What's "MGAK"?

[Thomas W]

Can anybody identify this unit? Note that this Unteroffizier has collar insignia that look like a "B" or a "6."

Edited January 18, 2011 by Thomas W

[storage133]

Hello Thomas,

I think it could be

"Maschinen Gewehr Ausbildungs Kompanie, 6.Batallion, 2.Abteilung"

Best regards

S.

Edited January 20, 2011 by storage133

[Thomas W]

Hello Thomas,

I think it could be

"Maschinen Gewehr Ausbildungs Kompanie, 6.Batallion, 2.Abteilung"

Best regards

S.

Thanks. I looked up your suggestion and also came up with Maschinengewehr Ausbildungs Kommando, which were machine-gun schools.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

does anyone have a break down in how these were structured? If they had 6 battalions they must have been huge units.

Is there a place name on it?

Best

Chris

[Thomas W]

Hi,

does anyone have a break down in how these were structured? If they had 6 battalions they must have been huge units.

Is there a place name on it?

Best

Chris

The writing is very faded.

[Thomas W]

The Absender block:

[Thomas W]

Another part of the photo:

[Thomas W]

Can't make out the numbers on the straps...

[Ulsterman]

Landwehr Machine Gewehr ?

from July 1918 by the written date

[Minen]

Hi,

Another part of the photo:

I think "Leichte Machine Gewehr"

Stephan

Edited January 21, 2011 by Minen

[Naxos]

Hi,

I think "Leichte Machine Gewehr"

Stephan

Agree, LMG 08/15 refers to the light machine-gun by the same name.

[Naxos]

The Absender block:

Abs: Musk. Otto ..?.. 6.Batl.

6. Komp. 5.Ablg. Inftr. Ersatz ?

Absender: Musketier Otto (can't read the last name) 6. Bataillon, 6. Kompanie (not sure about Kompanie) 5. Abteilung, Infanterie-Ersatz (cannot read the rest).

The unit doesn't make much sense

Thomas, perhaps with a better scan I could read the rest.

Edited January 21, 2011 by Naxos

[Thomas W]

Abs: Musk. Otto ..?.. 6.Batl.

6. Komp. 6.Ablg. Inf. Ersatz ?

Absender: Musketier Otto (can't read the last name) 6. Bataillon, 6. Kompanie (not sure about Kompanie) 6. Abteilung, Infanterie-Ersatz (cannot read the rest).

The unit doesn't make much sense

Thomas, perhaps with a better scan I could read the rest.

The writing is so faded I'll post negative color scans. Here's the first line.

[Thomas W]

Second line.

[Thomas W]

Third line.

[Thomas W]

It looks to me like "Musketier Otto ________, 6 Bataillon, 6 Kompanie, 5 Abteilung, Infanterie Ersatz Regiment 146."

It makes sense that it's an infantry regiment. Musketier is an infantry private, and the lMG08/15 was assigned to infantry companies, six per company. The MG08 heavy machine gun was assigned to machine-gun battalions; a machine-gun battalion private was called a Schütze.

The small sign on the front of the card--in the first post--is totally confusing.

Edited January 21, 2011 by Thomas W

[KIR]

Can anybody identify this unit? Note that this Unteroffizier has collar insignia that look like a "B" or a "6."

Hi Thomas,

the "B" is for the "Truppenübungsplatz Beverloo" (Belgium).

Best regards,

Jens

[Thomas W]

Hi Thomas,

the "B" is for the "Truppenübungsplatz Beverloo" (Belgium).

Best regards,

Jens

Thanks, Jens. Here's information on a Danish-German soldier who served in the 3rd Company, Maschinen Gewehr Ausbildungs Kommando, Beverloo.

http://slesvigske.dk...hristiansen.htm

Edited January 23, 2011 by Thomas W

[Thomas W]

Post #5 appears to show that the card was sent from Beverloo.

So, the question remains: How big was a Maschinen Gewehr Ausbildungs Kommando? Was it at least six battalions, or does that small sign in post #1 refer to the infantry regiment being trained in the use of the lMG08/15?

Edited January 23, 2011 by Thomas W

[Thomas W]

I think I've solved the mystery. Here's another card, from the 9th Company, 9th Battalion, Infanterie-Ersatz-Truppe, Beverloo.

I think the original card shows men from the 6th Company, 6th Battalion, 5th Detachment, Infanterie-Ersatz-Truppe Beverloo, being trained by the Maschinen Gewehr Ausbildungs Kommando Beverloo, in the use of the lMG08/15.

Edited January 23, 2011 by Thomas W