AOK4

Shoulder boards from a Feldwebelleutnant in FAR 62 (see my topic about Feldwebelleutnant Lange for more stuff). The backing is the typical field artillery red.

Lange's Erkennungsmarke from LMK 878 with the cord in the national colours (black and white for Prussia).

Lange's shoulder boards from Leichte Munitionskolonne 878. They have a fieldgray backing.

Leichte Munitionskolonne 878 was created on 5 February 1917 by the Heeresgruppe Eichhorn (Ukraine), from the former Leichte Munitionskolonne der III. Abteilung/Feldartilerie-Regiment 1. The unit was attached to the 8. Armee until April 1918, when it was put under command of II/Feldartillerie-Regiment 38 (also in Ukraine).

Lange's Erkennungsmarke from his time in FAR 62. The cord is probably original, but not in the national colours.

The new unit has been added on the back.

Hello,

I managed to buy two pairs of shoulder boards and two ID discs from one man (a real attic find probably as there is still bits of mold here and there).

Feldwebelleutnant Fritz Lange

Hoya an der Weser, Kreis Bremen

15.2.1879

Feldartillerie-Regiment 62

later Leichte Munitions-Kolonne 878, Nr. 3a

The first pic shows the Feldwebelleutnant's shoulder boards (similar as Leutnant's shoulder boards) from FAR 62 with the field artillery red backing.

FAR 62 belonged to the 19. Infanterie-Division from the outbreak of the war until late 1916, when it was transferred to the XII. Reservekorps. From late February 1917 on, it was then attached to the 238. Infanterie-Division as divisional field artillery regiment.

I think the men of Landsturm Battalion Chemnitz XIX/11 were just a patrol to protect or search for something, as they never saw frontline action, they were guarding the rear areas of the 4th Army, Armee-Abteilung C, Heeresgruppe Kronprinz and 7th Army during the war. The 1st Company served as a guard for a French POW company. No need for stormtroops there at all.

The armbands may be related to the guarding of POWs as these wore (yellow) armbands as well.

Another view of the back with the silver hallmarks.

W.P. stands for the jeweller Pettersson from Turku (Abo) who made most of the early pieces.

O5 stands for 1919, the year in which this badge was made.

View of the back with screwback. Originally, the badges were made with 4 needles. Since that system didn't work very well, most of the badges were later changed into or made with screwbacks or pins.

Unfortunately no number on the back.

Of course.

This is a close up of the front.

You see the iron cross shape, referring to the unit being a German unit and the "27" made out of two 7's since the stock of 2's was completely sold out when the unit was officially named Jäger-Bataillon 27. This problem was then solved by using a reversed 7 as a 2 on the shoulder boards etc.

The badge was drawn by Mrs. Ellinor Ivalo.

App. 1800 pieces were awarded, also to a few Germans who had been connected to the Battalion, mostly as training officers etc.

They pop up every now and then on the market, even though most of them are kept in (semi-)official museums and within the families.

Look here: http://www.hermann-historica.de/auktion/hhm58.pl?f=NR&c=94625&t=temartic_A_D&db=kat58_a.txt

The medal bar was sold for only 3.300 euros two years ago!!!! If you think of the uniqueness of the combination, it is a bargain... (especially if you compare this to a Victoria Cross or something similar...) Unbelievable...

BTW, he also got the "allerhöchste Anerkennung Sr. Maj. des Königs von Sachsen (Ehrendiplom)".

(And he was from January to August 1917 in the German-created Polish Army)

Quite some guy!

This guy was taken prisoner in Wevelgem (where I live) an died as a prisoner. He is buried in Lyssenthoek Military Cemetery.

(May I ask where you got the pic? The book of the Goldene Militär-St-Heinrichs-Medaille has a smaller pic)

The last medal is a Belgian Crown Order. One would need to have it in his hands to see whether it's an old one or not.

I have about that number of histories as well... (and the number is still growing)

I have the regimental history...

That would fit with what I have. I have apicture of an entrance to a camp in Flanders above which stands "L.M.W.Abt. Regt. von Raven" (leichte Minenwerfer-Abteilung Regiment von Raven). I guess the timeframe would be 1916-1917, so you suggestion seems to fit.

Thanks!

I am looking which regiment would be called "Regiment von Raven". It is probably an Infantry unit and probably from either 4th Ersatz Division, 19th Landwehr Division or 20th Landwehr Division (I think I see a 3.. number on some of the shoulder straps).

Any help is welcome!

14.IV. 17.

Sende ich Ihnen die besten Grüße und teile Ihnen mit, daß ich seit 10. d. Mts. [10. des Monats] in der Heimat bin und zwar im Vereinslazarett St. Ottilien in Oberbayern in der Hoffnung, daß sie meine Karte bei bester Gesundheit antrifft verbleibe

Ihr Vizefeldwebel Jörg ???

(Added and corrected some things)

Indeed.

BTW, I've seen other pics on eBay showing Landsturm soldiers in quiet sectors, being completely dressed up as real storm troopers with top equipment before. Either they could get that kind o equipment easier because of the quiet sectors (and the small danger of it being captured by enemy raids) or they loved more being photographed with it...

As I wrote, some higher officers did not accept EK1 for staff officers etc., others did.

I encountered a case where a staff officer applied for a EK1 in 1918 for some alleged heroic deeds in 1915 and continuous staff work since then. This was bluntly refused by the divisional commander because, 1915 was too long ago and if he would have been entitled for a EK1 for those deeds, he should have gotten it then, and secondly because an EK1 wasn't meant to be given for staff work...

Of course it all depended on the higher officer.

The card is sent to Max Aschauer.

Besides, I think the name reads Jos. Kahlfleisch (of which I can find only 1 in ancestry), serving with Landsturm-Infanterie-Bataillon I B/7 Landshut.

If the man wasn't really in the frontline, he couldn't have received the EK1 if he would have had a superior officer who strictly followed the rules about whether to give an EK1 or not.

People serving in the division from other states may have gotten some order from their home state and there may have been some odd order here and there from Austria or some other state, f.i. from Bavaria if they belonged to the Heeresgruppe Leopold von Bayern etc.

And no clue from which collection it came?

My guts say, judging on the sandy environment, a pic from a British victim from the Operation Strandfest area (Belgian coast July 1917)...

No other indications on the picture? I mean who took the picture and when?