Chip

Yes. It's just a Litewka.

Chip

Chris,

Ribboned awards were normally only worn this way for photos upon receiving the medal. You've seen many photos of EKII winners wearing their awards this way, but never on duty in the field. I have a photo of Carl Degelow (last winner of the Pour le Merite) upon his awarding of the Hohenzollern Haus Order and he is wearing it in this style, at his button-hole.

The Ersatz Bataillon of Res.Inf.Rgt.Nr.86 was in Flensburg. It was established in August 2, 1914.

These two are wearing their belts at their stomachs and not at their hips, but regardless, the skirts are longer from the hip pockets to the bottom edge of the skirt. The jacket length is one of the manufacturing criteria, so perhaps the long version was all the B.A. had on hand. They could be private purchase Blusen, but you would think if so, they would have altered the collars as NCOs often do on custom tunics.

Chip

Charles,

I was just trying to say that I have some nice items, but not on the level, of the high-end collections (yours, for instance).

Chip

I agree Chris. When you have the chance to grab something nice, you go for it! This pair is matched! I'm not sure what your comment meant, but there were right and left shoulder examples in each pair.

Saxon Jäger straps were the same, with a specific right and left.

You mean like these?

Maybe like these?

Pitiful!

I have a lot of pinnacles, but a rather low mountain range.

4th Company.

Eric,

I have an example of that first card. It's not unit specific on the front, so I imagine it was more widely available.

Chip

I'd say so. It appears too long to be an Umhang.

Looks like you have some reading to do! I'm especially interested in the Leuchtmittel volume.

Chip

Fußschoner !

Super!

Congratulations Andy! I was hoping for a victory for you at the Kassel show. A very tough badge indeed! Now, some more research to see if any others were worn by Germans.

Chip

Sure glad I found mine first! It was one tenth the price of this one. Quite a few bidders too. I'm happy.

There is a fairly recent book in English on the Imperial Russian army, written by Johan Sommers. While not specifically about Pogoni, there are quite a few shown (many from my collection). There are some big collectors here in the States, but most of the reference material is reprinted German and Austrian intelligence (I have a wartime Austrian manual, which shows all enlisted shoulder straps as of 1917). There are a few references that are reprinted that show uniform schematics from 1910-1911.

Chip

I'd rather have that than a sofa!

That Saxon collar is wonderful! I've never seen it before on a field gray uniform. Would it be possible to see the entire Waffenrock?

Chip

I can't remember where I saw those. It was either on Stauffer or Ebay (or maybe both!). It seems many of the lots from Stauffer are being cherry-picked and broken up with the extras showing up on Ebay. Due to the way the lots were put together, there were some things in each lot that drove the price up and now the winners have to try to recoup some of their money on the items that they didn't really want. It will be interesting to see what else surfaces.

Were these straps originally pairs when they were sold?

Don,

I would think a relatively concentrated punch. I have some AP 37mm rounds and they could do some damage with a direct hit. The HE and canister type rounds are not nice either, especially when fired in rapid order by something like a Maxim.

Chris,

All the state buckles have variations. Perhaps Saxon examples have a bit more.

Brass buckles were subdued for field use. I'm not sure, but I think this was factory or at least Bekleidungsamt (or Werkstatt or Instansetzungs) work. The finishes are normally a smooth feldgrau paint that is baked on the front, both top and bottom, but not the reverse. I have a Prussian example and I have seen Bavarian ones too. Perhaps yours is just Saxony's take on the process? 

With an eye to perhaps publishing owned photos, I would not want to have mine spread over the Internet. I do post photos, but have found them all over the Internet and have, on a few occasions, had to prove they were mine before someone would give me credit. Due to that, I don't post photos that I may use for book purposes. I do post photos, but if they are something unique, I now normally watermark them.

Very nice Chris! That last one looks like zink. The punch-out on the back often "cracks" at the edges, as the metal is very brittle.