Chip

Chris, I think once you get over five of these it is considered an official mania. Chip

Kjell, Here is a photo of the two cases. Chip

Humberto, I am just a beginner when it comes to medals, but I think it is safe to say that these two medals are fairly common and not expensive at all. You can find them relatively easily on the German ebay. The documents would be a bit more difficult to come by, but not scarce by any means. Concerning price, once again, I would direct you to ebay, where you can track what these medals are selling for. Chip

Believe me, these caps are already nearly impossible to afford. Here is an issue enlisted man's cap that just sold today on ebay for $827! The white cotton caps sell for even more. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...DME:B:WNA:US:12

Dave, I have those photos too. Some wonderful things there, but so many things that are similar looking. Perhaps he ought to thin it out a bit (I could help). I mean, why does anyone need so many gray caps? And what's the point of two ?berziehers? Chip

Ron, If you are talking about officer's headgear, I agree. There is not much to be had. I have been collecting for over 40 years and these have been tough to find as long as I can remember. I was fortunate enough to get some issue enlisted caps, but that was years ago. Enlisted caps are available from time to time, as I am sure you know, but those are normally the private purchase pieces that you normally see in period studio photos. All this time, I have been looking for a gray enlisted man's cap to no avail. It makes me wonder, with three naval divisions serving on the Western Front, just where all of this stuff went. Obviously, none of it was brought back to America, as the AEF did not serve in that area. So I guess that any souvenirs ended up in English or Belgian hands. Regards, Chip

Chris, Here is the link to the thread. Unfortunately, it is so old that the pictures are gone. Good luck! http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...15799&st=20 Chip

Marcin, I don't mind you asking, but no, I do not have what you need. You could use a bright gilt number on this board. I have a loose #1 and #2, but they are subdued and are meant for officer's field boards. You should be able to find the one you need without too much trouble. I will let you know if I see one. Chip

Marcin, The Bavarian J?ger officer board would most likely have had a brass number "1" or "2" on it when it was sold by the outfitter. Chip

Marcin, You really don't need a #2 for your board with the red piping, green underlay (as mentioned earlier). Of course, having never been worn, there is a good chance that if it was destined to have a number applied, it just never happened. Adding a #2 would be OK, but why do it if you have a legitimate unit without it? Without an impression from the original device, it is going to be difficult to tell you what unit your M1866 board is from. Is there any "ghost" at all that you can see? Chip

Marcin, These things do surface from time to time. The key is patience. Just watch ebay and ask other collectors. Most collectors have a parts box with various extra numbers, buttons, etc. What do you need? Chip

Gilles and Dave, As regards the second board, you guys forgot about Garde Nachrichten Ersatz Abteilung. Same exact board as this (and without any number). Authorized in May of 1918 as part of the new uniform for the Nachrichtentruppen. Chip Rick, Very nice Flieger board!

Robin, Yes, I saw that officer's version on a visit to Rastatt in 1981. Quite an impressive tunic and outfit and also adorned on the collar with Freikorps insignia. Chip

And the reverse.....

The only regulation that I can find regarding buckles from 1914 dates from Oct. 17th when the Bavarian Kriegsministerium ordered that the existing buckles (M95s in Buntmetallen) be sandblasted, spray painted with Feldgrau paint and baked. The first mention of buckles made from substitute materials came in a Prussian decree of January 1915, when it was ordered that buckles would hence be made from steel. The Bavarians ordered the same thing later that month. So, I think one could just say this 1914 type was a wartime modification of the M95 buckle. Here is an example of what I think is pretty close to what the regulation was refering to. Though not a Bavarian buckle, the Feldgrau finish is definitely baked on a M95 buckle. Chip

Kjell, Thanks for your reply. I think we have discussed other cartridge cases in the past. Do you have any addtional information about these cases? I don't own a caliper, but the inside diameter at the top of the case is 62mm. The diameter of the base is 75mm, diameter of the primer 33mm and the height is 63mm. The cases are both marked Patronenfabrik Karlsruhe, III 1917, 121 and navy crowned M. The primers are undated and just marked C/12. I will take some pictures first chance I get. Chip

...or maybe a 10cm K. 04/14?

Looks to me like a 7.7cm Krupp FK16. Missing the trail, of course.

I recently received a pair of German 6cm brass cartridge cases, which have naval markings and primers. They are dated 1917 and the only reference I have found on them is in "Notes on German Shells", which describes the 6cm naval H.E. shell as being used for close quarter combat against personnel and tanks. I would like to find some additional information on this gun and perhaps a drawing or photo. Anyone have access to information on this gun? Thanks, Chip

Robin, I have a friend who has a real enlisted Totenkopfpionier sleeve patch and that copy is not even close. Just an FYI. Chip

Robin, I'm sorry. I this particular picture attributed to anyone? Thanks, Chip

Robin, Does the book tell who wrote the article? Chip

Very good Christophe! I had not even considered the Freikorps. Chip

Chris, OK, I found it. Funny, you made several posts to this thread. A mind is a terrible thing to lose! The person who posted the document is Hinrich in Ostfriesland, who hosts this website - http://www.forum14-18.de/ Here is a further description of the history of this EK winner. "Johann Gruben was born in 1896 and joined the army in 1915. He got his training as a pioneer in the Ersatz Bataillon 35, which sent him off to Sturmbataillon 5. Verdun (May 1916 to March 1918), the "Gro?e Schlacht in Frankreich" (March-April 1918) and again Verdun (June-September 1918) were the locations, he was fighting with the Sturmbataillon Rohr. So, the date he was awarded the EKII is the Verdun period 1918 (in German= Stellungsk?mpfe vor Verdun), just before the "Gro?e Schlacht". On September 29th 1918 he was reported missing on hill 304 near Malancourt. He came back from captivity at the end of July 1919." Chip

Chris, I wish I could remember who showed it, but I lifted it off of the Great War Forum a year or two ago. I went back to check my posts, but I have not been able to locate it yet. Chip