Chip

Nice ring with great provenance! What else was in the Schörner Nachlass auction? Chip

Thanks for the showing the insignia chart Andy. I have that one too, but it apparently does not cover every example, as I have some that are not on it. Chip

GreyC, Do you know if this book you reference has any information on the uniforms and ranks of the Freiwillige Krankenpflege? I collect the shoulder boards and it appears to me that each state had the state colors woven in to the brocade, in a similar fashion to army officer's shoulder boards. I have some with black stripes and blue stripes and am assuming they are Prussian and Bavarian organizations. I also have one with a rank that is not shown in my reference. Thanks, Chip

Hi Tony, Both if you will. Chip

Sadly, Photobucket has decided to go the way of Imageshack and not allow third party posting of images stored on their site without charging for it. I left Imageshack for this reason and I guess will leave Photobucket too. I have no intention of paying for image hosting, so those forums that require a fee in order for their content contributors to post their photos will no longer be getting any photos from me. Chip

Too bad the detail isn't better. I would have liked to have seen those leaders shoulder boards. Chip

If you want to understand the organization of the peacetime army, I would suggest Joe and Janet Robinson's "Handbook of Imperial Germany". For wartime organization, Cron is available in English "Imperial German Army 1914-1918...", which discusses both early war and later war organization (I'm not sure if that is the Cron book you are referring to). There are also reprints of the various renditions of the "Handbook of the German Army", which are basically reprints of wartime British intelligence. Chip

The 200 series regimental numbers were assigned to Reserve units. Chip

Hello Morten, In your recently posted photo, does the "T" on the life ring refer to "Tender"? I cannot read what is on the sailor's cap tallies. Thanks, Chip

David, Private purchase, probably for the M1908 overcoat, thus the gray, not feldgrau backing material. Private purchase strap widths could vary widely, so in this instance, I think we have a prewar overcoat strap. Chip

Odulf, Your photo of the brothers shows a gray wool sailor's cap. It is the first time I have seen one. All others I have seen in the past in gray were cotton. Would this be the correct Kragenpatten? I'm not sure if the navy used the Prussian black on the Unteroff. Borte or if they had some sort of red/white/black stripe.Thanks for sharing.

Farkas, Thanks for the picture of the reverse. The pin base is typical of postwar types.

It's nice. Could be either group, What is the pin configuration on the reverse? Chip

This one.

Chris, What are you talking about? Is this another of your cryptic goosechases?

Hello Stephane!, Beside the cyphered shoulder strap, the soldier wears the typical Saxon field gray collar tabs with branch piping on his overcoat. This was done only by the Saxons. It would be interesting to know if his cap Kokarden are missing or if the cap is reversed? I have alway thought that Kokarden made excellent targets and wondered why they later covered only one of them. Chip

Hello, I don't see any silver threads in the knot on the Albanian sword and the knot looks more golden than silver colored (but that could be the lighting?). Chip

With the red and black at the bottom of the knot, I would guess it is for a Württemberg officer or Portepee NCO.

What, no issue examples?! Any of those would do, depending on if the tunic had company numbered buttons or was marked inside to a specific company. Bayonet? I would say a Bavarian issue M98 n/A.

Yeah, not doubt.

Charles, Which is the one that you have not seen?

Ouch! You think he would at least have sent a postcard home just to avoid something like that.

Thanks for looking.

Amazing!

Nice examples. I still haven't found a zinc one. Are there any maker marks on the leather tab?