The Prussian

Hi Frank! Well, I swapped my G3 with the M16 of a GI just for that photo. I didn?t want to own that, because we shot with both, but I prefered our G3... Rheinberg is a nice town. But I think, Underberg is more interesting than Claudia (since she married Seal...) I looked at the Fu?artillerie. It?s strange. In the book "Ruhmeshalle", is written, that regiment fought in july, 12th 1866, but I couldn?t find that unit in the ordre of battle. Unfortunataley I only have the listing of the Korps and I think, Fu?artillerie belonged to the HQ. But I can ask a friend of mine, he owns the complete recordings of the gerneral staff of 1866. Well, we have some interesting forums in germany, like this: http://feldgrau.pytalhost.com/vbulletin/index.php But I don?t know any places to find relatives. The problem is, a lot of documents were destroyed in 1945. If you are looking for some informations about uniforms or histories of formations, let me know. BTW, my grandpa served with the "Clevesches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.43" from Wesel. He was in France in 1917 and 1918. The picture shows him sitting on the chair (wearing the EKII). I also have his Milit?rpa? and the Regimental history. In the Pa? stands, he was wounded by gas sept.28th 1918 near St.Souplet. Unfortunately I couldn?t meet him, he died, when I was 1 year old in 1968. Well, off to work with me, mate, it?s late. If you have the skype-messenger, I am "ruhrpottpreusse" Cheers, Andy

Yes. The Etatm??iger Feldwebel is the Feldwebel. In germany we make the difference between Feldwebel and Vize-Feldwebel. The "Etatm??iger" is just a part of his rang, but no one uses it. Sometime?s one says for Feldwebel: The "Etatm??iger" or just "Feldwebel", but seldom one uses both words

No, that?s not true. The single Tresse could be Unteroffizier, Sergeant or Vize-Feldwebel. He has a button at his collar, so it?s a Sergeant or a Vize-Feldwebel. You only can drclare it, if you see the Troddel. The Vize-Feldwebel wore the Officers-Portepee. The Feldwebel had two Tressen above the cuffs

Yes Rick. It?s defiantly "Friedensheer". Rank is Sergeant. To me, the chevrons are the old fencing-signs. He wore them on his left arm. Don?t forget, the war was just over, and the Friedensheer was like the Freikorps. They had orders for their uniforms, but who could control it???

Does he mean the ring at his fingers or the rings above the cuffs???

That?s right. The rings are the sogn for NCO?s. If you want very good books about the german army, please look here: http://www.militaria.at/Default.aspx The books are available in german or english

Hello gentlemen. Osterfeld now is a part of the town Oberhausen (north of D?sseldorf). The photo was taken in Borbeck (now a part of my hometown Essen - 10km from Oberhausen)

Hello Frank! That is very interesting, that you are german born and you met your wife in my area! Since now, I?ve never heard, that US troops were in Rheinberg! I thought we had only UKs... But you wrote, it was 25 years ago. Me, I?ve spend my time in the army from 1987-1091 (armoured infantry near Bremen and lorry-driver in Unna). In Bremen (Schwanewede) our american "partner-unit" was the 66th.Armor Regiment "Semper in Hostes" Back to your photo and the medal. The medal is a very nice piece! And because it?s from the foot-artillery-regiment 3, I think the guys on the photo belonged to the same unit. Formed in 1864 (june, 16th) it?s called "brandenburgisch", because, I think, they were set up somewhere in Brandenburg, and came later to Mainz. Unfortunately I don?t have any more infos about that unit. It?s strange that your grandfather owned that medal, because it is from 1914 and the photo was taken defiantly before 1897. Did he have forefathers in the same regiment? I hope, you understand my english. I could answer in german (of course...), but it would be unfriendly to the other gentlemen, who don?t speak german. If you have any questions about german uniforms until 1933 or their histories of formations, don?t be shy to ask me. I enclosed a nice photo: Me in 1987, wearing an american Kevlar-helmet and an M-16 (after occupying a village near Bremen during a manoeuvre - we together with our partner-regiment)) It would be interesting to know, what people in 100 years would say, if they like to recognize, what unit that was... Best regards from the "Ruhrpott" Andreas

Here is an example for the Lehr-Inf.Rgt. Note the two bars upon the left upper-arms

I forgot: 2 vertical bars: Lehr-Inf.Rgt. 247.bmp

Defiantly no badge... Maybe something a pigeon has dropped... sorry The were some bars upon the fieldgrey uniforms of the 208th ID, but they were at the upper-arm. A horizontal bar with a vertical bar on top: Inf.Rgt.25 A horizontal bar with an "X" on top: Inf.Rgt.185 A horizontal bar with a "+" on top: Res.Inf.Rgt.65 A horizintal bar with a triangle on top: Fieldartillery-Rgt.267

Helle Frank! Can you recognize anything upon the shoulder straps? The brandenburg cuffs stand for infantry or foot artillery. Because of they wear only one cocarde, the photo must have been taken before 1897. Maybe foot-artillery-regiment n?3 from Mainz??

6.Th?ringisches Inf.Rgt.Nr.95

A captain in a general staff

Here are three of mine: Captain of the 11th Foot-artillery regiment

They did, mate! But not with the regular troops. The 256th FAR were Landwehr. Formed end of june 1916, they belonged to the 5th Landwehr Division (later Arko 215). The II.Abteilung was under command of the bavarian Ersatz-Division from: aug/3/1918 until aug/09/1918

Hello gentlemen! Does anyone know, which uniform that is? The photo weas taken in Kray (a part of Essen - near D?sseldorf) The shoulder strap shows a 730. Maybe fire-fighters or police? Thanx for your help!

Yes, very interesting ones! I think I can read (on the first photo): General Plessen, Kaiser, General Groener and General Hansen. This Photo is taken in Spa (as written...). The Kaier had been in Spa from march, 3rd 1918 until nov.,13th 1918

But why would he sew on a button upon the collar? It?s not a sergeants-button, that was more in the rear

Hi Tom! Chilean? That?s a brand new view! Thank you, but I?ve read in the Kn?tels, they had the chilean heraldic figure and above a cocarde.

The photo must be taken between 1915 and 1918, because some of them wear iron crosses, and one of them wears a Bluse M15. This one was intruduced in september 1915

Hi Bob! In the "Ehrenrangliste" I have found a Hauptmann v.Kaltenborn-Stachau from the Lehr-Regiment of the Fu?artillerie-Schie?schule. It was marked, his last service was in the Schutztruppe f?r Deutsch-Ost-Afrika

and I forgot the word "need"... Salut ? la Bretagne!

Very nice piece!!! In a very good condition. But you don?t the letter "n" in the word

Oops, that?s right. "Sachsen - Zeithain"... I didn?t see the easiest solution. I thought it would be names of the officiers. Stupid me...