Mike Dwyer

Two photos I have of him that haven't been posted yet. #1

On the Prussian Army rank list for 1914 it lists the ADSt that's right after the BL1 as the Afrikanischer Dienststern of the Kingdom of Belgium.

I don't know what the shoulder patch designates, but his collar insignia shows that he is in the Quartermaster Corps. The insignia was once jokingly explained to me as an eagle that cannot fly perched on a wheel that cannot turn, along with a sword that will not cut and a key that has no lock!

Web55, thank you very much for sharing these photos and history with us. I find the personal histories and stories to be the best thing on this forum!

Komtur, Wonderful photographs! I collect Imperial era postcards and I just happend to have one of him!

I'm fascinated and surprised that someone would go back into the records in 1944 of a monarchy that ended years earlier in 1918 to cross out an award given in 1915.

Chris, I'm no expert, but according to a reference work I have, Imperial German Headgear (1888-1914) Field Guide by James D. Turinetti and Jn. Albert O'Connor, enlisted men's train helmets had brass chin scales for parade dress, leather chin straps for the field.

Matthijs, Very beautiful. The colors of the cross is quite nice and it goes very, very well with the ribbon.

Ulster, I can't see the picture!

Thanks, David, for the information on the NDSM. That was my problem, I entered active duty in March 1977 and left active duty in March 1990. Came in too late and left too soon!

Unfortunately, I'm not exactly sure of what the medal rules are right now. I know at one time in the past a new recruit received the NDSM. I don't recall if it was after basic training or advanced individual training. I do know I didn't get one, which still pisses me off to this day. There was a fairly short period of time when they quit awarding the NDSM just for being on active duty. There was a concern that it was being given away too freely, so sometime in the late 1970's they stopped. I went through basic training in 1977 and I still recall the drill sergeants sitting us all down on the grass one day and explaining to us why we would not receive the NDSM. Later they re-instituted giving the NSDM, but those of us who were in during that particular time don't qualify for one! It was re-instituted a few months AFTER my discharge from the army.

Very nice, Micah. Wish I owned one!

Dave, Thank you very, very much for providing this information. I tend to be a collector of so-called "useless information" and I'd love to have copies of these volumes, even if I never have any use for them. Thanks again!

Sorry, Chris, I was so blown away by the tunic I didn't even notice the link to the ID information!

I'm going to go out on a limb (because I'm no expert here) and say this is a captain from Feld-Artillerie-Regiment von Puecker (1. Schlesisches) Nr.6.

Very, very nice Chris!

I subscribe to an on-line Scottish newspaper, The Scotsman, and today their "Fact of the Day: was that the turning point of the Anglo-Zulu war occurred today in 1879, when British forces inflicted a crushing defeat upon the Zulus at the battle of Kambula, killing an estimated 800 warriors against the loss of only 18 dead on the British side. After the victory of Isandlwana and the close-run defeat at Rorke's Drift, this represented the end of any chance that the Zulu nation had of remaining an independent nation. They posted a copy of an article from their archives about a eyewitness account of a battle, but as hard as I tried I could seem to copy the entire article to post here. So here's a link to it, hopefully it will stay active long enough for those who are interested to read it. http://archive.scotsman.com:80/article.cfm...9/05/17/Ar00707

Well, I see the Kaiser had good taste and liked Godet too!

You know, I once had a repro I bought just so I could have one, but I bought it from a vendor 30 years ago in a shopping mall and it only cost me $25 and was just as nice as any of these you've shown!!

Dave, Thanks for the fantastic information. As to the maps, I find all this a bit odd to me. When I think of countries, provinces, etc. I think of a mass of land that all together, but these German states that have a big chunk of land here, a little piece several miles away, another piece waaayyyy over there, I guess I'm just not used to that type of system.

Joe, Very nice article. Thanks for posting it!

Chris, I'm still very much learning things here, so I'm not much of an expert. I could be way off, but I would take that to mean, just as I believe you did, K?rassier-Regiment Graf Ge?ler (Rheinisches) Nr.8. It could be a mistake, or perhaps there was another Wilhelmy in that regiment, or maybe your grandfather was assigned to that unit for a short while. I just don't know. I don't have the 1926 list, only the 1914 one.

Wild Card, That is absolutely stunning! Breathtaking!

Chris, I can't be sure it's absolutely the same person, but how many Ober Veterin?r Wilhelmy's could there have been? In the 1914 Prussian Rankliste on page 366 there is a Ob. Veter. Wilhelmy listed in K?rassier-Regiment Herzog Friedrich Eugen von W?rttemberg (Westpreu?isches) Nr.5. As to his uniform, I believe Veterin?rs wore their own particular uniform, not a regimental uniform.

Even if he had no medals.......................how about that mustache! Man I wish I could get mine to grow like that!!!!