Unusual unit....

[Chris Boonzaier]

Here is the man....

[Chris Boonzaier]

Here is hi EK doc.....

a very unusual one indeed....

[Chris Boonzaier]

and this...

[Chris Boonzaier]

If I read correctly, he was in a Wirtschaftskomp. and at the same time in a Starkstromabt. and a Res. inf. Regt...

I guess they must have lost track of all his different skills .-)

[Bernhard H.Holst]

If I read correctly, he was in a Wirtschaftskomp. and at the same time in a Starkstromabt. and a Res. inf. Regt...

I guess they must have lost track of all his different skills .-)

Hello Chris.

I believe you read that right. Here is my understanding:

The Wirtschaftskompanie was subordinated to the Starkstromabteilung, therefore the Abteilung made out the document. The later bavarian award may reflect a transfer.

BTW: the picture triggered my interest straight away because of the equipment the man wears, looks a lot like what I remember the electricity- and telephone poleklimbers used (minus the special hook-like barbs fastened to the boots).

Bernhard H. Holst

[Tom Y]

Hello Chris.

I believe you read that right. Here is my understanding:

The Wirtschaftskompanie was subordinated to the Starkstromabteilung, therefore the Abteilung made out the document. The later bavarian award may reflect a transfer.

BTW: the picture triggered my interest straight away because of the equipment the man wears, looks a lot like what I remember the electricity- and telephone poleklimbers used (minus the special hook-like barbs fastened to the boots).

Bernhard H. Holst

Definitely a climbing rig. If my translation of Starkstromabteilung is correct one of his jobs must have been stringing powerlines.

[Guest Rick Research]

That is INDEED interesting, because most of the "Wirtschaft" units I have seen, when specified, have been "Ernte" related...

either crops harvesting or

sometimes road repair units.

God alone knows why he was not in a signals/telegraph unit!!!!!!

And if anybody DESERVED an Iron Cross, it was somebody up a telephone pole all alone with nothing but high tension wires and incoming enemy artillery fire between him and the ground!

[Daniel Murphy]

Chris,

Great group, you really have an eye for them. Attached to his belt is what appears to be his safety tether and in his right hand he holds a insulator. Great shot.

Dan

[Chris Boonzaier]

What is also interesting is the stamp. The unit was probably too small to justify a "real" stamp and seems to be named after the officer commanding it.

Obviously such a lowly officer could not award the EK and this is just the standard confirmation doc concerning an award approved the week before by a higher command.

[Chris Boonzaier]

God alone knows why he was not in a signals/telegraph unit!!!!!!

Hi,

The signals guys used a lighter and thinner wire. In frontline areas it was usually strung from tree to tree or above ground on bits of wood. Sometimes buried as well.

The starkstrom guys were for electrical current, usually at Army level as they did electrical plants, electric fences, mostly behind the lines stuff.

I guess his friends called him "Flash"

[Chris Boonzaier]

Okay...

Wirtschafts komp.

Starkstromabt.

Res. Inf. Regt.

How about some cavalry?

[Chris Boonzaier]

Having years before been regular infantry?

[Chris Boonzaier]

and ending the war in a regular infantry regiment again...

[Chris Boonzaier]

as a landwehrmann he seems to have been everywhere other than a landwehr unit

[Kev in Deva]

Definitely a climbing rig. If my translation of Starkstromabteilung is correct one of his jobs must have been stringing powerlines.

Hallo Tom Y

Would the ceramic insulator he is holding in his left hand be any indication to his job

Kevin in Deva

[Tom Y]

Hallo Tom Y

Would the ceramic insulator he is holding in his left hand be any indication to his job

Kevin in Deva

Ya think maybe?

[Chip]

Chris,

I was watching this lot. I have an Erkennungsmarke to one of these units. The official units were part of the pioneers, rather than the Verkehrstruppen. He might have been authorized to wear this patch on his Feldgrau tunic sleeve.

Chip

[Chris Boonzaier]

was that patch official or unit made`?

Best

Chris

[Chip]

Chris,

There were several styles of this unoffical insignia. The most common patterns were the one I have shown and similar one that looks more like a lighting bolt. It is cut from yellow cloth rather than formed from cord and the ends of the Blitz are pointed. I have a picture of one somewhere. There was an article printed in a 1986 edition of the Zeitschrift für Heereskunde on this subject. In his book, Kraus footnotes his information and refers to this von Stein article entitled, "Abzeichen der deutschen Starkstrom-Formationen im 1.Weltkrieg". Unfortunately, I only have the ZfH editions from 1929-1958, so I don't have a copy of the aforementioned article.

Chip