Chip

Robin, I know of four enlisted and one officer example. Three of the enlisted ones are now in the States. So, by count, that makes the black skull version the more rare model. Chip

Chris, The strap is OK, with typical Bavarian private purchase soutache number. The sloppiness of the number is also typical of Bavarian strap numbers. They rarely used the serifs and curlicues to fancy-up their numbers and often placed them off-center or askew. Chip

Thomas, In March of 1915, all contingents adopted the shortened (7cm) Litzen, which at that time were still white. So the change came some time between then and September 1915 when the new gray Bluse Litzen were introduced. I don't know the date of the regulation, but I do have a copy of the 1915 AVBs and will look through there to see if I can find it. Chip

Just curious if anyone could locate an "H. Alpers". I have an officer's/senior NCO's visored cap from the pioneers/Verkehrstruppen (incl., pioneers, Kraftfahr, artillery, Flieger, etc.) with this name in the satin lining. Interestingly, there is a page from the 14th of July 1918 "Berliner Hausfrau" newspaper folded up and placed behind the sweatband as a "sizer" to adjust the fit. I looked in the Ehren-Rangliste and a 1911 Rangliste, with no luck. Chip

Chris, I could use that tag. Chip

Chris, It might be the serial number of the Dienstglas. Chip

An M07/10 artillery Feldrock's collar should be the same color wool as the rest of the tunic with black piping. Stand up collars would be strictly a private purchase item and could have been purchased by anyone, but normally would be seen on an NCO's tunic. I have an issue example of such a Bavarian artillery tunic with the stand and fall collar. Chip

Here is a grouping of insignia representing the Garde Reserve Pionier Regiment. The Kragenlitzen on the top are for the M07/10 simplified tunic and the lower pair are for the Bluse. The shoulder straps are M1915 examples from Garde Pionier units. Chip

Strange indeed! They look like rugby socks! Chip

There are excellent websites that contain this information too and in English. Chip

It looks like his Militärpaß says he was in the Jahresklasse 1903. If that is correct, he would have been 31 years old in 1914. In this wartime photo, he looks a lot younger than that. The photo was taken in Kaiserslautern, which is in the II.Bavarian Army Corps. In the photo it appears that he is wearing a Bavarian cockade, so it is hard to imagine that he is the same soldier that served in the Prussian RIR.76! It will be very interesting to see what the pass reveals. Chip

Thanks for showing this. Wonderful condition. I find two things interesting. First, the use of buttons and belt hooks left over from Waffenrock stocks and second that the straps are sewn into the shoulder seam, rather than just tacked down. Chip

,,,and while we are on the subject of good Ricky, whatever happened to evil Ricky? He has been absent longer than I can remember as well. I suppose burnout does happen, especially when you are constantly being looked to for all the answers. But still, I am impressed that they are able to walk away from the ego stroking that being an authority affords. It gives you a glimpse into their nature. I say....Bravo! While helping others is most admirable, I am happy that it is not deterring them from spending their time doing what they enjoy and that will ultimately (I have no doubt) help all of us. Chip

Hello Bolle, What kind of lighting did you use to photograph these? I have been trying to use a scanner, but the details do not come out. Your photos are excellent. Regards, Chip

Chris, Not denigrating your new pair. Just making some observations. I forgot that I also have a pair made from Papiergarn. They might be made for the government, as I can't imagine someone who wanted Gamaschen buying papercloth. I can see a cottage industry involvement in government procured items, but not with private purchase quality pieces. It is amazing how many items you see with cottage industry type markings on them. I have two papercloth sandbags, one of which has a paper label still on it. The bags were put together at a "Heimarbeit=Ausgabestelle". The tag was signed by a "Hausarbeiterin", probably so she could get paid for her piecework. Chip

Chris, These are most certainly private purchase examples. I have never seen anything quite like them. The leather straps and buckles, the trim on the edges, etc.....all very unusual. Had I seen them without some provenance, I would have been very skeptical. I have had four or five pairs, made from everything from the bottom 4" of an overcoat skirt, to ones cut from a blanket, to navy issue ones made from canvas. The "Mars" and "Hindenburg" Gamaschen may be private purchase too. If Gamaschen were ever issued, you would think we would have seen a marked pair. I have not. Chip

I thought those "warts" were French ticklers! :whistle:

Hello Jay, If you are referring to the Litzen, they changed throughout the war. It really depends on the years you are talking about. If you mean 1917-1918, then they would have been sewn directly on to the collar of the Bluse, with no backing or Patten. They would have been gray with a central horizontal red stripe (Füllung) and with two parallel white stripes (Spiegel), one above and one below the red stripe. Here is a picture from the collection of the Bavarian Army Museum at Ingolstadt. It shows a Probe example of this type of collar Litze. I have three of these in my collection to scan if you need a closer view. Chip

Man, if you can make anything out on those shoulder straps, you have a pretty good imagination! Of course, if you have the answer, then perhaps there is something that becomes apparent, but without that knowledge, it looks like nothing. Chip

The first photo is from the Reserve FAR 20. Metal numbers were used for the reserve FA regiments at this time. Chip

Chris, What does the back of yours look like? All of the front sides I have seen have a sort of bubbled (looks flawed) finish. Chip

Looks like he was up to his a**hole in alligators! :D

Chemnitz was in the XIX A.K., XIV A.K. was Baden. It's somewhat hard to imagine these guys being assault troops carrying Gewehr 88's.. Chip

M15 straps from the G.R.110.

brianch, You must be doing something wrong if you can't post a Sterbebild in real size or larger. Are you scanning them or photographing them? Scanning is better. Chip