Chip

Chis, All kinds of units used Rucksacks. Unless it's marked to a pioneer unit, it just another Rucksack. Is the leather marked?

​ Yep, you're off.

Eric, If they looked like this bullion one, there would be not doubt about authenticity.

Chris, Here is one of mine. Chip

Christian, The full color 6.5 cm straps are normally called the 1895 pattern, as that was the last uniform change date for the Dunkelblau tunic. The blue cord at the base of some of these straps is "für erfolgte Abkommandirungen zum Lehr-Infanterie-Bataillon". Chip

I've got complete red/brown bag with contents, but it is with the post-turn-of-the-century pattern poles and pegs.

Christian, It appears you have all of the possible feldgrau patterns of the regiment's enlisted man's shoulder straps. The ones that have or have had "tongues" (Laschen) on the reverse are the M1907 pattern. They should be approximately 5,5cm wide. The narrower M1915 pattern examples are approximately 4,5cm wide. I can't tell from your photo if the pair on the bottom right have dirty white piping or are just unpiped. If they have no piping, then they are the third pattern, the so-called "simplified" pattern which was authorized in January of 1915. This pattern was made in feldgrau wool, a lighter gray overcoat wool material and occasionally out of other feldgrau materials (ribbed wool, cotton canvas, etc.). These were superceded by the M1915s by regulation on September 21, 1915, but continued to be worn until war's end. Here are two of my examples (the M15 is half of a pair). Chip

The name is "Bumgardt". Can you read the factory town location? It looks like the last part of it is "a.RH." (am Rhein). Personally, I've never heard of a "cavalry" model mess kit. There's nothing mentioned in Kraus, if that makes any difference. The Brits had a separate cavalry pattern mess kit. Perhaps that is what the Frenchies were thinking of? This round one would certainly not fit into a standard cavalry Kockgeschirrtasche. Chip

You have a wonderful comprehensive shoulder insignia collection from this regiment. Chip

Hoss, Thanks for showing this outstanding set. I've never seen such a complete kit of this pattern. Up to this point, I had only seen battlefield gathered bits and pieces. The photos are nice too. Chip

Maybe the cross is similar in meaning to something like this.

​Eric, The Zelts are from Ireland and the Poles, well, you know where they are from.

"Rittmeister von Boynneburgk"

"L. Stromeyer & Co. Konstanz"

Andy, I do have one. It's a Saxon officer's version from the heavy (25cm) trench mortar detachment 22 (schwere Minenwerfer Abteilung Nr.22). It was never sewn on, I suspect because he soon after purchased his new pattern shoulder boards (shown here), which came in the same lot from this officer. The insignia is silver colored wire on black velvet. Chip

Your info on him is from the Kriegsstammrolle on Ancestry?

Minenfwerfer = Trench Mortar (auf English). Andy, Thanks for showing these photos. These patches were only worn for a relatively short period starting in 1915 and ending within a that year. When units became fully identified by their special Minenwerfer (MW) shoulder straps, later in 1915, there was no longer a need for these patches, as they had been worn in conjunction with the pioneer battalion shoulder straps that they were associated with. Few original samples of the patches have survived. Officer's versions were usually constructed with bullion wire embroidery. Chip

Nice one!

Yes, a sad truth. As the old adage says, "I wish I knew then what I know now". I would have invested a lot more in my collection. ​

Chris, As said, these are not seen every day. Much more difficult to find than a German can. I think you would be able to get your money back and maybe more if you ran it on an auction. Chip

The "Vocabulary of German Military Terms and Abbreviations" 1917-18 translates etatsmäßigen as "on the establishment". I assume this means on the permanent rolls as an Unteroffizier. Chip

So, let's see the cap. I forgot to mention that some of the items supposedly "collected" by this doctor were questionable if not pure fakes.

Is the card attached to something? I don't see anything on the card that indicates when it was written, but the wording seems to suggest actions contemporary to WWI. I have a similar piece of Austrian insignia, mounted on cardboard with ID in German. Supposedly, it was collected during the war by any Austrian doctor. But it's' just a story.

"australischen Verband" ?

"My remembrances of Verdun" Yeah, that might be very interesting. I wish my Schrift deciphering talents were better. This is pretty good penmanship and we have participants here who are quite adept at reading this Chip.