Chip

Charles,

I think NCO pilots were considered more or less and chauffeurs for the officer observers. Later, they flew single seat fighters in combat. I have a photo album of an NCO pilot that flew an Albatros in Jasta 40.

Your strap is a good one, though quite possibly a private purchase one. Is the tunic an issue or an Eigentumsstück?

Chip 

Nice Schutzleder! I rand into a guy at the Stuttgart show in the early 1980s, who had a stringer of these. Most were dated in the 1920s, but I found four or five with WWI dates. I traded off all the extra ones, but of course, I kept one.

I can read the Frankfurt a/M and the date, but I cannot make out the manufacturer's name. What is it?

Chip

​

Eric,

If you can't read German, you should be collecting Chinese stuff.

Brian,

Did his Württemberg tag come with a Prussian cord or is that a later addition?

Chip

The Klappenschrank O.B. 05 along with the Tischapparat O.B 05 indeed fall into the category of "Ziviles Nachrichtengerät mit militärischer Nutzung". Many were used for military purposes and, of course, many remained where they were before the war started and never saw military service. There were several other switchboards, hand sets and headphones of civilian origin that were used by the military, most notably the Streckenfernsprecher. This was a phone in a box, much akin to the Feldfernsprecher a.A, the Eiserner Feldfernsprecher, and the Feldfernsprecher 16.

I think that battery box is most likely a 1920s version. The three wartime models had three batteries each, but no extra compartments. Is there a zink identification tag on it?

Here are a couple of photos taken at the National WWI Museum of a mannequin with some of theirs and some of my telephone related equipment put together for the photos.

A nice documents Chris. You gotta love those sellers, who split up groups.

Chip

Eric,

The Hersteller is "L. Regensburgers Nachf.".

The normal stamp for the repair workshops looks like "J.B.A.X" That is "Instandsetzungsamt (des) B.A.X"

I think of those that have been shown, the one with the square "loop" has the best chance of being a good one. Never seen anything like what Hoss has shown. 

Eric,

What sort of markings did it have on it? Externally, it looks like one of ones pictured in Kraus.

Chip

Eric,

I had forgotten what the back of yours looked like. Glad to know it's not like this one.

Chip

Eric,

Don't count your chickens yet. Look where the seller is.

Does the back of yours look like this? It seems a postwar pin attachment on this Ebay example. Anyway, it's not typical for the reverse of a WWI Kappenabzeichen.

Chip

I'd hate to see what you would get for a $50 shag! 

For ten Euro, I'd be smiling too!

Chip

Chris,

They were used primarily by Landwehr, Landsturm and mountain troops. There were many different patterns used, as commercial (civilian) ones were pressed into service during the shortages starting in 1915.. I've also seen naval ground forces wearing them.

Chip

Nice one! Where is your wartime strap frame?

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. 

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