Thanks for ideas!

Interesting, is the left one WW1, too? Here are some of mine /yeas the right one is Austrian/. I thought the only difference is the matherial, whether it is steel or aluminum, but seems there are more shapes? Those pieces of old equipment are addictive

handle /the black part is probably not original/

Hi guys, today got this sabre, I think it is Russian, maybe 1860's? Can you please give me more information about it? I found absolutely no markings on it, just on the base of the blade handwritten /maybe with acid/ "1863 goda" - year 1863. So, what is it?

And have you seen this? http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

I started talking about the assault groups, but the main discussion is the mask can. Here is is, closer and clear:

Here is one interesting picture. In the WW1 the Bulgarian army was supplied with German gas masks. And here is exactly that kind of can in use. This is an assault group, small groups of heavily armed soldiers, making sudden attacks on the enemy's trenches /one of the main goals was not only destroying a section of the enemy fortifications, but also capturing alive enemies - they were considered a great source for information/

Maybe early. In this site: http://www.gasmasks.net/ - found a picture of maybe the earliest German gas mask can, the GM15 gas mask. Same closing and same wire in the lid, only the beading in the middle of the can missing, maybe mine is a bit later?

inside

Just got this box! But why does it close that way? Chris, your boxes have a kind of locking system, while this one just closes, why? Is it different model, or what?

Not fair Chris, I still have none!!! But sooner or later will fill the gap Nice masks!

Wonderful crosses, congratulations!