Matrosen regiment

[Tony]

Are these 3 in the Marine Korps Flandern? They are in the 3rd Matrosen Regiment Pionierzug.

Does anyone know where this unit may have served, all over the place or just on the coast?

Tony

[Guest Rick Research]

That's interesting to see them in ARMY M1915 tunics. I don't think I've ever seen "dirt sailors" not in Feldgrau-dyed sailor jumpers.

[Chip]

The Matrosen regiments were formed from the Seewehr, the navy equivalent of the Landwehr. They wore navy uniforms in the field until the Bluse was adopted in September of 1915. From that time forward they began to refit with the new uniform. The tunics were identical to the army version with the exceptions that no shoulder straps were worn by enlisted men and the army style collar rank disks had the crown and anchor motif rather than any state Wappen. Navy rates were worn on the left upper sleeve. To my knowledge, the infantry part of the naval divisions, consisting of the Matrosen Regiments and See Battaillone, stayed in the same sectors for the majority of the war. I believe some units were temporarilly detached for emergencies or to take the place of troops required for offensives. Photos of sailors in Blusen are not common, but not rare either.

Chip

[Tony]

The Matrosen regiments were formed from the Seewehr, the navy equivalent of the Landwehr. They wore navy uniforms in the field until the Bluse was adopted in September of 1915. From that time forward they began to refit with the new uniform. The tunics were identical to the army version with the exceptions that no shoulder straps were worn by enlisted men and the army style collar rank disks had the crown and anchor motif rather than any state Wappen. Navy rates were worn on the left upper sleeve. To my knowledge, the infantry part of the naval divisions, consisting of the Matrosen Regiments and See Battaillone, stayed in the same sectors for the majority of the war. I believe some units were temporarilly detached for emergencies or to take the place of troops required for offensives. Photos of sailors in Blusen are not common, but not rare either.

Chip

Thanks Chip, it sounds like the pic is better than I thought. I've been lucky where postcards are concerned lately.

Tony

[dwmosher]

As Chip said, Photos of navy Bluses are not that common, but not that rare either. Here is a nice shot of an Oberfeuerwerksmaat in a feldgrau Bluse.

Regards

Dave

[nesredep]

Hello!

Nice and interesting photos for mee.

Best regards

Nesredep

[Guest Rick Research]

Well, it would seem I've had such a photo for 30 years without realizing it. This photo, from the Petty Officer's kid's Third Reich Ahnenpass homework assignment, was taken in Helsinki, so I assumed the strapless-Unteroffizier was some sort of semi-ex-J?ger Bataillon 27 FINN.

Now what on earth was a member of a Matrosen Regiment DOING in Finland in 1918???? speechless1:

[Chip]

Rick,

He might have been part of a naval landing troop, which were normally made up of Matrosen, who were outfitted with fieldgear, weapons, etc.

Chip

Dave,

I was the one that bought that picture that you showed. It was expensive.

[cnock]

Hello,

The man in post nr.5 was with the Matrosen Artillerie, although his Muetzenband says Kaiserliches Marinekorps,also note his trench dagger

Cnock