Flammenwerfer! Flames, skulls and stuff

[Robin Lumsden]

And again ...............

[Sergeant 08]

And don't forget the Wehrwolf! They used similar tabs sometimes.

[Sergeant 08]

It could be nice Neusilber skulls on the tabs in photo #1157.

[Robin Lumsden]

And don't forget the Wehrwolf! They used similar tabs sometimes.

But ............... the Erlangen/Bruessow photos are dated '1919' on the back !

[Robin Lumsden]

Just received this.

Carved oak, gilded.

The photo makes it look grey, but it's nicely aged oak with a worn gold paint.

Probably from a memorial.

c. 1750 - 1800. :)

[Sergeant 08]

But ............... the Erlangen/Bruessow photos are dated '1919' on the back !

Yes, I know. I did not mean it is a Wehrwolf in your photos.

[Robin Lumsden]

Yes, I know. I did not mean it is a Wehrwolf in your photos.

OK! :)

[Robin Lumsden]

Another recent 'TK' pick-up.

Original hand-coloured lithograph from the mid-19th Century .

'Dance of Death' series.

'Death and the Jester'.

Death always has the last laugh! :)

[Robin Lumsden]

Also found these ............

[Robin Lumsden]

And ...............

[Robin Lumsden]

Another thing in the 'stuff' category .....................

[Robin Lumsden]

Back to German skulls ....................

Edited February 27, 2012 by Robin Lumsden

[Robin Lumsden]

Last one for now.

Original Erler print.

[Robin Lumsden]

FK Bruessow group ......................

[Naxos]

Another recent 'TK' pick-up.

Original hand-coloured lithograph from the mid-19th Century .

'Dance of Death' series.

'Death and the Jester'.

Death always has the last laugh!

That reminds me, Robin; I read this book in University - one of the few I kept

[Naxos]

On the wall of City Hall in my hometown

Edited February 29, 2012 by Naxos

[Robin Lumsden]

Great image of the war memorial.

'The Dance of Death' always reminds me of ................................

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M3AQMHRufY

[Thomas W]

Robin:

It's a reproduction photo, but...

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Gruppenfoto-Totenkopf-Pioniere-Flammenwerfer-Truppe-1-WK-Kaiser-Wilhelm-3-/170794438494?pt=Militaria&hash=item27c4244f5e

[Chip]

Probably has oil on it!

Also, notice the gray collar Litzen on the Blusen.

Chip

Edited March 2, 2012 by Chip

[Robin Lumsden]

Robin:

It's a reproduction photo, but...

http://www.ebay.de/i...=item27c4244f5e

Thanks!

One day, the black skull will be vindicated. I stake my collection on it! ;)

[Robin Lumsden]

Probably has oil on it!

Oh, ye of little faith!

The black skull is definitely good, IMHO ................ I just don't know what it is !!!!! :banger:

Could be nothing to do with FW troops at all.

Several FK units 'adopted' standard badges as their emblems.

If you had it in hand, you would be convinced !

BTW ................... no other ones have turned up in years now.

Just the two from the estate sale, found at the same time.

Oh, well.

The search continues.

Now I know how the Knights of the Grail must have felt! :)

[Thomas W]

Thanks!

One day, the black skull will be vindicated. I stake my collection on it!

Stranger things have happened...

The Director of the Deutsches Feuerwehr-Museum Fulda confirmed to me today that the officer on the right of this photo is Dr. Bernhard Reddemann, commander of the flamethrower regiment. The writing on the back of the photo says, "Meeting of the Black Hand in the pleasure garden in Chauny. (signed) Straube." (Tagung der schwarzen Hand im Lustgarten zu Chauny. Straube.) Chauny is in the Aisne, Picardy. "Black Hand" was a German tobacco brand.

Note the NCO holding the Totenkopf over the head of Reddemann. This photo is dated June 1, 1916; the flamethrower regiment wasn't awarded the Totenkopf until July 28, 1916.

This is the second photo that shows flamethrower pioneers identifiying themselves with the Totenkopf prior to the official awarding of the badge, so now it's pretty clear that the Crown Prince didn't come up with the idea himself. I was sure that he had, based on everything I'd read and based on what I thought I knew about German symbolism, but I was clearly wrong.

The flamethrower pioneers associated themselves with the Totenkopf first, and then the Crown Prince recommended to the Kaiser that he make that symbol official, in the form of a traditional Prussian Totenkopf.

More proof that one can't be proprietary or pedantic about historical knowledge.

Edited March 2, 2012 by Thomas W

[Sergeant 08]

Die schwarze Hand.

[Robin Lumsden]

Stranger things have happened...

The Director of the Deutsches Feuerwehr-Museum Fulda confirmed to me today that the officer on the right of this photo is Dr. Bernhard Reddemann, commander of the flamethrower regiment. The writing on the back of the photo says, "Meeting of the Black Hand in the pleasure garden in Chauny. (signed) Straube." (Tagung der schwarzen Hand im Lustgarten zu Chauny. Straube.) Chauny is in the Aisne, Picardy. "Black Hand" was a German tobacco brand.

Note the NCO holding the Totenkopf over the head of Reddemann. This photo is dated June 1, 1916; the flamethrower regiment wasn't awarded the Totenkopf until July 28, 1916.

This is the second photo that shows flamethrower pioneers identifiying themselves with the Totenkopf prior to the official awarding of the badge, so now it's pretty clear that the Crown Prince didn't come up with the idea himself. I was sure that he had, based on everything I'd read and based on what I thought I knew about German symbolism, but I was clearly wrong.

The flamethrower pioneers associated themselves with the Totenkopf first, and then the Crown Prince recommended to the Kaiser that he make that symbol official, in the form of a traditional Prussian Totenkopf.

More proof that one can't be proprietary or pedantic about historical knowledge.

Fascinating! Thanks, Thomas. :)

[Robin Lumsden]

Die schwarze Hand.

Lieber tot als Sklave! ;)