IrishGunner

I can't help ya...but it's good to see you back at GMIC - it's been a couple months.

Nice site! Well done. :catjava:

Here's the back; a piece of very clean black felt.

I believe this has to be a fantasy bar. First, I would think someone with such long service would have received a Polonia Restutia. Also, the lack of a Cross of Merit in Bronze seems odd since he has both the Gold and Silver. Then there are the non-military awards to go with the Ministry of Defense awards. And the unknown ribbons just add to the confusion. So, does anyone agree this is a fantasy bar or am I just missing some details? Here's what I see... Cross of Merit (Gold) Cross of Merit (Silver) Armed Forces in Service for the Country (Gold) Armed Forces in Service for the Country (Silver) Armed Forces in Service for the Country (Bronze) Medal for Merit for the Country Defense (Silver) Medal for Merit for the Country Defense (Bronze) Decoration of Merit in Protection of Public Order (Bronze) ???? Socialist Youth Association Decoration of Janek Krasicki (Gold) ???? ???? Decoration of Merit for the Voluntary Labor Troops (Bronze) ????

I should remember where I got this Bundeswehr Verbandsabzeichen, but I don't. I know it's Bavarian related; even similar to a Polizei Anhaenger for Oberbayern - but I thought I got this from a Bundeswehr officer some time ago. I just can't remember when or why. And not sure why I'd have a Polizei patch. Or maybe I was in jail in Bavaria and just can't remember that either. Anyone have a clue as to which unit this patch represents? I can't find it online at all.

Les; great news dispatches to go with the photos! Fantastic context.

Hardy, agreed; the gun tube is still present, but is in a position we gunners call "out-of-battery". Out-of-battery means the cannon tube is not forward in its proper firing position. This usually occurs when there is a malfunction of the recoil mechanism and the tube stays to the rear rather than recoiling forward into a position to be fired again. If you try firing a gun out-of-battery, it will cause significant damage. You can also take a cannon tube out-of-battery deliberately to perform maintenance on the recoil system. Since the 9.2 Heavy Howitzer was so large, it had to be transported in separate loads; the cannon tube being one separate and distinct load from the carriage. Therefore, it was normal (and probably relatively easy) to take the cannon tube out-of-battery for disassembly and transport. There was some type of retaining mechanism that allowed the cannon tube to be disassembled, but also kept the gun in-battery for firing. I'm guessing that the British gunners removed this retaining mechanism, allowing the guns to come out-of-battery - and therefore, be not able to fire - before they abandoned the position. I don't have any images of the 9.2 Heavy Howitzer in my own collection, but here is one from the web showing the cannon tube in-battery and ready to fire. In this picture you see there is a distinct connection between the breech block and the recoil tube on top of the cannon tube sleeve. This connection is missing on your photo. The retaining mechanism (looks like a large nut on on the rear end of the recoil tube) connects the end of the recoil tube to the breech block. The guns in your photo are not connected in this way; the nut appears to be missing and therefore, the guns are out-of-battery and not able to fire, even though the cannon tubes are intact. Also, the gun was loaded while the tube was forward in-battery; not to the rear as shown in your pictures. There was a little winch to raise the round to the breech.

Jens is absolutely correct - the guns are British 9.2 Heavy Howitzers - siege guns of the Royal Garrison Artillery (British equiv of the Fussartillerie). And certainly this a captured battery. Although, as we all know, there was no hesitation to use captured equipment if possible. These guns are definitely "out of battery" - meaning the tube is out of position for firing. Since these guns had to be disassembled into three pieces for transport, it's possible the British gunners "disassembled" the guns partially so they could not be fired, but not completely damaged (such as blasting a hole in the gun tube) just in case they were able to re-capture the guns from the Germans. This website of the RGA 154 Siege Battery has additional pictures of the guns- including some pictures captioned as "captured by Germans" as well as the guns disassembled - it's hard to tell if the captured photos are the same guns as in your photos. But interestingly, the description in some of the narratives on 154th's website of the battery position seem quite familiar to your picture. https://sites.google.com/site/154siegebattery/9-2-inch-heavy-guns Of course, I didn't read anything about the 154th losing its guns - tantamount to losing the colours! But there is a description of the 154th having to make a hasty displacement from their position - disassembling the guns - in the face of a German offensive. So, this lends credibility to the likelihood of a British siege battery being captured relatively intact. Great photos!

I am embarrassed to report that I have only one "boom" picture in my artillery collection. Dozens of individual soldiers and unit photos; several guns in position, but only one that is actually firing. This is a sFH 13 - supposedly firing at Kemmel in 1918.

Is this also from Sproesser's book?

Thanks, Glenn! So, with Sproesser's reference to the 12. Bavarian, Rommel's reference to a Bavarian unit, and the stempel on the post card of the 12. Bavarian, I am presuming the answer is really 12. Bavarian Inf. Div and the reference to the 12. Prussian Landwehr is suspect.

Naxos, thanks for deciphering the message! I'm fine with printed Suetterlin, but the hand-writing simply kills me. I also found the reference to the W.Geb.Batl being with the 12. (Preußische) Landwehr-Division in the Vogesen. Yet the 12. Bavarian Div. stempel on the card has me perplexed; 251 Divisions has the 12. Bavarian in the Fecht Valley, which is also the Vogesen, from July 16 (when it was formed) until Oct 16 (when it went to Romania - as did the W.Geb.Batl). I guess it is possible that 1. Komp. W.Geb.Batl might have been close enough to use the Bavarian division's feldpost instead of the Prussian. But is it possible that the W.Geb.Batl was moved to the 12. Bavarian when it arrived in the Vogesen in July 1916? I wonder what is the original source of the Prussian Landwehr Division reference. On the other hand, Rommel writes in his book, Infantry Attacks (pg. 75) that he relieved a Bavarian Landwehr unit on the South Hilsen Ridge on Sylvester 1915. Adds a bit of confusion. Anyone have a copy of Major Spoesser's Geschichte Wuerttemberger Schutzentruppe - the W.Geb.Batl commander's book?

While not an exquisite medal bar, I became very excited when I saw this little post card for sale. At first, I was interested in the photo because of the two artillery observers; then I noticed that the sender of the card was a soldier in the 1. Kompanie, Württemberg Gerbirgsbattalion. I immediately wondered about a Rommel connection and bought the card for $6 bucks. In his book Infantry Attacks, Rommel deals very little with the period in the Vosges in 1916 - only a few pages about his raid on the High Pine Knob. The opening of the chapter confuses the reader as to whether Rommel was in command of the 3. or 2. Kompanie, but from later context it seems he commanded the 2. Kompanie. Of course, there is no way to know, but it is possible that the soldier in the 1. Kompanie whosent this card at least knew of Lieutenant Rommel. A couple degrees of separation, but nonetheless, for me an exciting acquisition. Does anyone have information (or references) for the Württemberg Gerbirgsbattalion in August 1916? The Feldpost stempel is the 12. Bavarian Infantry Division. Also, if any of you expert Suetterlin handwriting code-breakers can help, it would be appreciated to know the card's message. (PS: This is also the first test of my wife's scanner; unfortunately, not an Epson.)

Jef, now I'm curious; do you have any of the history of this VFW medal? On the obverse; are those to represent captain's bars?

No need for apologies; it's all about learning. Cheers! :cheers:

Just for the record: this is the Auschwitz Survivor's Medal issued by Communist Poland; this example looks like some type of lapel pin minature.

Why is the one on the bottom blank? :unsure:

I'd be curious as the answers to this question regarding award of jubilee medals as well. I have a couple ribbon bars missing some jubilees - but with later ones on the bar. If a vet had to apply for the medal, that could possibly explain the gaps.

Ouch. Yep, pushes me more to the documents. :whistle: