Odulf

In 1908 boys from the age of 14 1/2 could join a Military NCO Preparation School.

#107 Large size portrait with BMW R12

Thank you very much for your input Prussian, obviously you have better sources than I... Can any one decypher the writings at the reverse, which may give a further clue?

5. Grenadier-Regiment zu Fuss?

the shield in close-up

Nothing...

The shield reads: (in Gothic) Schildeposten. I don't know what A.B.V.19 stands for...

Artillerie-Beobachtungsposten hinter einer zusammengeschossenen Kirche. Hinter der Leutnant beginnt der Soldatenfriedhof.

L.I.R.68 1916

Field dressing station?

Some where in the East

"An der Duna den 17. Juli 1916"

328 Regt.

On the shield left: A.B.V. 19 Batn. Werner Note that, apart from the NCO in the centre, all shoulder straps are taken off the tunics

Sent 19.8.1917

Nice topic... These are from my collection "Errinnerung Reuterkessel [belgien] in den Dünen, Juli 1916 Mortar for gas cans

Not so much a poem, but a songtext... When I was a young man, I carried me pack, and I lived the free life of the rover, From the Mary's Green Basin to the dusty Old Back, I waltzed my Matilda all over. Then in nineteen-fifteen, me country said son: it’s time to stop ramblin', there's work to be done, so they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun - and they send me away to the war. And the band played "Waltzing Matilda", when the ship pulled away from the key, in amid all the tears, flag waving and cheers - we sailed off for Gallipoli. Oh, t’well I remember that terrible day, when our blood stained the sand and the water, and how in that hell, they call Suvla Bay, we where butchered like lams at the slaughter, Johnny Turk, he was ready, he primed himself well, he rained us with bullets and he showered us with shell, and at five minutes flat, we where all blown to hell - nearly blew us back home to Australia. And the band played "Waltzing Matilda", when we stopped to bury our slain, well we buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs - then it started all over again. All those that where living just tried to survive, in that mad world of blood, death and fire, and for ten weary weeks, I kept myself alive, while around me the corpses piled higher, then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse-over-head, and when I awoke in me hospital bed, and saw what it had done, I whished I was dead - I never knew, there was a worse thing than dying. Oh no more I'll go Waltzing Matilda, all around the green bush, far and near, for to hump ten tent pegs, a man needs both legs - no more Waltzing Matilda for me. They collected the wounded, the crippled, the lamed and they shipped us back home to Australia, the armless, the legless, the blind and the insane, all those proud wounded heroes of Suvla, and when our ship pulled into Circular Key, I looked at the place, where me legs used to be, and thanked Christ, there was none there waiting for me - to grieve and to mourn an to pity. And the band played "Waltzing Matilda", when they carried us down the gangway, for nobody cheered, they just stood there and stared - then they turned all their faces away. Oh, now every April, I sit on my porch, and I watch the parade pass before me, I see my ole’ comrades, how proudly they march, renewing their dreams of past glories, I see the old men, all tired stiff and worn, those weary old heroes of a forgotten war, and the young people ask, "what are they marching for?”- and I ask myself the same question. And the band plays "Waltzing Matilda", and the old men still answer the call, but year after year, their numbers get fewer, someday no one will march there at all. . . . . . . . . . Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda, who’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me, and their ghost may be heard, as they march by the billabong so who’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.

Here some photos of my unnamed white RN 1930s working rig jumper. The material is very heavy, stiff (and uncomfortable) cotton. A significant difference with Gordon's is the length and shape of the collar.

Thanks for your confirmation Rick. Indeed a resistant but experienced Gefreiter with an interesting record: EK2 (1914), Hindenburg Cross, Baltic Cross 1st & 2nd Class, Bulgarian & Hungarian War Commemorative Medals with Swords, Randow Detachment Cross 1st Class, Wounded Badge in Black.

A recent "catch", an elderly Gefreiter (Friedrich Lindenberg of the Mörscherabteilung), wearing the Baltenkreuz with an unidentified dark colored Johaniter Cross and an interesting field ribbon bar. Can any one identify the cross pinned next to the Baltenkreuz; could this be the Awaloff-Kreuz or the Deutschritter-Kreuz von Randow?

Thank you very much Tac Hel!

Arm shields were worn with and without the Deutsche Wehrmacht armband in 1939 and 1940, but this guy is wearing the Hakenkreuz armband without a shield badge... Between 1938 and 1941, on the Westwall and in Poland, RAD units were added to the Wehrmacht as axilliary pioneers, thus replacing their red armband by a yellow armband. Enclosed some pictures of RAD men with and without the Shield Badge, for reference.

He may have been an NCO in the RAD, and drafted as a soldier earlier in the war. That happned to thousands of RAD men. For instance, all the Knights Crosses worn by RAD men, were won when serving with the Armed Forces and not whilst performing RAD duties. RAD men who were wounded or decorated RAD in combat were celebrated and cherished by the RAD, as example of the true spirit. That makes the wearing of the party badge on his RAD tunic, in combination with war decorations, some what odd, as it was only a membership badge, not a (Party) decoration (like the Gold NSDAP badge). Young and unexperienced soldiers would wear their HJ or Party badges on the uniform, but later in the war, and after badges for combat action had been gained, these insignia disapeared fron the chest of the soldier's tunic, as they were not much appreciated in the combat zone. Obviously he is giving instructions at "Bettenbau" to newly drafted RAD men; hardly instructions one would expect from an expierienced front soldier. This all makes it an intreaguing photo. I cannot say if the stripe on the trousers seam is a fluke of photography. However, the RAD were pretty strict with their dress regulations, so I do not expect that any old soldier would have met much sympathy for creating his own fashion.

Thank you Speagle!

It is remarkable that he does not wear a sleeve shield on the left upper arm, also puzzling is the stripe in the outer seam of the breeches/trousers.