Navy Wings ? German Navy soldier photo question

[Robert Noss]

The only photo I got today on a local fleamarket just around the corner

I am not familiar with all these navy badges, but this one shows wings and a propellar.

So my question is - is he a german navy pilot from the imperial period or what do you think ?

Or a Marine - Luftschiffer ??

Thanks in advance

Kind regards

Robert

Edited April 24, 2010 by Robert Noss

[Chip]

Robert,

Similar insignia was worn by the French air corps. Otherwise, all I can say is that this navy jumper (collared shirt) is not German, nor is the undershirt. So who knows, it may be some other navy (Austrian?).

Chip

[Wood]

I would have said French as well.

Pete

[Robert Noss]

French ?

In the box where I found that photo were a lot of austrian postcards, so austrian could be, but there were no french postcards.

Okay, that doesn't mean a thing, all is possible.

Thanks for Your answers.

Kind regards

Robert

[Ulsterman]

Is it possible he's 'Reichsmarine @ 1920? There was a two year period where the Reichs forces had that odd "stripe" NCO rank system.

[Robert Noss]

The more I look on german navy portraits from 1st WW and after, I also think now that he could be french.

The stripes system of the preliminary Reichswehr was kinda different, see this photo:

and the jumper was different too, as Chip already has recognized

( the only photo I have of a Reichswehr navy EM )

Not sure how a french Navy portrait comes into a box of postcards on a small bavarian fleamarket, well, however.

Thanks for your comments.

Kind regards

Robert

[jaeger7]

He should be a Matrose from an Austrian SEEFLIEGERABTEILUNG.

The two stripes above the "Specialitätenabzeichen" are called "Quartierstreifen" and are (as far as I understand the Austrian system) a kind of unit identification in larger formations.

Regards

jaeger7-de

[Chris Dale]

I personally doubt he's Austrian. The Austrian shirts/vests had blue stripes and his insignia does not look like Austrian Insignia that I've seen before- http://www.kuk-kriegsmarine.at/spezabzeichen.htm

Other than that negative information. I don't know. All these countries naval uniforms of the late 19th early 20th centuries look so similar...

Cheers

Chris