Chip

Neat item. What are the size of the cartridge cases 10.5cm? Chip

Fusslappen were issued starting in 1916, but were not popular, as it took practice to fold the 40cm x 40cm square properly so that the creases did not irritate the foot. According to Kraus they were woolen squares. Chip

Chris, I think this was the style of the period and that army issue was based (as often happens) on civilian wear. When it came to underwear, men in the field could wear privately purchased pieces if they wanted. The issue stuff had to be washed now and then. In the field, as you know, you can never have enough clean socks and underwear.

If you like these big caliber guns, you should go to Tony Schnurr's website (Kaiser's Bunker) and see his brass collection. The largest I have is a 21cm, but he has the big mamas. Just the shipping to acquire them was a fortune! Chip

So Chris, did you get it? Your post was unclear.

Marcin, Super photo! What devastation. It appears the two men with the packs are being escorted by the one with the rifle, as they seem not to have rifles of their own. One is carrying some telephone wire. They must be far enough behind the lines that the last man doesn't feel compelled to wear his helmet. Chip

Ed, They have the LIR shoulder straps because they are members of the regiment. They are specialists within the unit as mentioned in my last post. They are not part of the signals establishment per se. Just like the infantry brought MGs, Granatenwerfer, Minenwerfer into their units, each battalion had a phone section manned by it's own troops, wearing the same uniforms at the rest of the regiment. Chip

I think the dating of the photo is the main key to who these guys were. Starting in May of 1915 four heliograph signal units were assigned to the Alpenkorps. The infantry had carried telephone equipment with them since the beginning of the war and had formed telephone detachments to operate them. Each battalion had such a unit. These detachments also looked after all other signalling for the unit as well (signal flares, sirens, ground signals such as flags and ground cloth signals, etc). I am assuming that this photo shows such a detachment. This information is taken from the translation of Cron's "Geschichte des deutschen Heeres im Weltkrieg 1914-1918". Chip

Nice archive Chris. Hopefully, you will be able to glean some good stories from it for your website. Chip

Dave, That's a correction, not nit-picking!

Troy, Thanks for showing your postcards. The variety and number of military related cards sent in the prewar and wartime years is impressive. Personally, I collect regimental postcards. Most were sold in the garrison shops to recruits. Chip

The color was hellblau up until the uniform chage in 1915, at which time it became kaliblau (a darker blue). Artillery munitions supply columns would have had either field or foot artillery shoulder straps, Chip

That ad is laughable. What is shown there is a wartime Bavarian buckle, which was worn by about everybody, except the cavalry. The only cavalry, mounted troops enlisted buckle is an open faced, all brass, frame type buckle. I suppose that dismounted cavalry that were used as infantry might eventually get issued an infantry buckle, but this guys description is painfully wrong. Chip

I thought we had discussed this one before. Oh well, back tot he drawing board.

Which ones go to 1918? I took a look at a few shoulder strap plates and they look like they are from the prewar era.

Chris, Is that XVI Korps marked Feldmütze feldgrau or graugrün? It sure is hard to tell from that picture. Chip

That saber is definitely a Bavarian artillery model. It must be a home-town photo, as his garrison is 125 km away! According to my sources, there was no other Bavarian artillery unit (either field or foot, reserve or Landwehr) with this number. Chip

Andy, I'm not complaining about your list, but I just thought you might want to make it complete. It is very handy! Thanks! Best regards, Chip

Here is a better look at the M15 IR.104 strap. The cypher is fashioned by two different methods, the more common being the cord "FA". The chainstitched M15 version is rarely encounted.

Here are a few more examples from the FAR.29, including one M07 private purchase piece.

Tony, If it was only rated for garrison duty after the repair in 1918, it probably would not have left Germany again.

Thanks Andy. Who put this list together and what is their information source (if you know). This list in incomplete. Best regards, Chip

Here is the requested page. Not the best scan, but books aren't easy. Chip

Would soldiers in Thüringen units have worn the same colours? The states of Thüringen had several different cockades. Reuß, Sachsen-Weimar, the Sächsische-Herzogtümer (three states), Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen all had their own distinctive cockades. Regarding the regimental number, I'd say it's 107 too, with a period between that and the "R.".

Uwe, Thanks for correcting me!