Freiwillige Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 Please help to identify these two photos of artillerymen (?). The strange thing is the flaming grenade cockade that is pinned instead of the Reichskokarde. As far as Vorläufige Reichswehr was formed only on March 6, 1919 it's not the Provisional Defense Force. No.1. This portrait of EKII winner is dated January 26, 1919 on the back. The photo was made in the atelier of the Saxonian town Plauen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freiwillige Posted March 27, 2010 Author Share Posted March 27, 2010 No.2 This studio photo is dated January 14, 1919 and was made in Riesda (Saxony again!). Please note the same cockade and the absence of the shoulder straps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leigh kitchen Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 (edited) Interesting, not of any help, but the grenade is very similar to the British "General Service" collar, shoulder title & "trade" & rank badge device worn by The Grenadier Guards, Fusiler regiments & the Royal Artillery & Royal Engineers - this one's in white metal as worn by pre 1908 Volunteer units as opposed to the usual brass. Any chance that the grenade is a British badge scrounged for use post WWI? Edited March 28, 2010 by leigh kitchen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 My guess is that it is freikorps, reichs Kokarde removed as th ekaiser had done a runner...probably a Gunner in a freikorps ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Stahlhut Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 (edited) the 'waffenring der deutschen scwheren artillerie' vet's org used the grenade device...it can be seen on the barbarakreuz awards Edited March 28, 2010 by Eric Stahlhut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freiwillige Posted March 28, 2010 Author Share Posted March 28, 2010 Thank you for replies and attention paid to my question! Any idea where can I find a confirmation of the Freikorps version or the Veteran's association? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Stahlhut Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 is it possible to zoom in and get a larger, clearer view of the device? the awards i mentioned have the date '1923' on the grenade, and these pics are dated 1919, so the chances that the two may be related are kinda iffy--unless these are precursors to the official, later days or something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freiwillige Posted March 28, 2010 Author Share Posted March 28, 2010 Here you are, Eric. There's no "1923" mark on the flaming grenade though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Stahlhut Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 wow, an extremely close match to leigh's british badge. seems like the 'bottleneck' area is slightly wider on the german version, though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freiwillige Posted March 28, 2010 Author Share Posted March 28, 2010 wow, an extremely close match to leigh's british badge. seems like the 'bottleneck' area is slightly wider on the german version, though You're absolutely right, they look similar except the size of the bottleneck area. Any ideas? I haven't found an answer anywhere... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Stahlhut Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 perhaps an insignia for a decomissioning team working with the 'allies'?? i dunno, germans had to scrap a lot of weaponry, including heavy artillery, during the postwar years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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