The Prussian

Hello! Normally, the soldiers of the "Landwehr-Bezirks-Kommandos" (Singular: Landwehr-Bezirks-Kommando) had the number of the Brigade upon their shoulder boards. In areas with a bigger population, the "Landwehr-Inspektionen" (Singular: Landwehr-Inspektion) with the gothic letter of the capital, were set-up. Those were: 1886: B for Berlin (III.AK) 1907: D for Dortmund (VII.AK), E for Essen (VII.AK) 1912: B for Breslau (VI.AK), C for Cöln (VIII.AK), A for Altona (IX.AK) 1913: I for Insterburg (I.AK), B for Bromberg (II.AK), H for Halle (IV.AK), P for Posen (V.AK), D for Düsseldorf (VII.AK), H for Hannover (X.AK), E for Erfurt (XI.AK), S for Straßburg (XV.AK), M for Metz (XVI.AK), G for Graudenz (XVII.AK), A for Allenstein (XX.AK), Saarbrücken (XXI.AK), D for Dresden (XII.AK), S for Stuttgart (XIII.AK), K for Karlsruhe (XIV.AK), C for Chemnitz (XIX.AK), M for München (I.b.AK), L for Landau (II.b.AK), N for Nürnberg (III.b.AK) Here is a nice example of a "Bezirks-Feldwebel" of Landwehr-Inspektion Essen (my hometwon...). He also wears the China-Medal.

Hi Jesse! Hmmm, really? I really don´t think so. Watch the facts. He joined the army with 18,5 years in an Ersatz-unit of the fieldartillerie. The rest of 1917 he spent in hospital. Then he came in again because of Hysteria for three months in 1918. Maybe he did receive an EKII, but probably not more.

Well, he was 18 years and 6 months, when he joined the army. But I don´t think, he was in action. I don´t have more infos about that regiment. It was raised November 1, 1914 from the following batteries: 1.Ers.Bttr./Garde-Korps) 2.Ers.Bttr./III.AK 3.Ers.Bttr./II.AK 4.Ers.Bttr./IX.AK 5.Ers.Bttr./VII.AK

Yes. I think so. But I didn' t know that Wissmar before...

Ah, okay. I was confused. I noticed Wismar, not Wissmar. It's a different town.

Hello! Sure with Wismar? You wrote about Gießen. Wismar - Gießen are 470km!

Hi Jesse! I´m sorry, but I have really problems to read that handscript... I can read the following things: Kanonier (Gunner), Julius Schindler Unit: Ersatz-Feldartillerfie-Regiment Jüterbog, 1st battery Born: Dec.,24,1898 in Friedrichshagen, Landkreis (District) Nieder-Barnim (near Berlin), single (not married), service entry: June, 2, 1917 Illness or injury: June, 17, 1917, Mandelentzündung (Tonsillitis) July 17, 1917 - Dec.20, 1917 in Reserve-Lazarett (Reserve-Hospital) Südende (Berlin)

Hello! We would need more details. A military unit? Which town stands before the date 31.III.20?

Hi Jesse! It´s a little hard to read. Do you have a better scan?

Hi Johnny! Do you need some infos from Dr. Kraus? I stil have contact with him.

Do you know this book? https://www.militaria.at/Book.aspx?book=604800&Language=en

Hello! I attached a couple of RW-photos. Friedensheer. Hauptmann Feldart.Rgt.15 Friedensheer: Gefreiter Friedensheer: Vizefeldwebel Inf.Rgt.23 Friedensheer: Hauptmann, Inf.Rgt.44 Reichswehr: Gefreiter or Unteroffizier (it changed during the era) , Inf.Rgt.20 Reichswehr: Feldwebel Inf.Rgt.16 (sniper wings) Vorläufige Reichswehr: Offizier-Stellvertreter

Hello Johnny! The headline is wrong. The left side (the blue ones) were worn from Jan.19, 1919 until May 15, 1919. First the stripes should be light-blue, but darker ones (made from old blue tunics) were accepted too. Those blue stripes were worn officially until May 1919, but were accepted until April 1921. The right side (the white ones) were introduced May 5, 1919 and were worn until January 1, 1921. The first era (the blue ones) were worn from the so-called "Friedensheer" (Peacearmy), the second era (the white ones) were worn from the "Vorläufige Reichswehr" (Provisional Reichswehr). Since 1921 the well-known shoulder straps were worn. In 1935 "the eagle has landed" upon the uniform... Here the uniform from 1921-1935:

Hi Bernd! That's right. I know him very well. We often meet at our military Meetings here in the West of Germany. If you look for something he has not on his site, you can write him. Maybe he has it in his collection and it's not yet digitalized.

Hi Bernd! I don´t know it. But I think it´s incomplete, isn´t it?

Hello Bernd! The book is called: "Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr.118" by Dr. Johannes Ledroit. No publisher, no year... The page I linked is from a friend of mine. He sells a lot of regimental histories on pdf. Very good quality with all photos and maps

Hi Bernd! In "Die Hessen im Weltkrieg" you´ll find some battle reports of the regiment on 12 pages. The other book I mentioned is the regimental history, but it has only 188 pages, The Ers.Btl. is not mentioned. The Ers.Btl. was not at the front. It was formed August 8, 1914, probably through Inf.Leib-Rgt.117. First it was in Mainz, since October 1914 in Bierstadt (near Wiesbaden), since March 1915 in Sonnenberg (near Wiesbaden), since September 1915 in Lampertheim, since December 1917 on the military training ground in Darmstadt. Since December 1918 it was located in Auerbach, where it was dissolved December 1918. Unfortunately I couldn´t find the name of the commander of the Ers.Btl.

Hello Bernd! I just checked the regimental history. Because he was in the Ers.Btl., unfortunately he ain´t mentioned.

Hi Bernd! MWB is Militärwochenblatt. There are most of the promotions mentioned.

Hello Glenn! Commissioned also means his promotion? According to MWB 1917/3 (page 1220), I found him with his promotion from Oct.9, 1917 from Vizefeldwebel to Lt.d.Res. in Kiel. By the way... You can buy the regimental history on pdf for 5€ here: https://military-books.lima-city.de/hp77/118.html

Next December you will have forgotten the 25€...😄

Hi Bernd! Why not? Try it. I will help if I can

Hi Bernd! Theproblem is, there a probably a coupe of officers with that name

If I have the title if the book, I can have a look inside, of course. But are you sure that is the man?

In which volume should he be mentioned? I have the entire collection of those books