Spasm Posted November 29, 2011 Posted November 29, 2011 (edited) Gents Got these today off of the postman (good man our postman). All the certificates and awards are to the same man. Will get into the passbook over the weekend to try to decipher the handwriting and translate. Will try to find the unit, places etc. Nice detailed pin and button included as well. Edited November 29, 2011 by Spasm
Spasm Posted November 29, 2011 Author Posted November 29, 2011 And this fantastic little buttonhole device (amongst a few other bits and bobs). However, can ya'll tell me what the back ribbon is for? It's not faded red, the centre stripe is gold.
Spasm Posted November 29, 2011 Author Posted November 29, 2011 (edited) Here it is from the back. Is it the ribbon for the wound badge? The only one of similar colours that I can find is the 1813-15 commemorative medal, but that can't be right. Edited November 29, 2011 by Spasm
Chris Boonzaier Posted November 30, 2011 Posted November 30, 2011 Here it is from the back. Is it the ribbon for the wound badge? The only one of similar colours that I can find is the 1813-15 commemorative medal, but that can't be right. Hi, its the hindenburg cross ribbon that has faded, that is a nice little group.... lets see his battle page!! Best Chris
Chip Posted November 30, 2011 Posted November 30, 2011 It looks like his Militärpaß says he was in the Jahresklasse 1903. If that is correct, he would have been 31 years old in 1914. In this wartime photo, he looks a lot younger than that. The photo was taken in Kaiserslautern, which is in the II.Bavarian Army Corps. In the photo it appears that he is wearing a Bavarian cockade, so it is hard to imagine that he is the same soldier that served in the Prussian RIR.76! It will be very interesting to see what the pass reveals. Chip
Spasm Posted November 30, 2011 Author Posted November 30, 2011 (edited) Just got to take a few more pictures and have had a bit of a look at the pass. It says he was born in 1881, so that'd make him 33ish in 1914. I agree, in the picture he looks a lot younger (twenties maybe?) but it looks like the dates in the pass start in 1903 and, with all the added pages, run through to 1920. There's also a piece of paper stuck inside the front cover dated 1943 (A Rontgen-Kataster?) which has a note printed at the bottom that says something like "keep this in a safe place with your personal paperwork". So this pass covers 40 years! Anyway here's the thin paper envelope on which "Baumann" can be read. No idea what the rest says but there is a date 7.5.41 Chris - I'm not so sure about the faded ribbon. It's the same constant gold (really good coloured metalic gold not yellow) even when the ribbons are prised apart. Also why hasn't the red in the centre ribbon therefore faded? Surely if one had faded then so would the other and you wouldn't bother just replacing one, you'd get a whole new thing. Edited November 30, 2011 by Spasm
Spasm Posted November 30, 2011 Author Posted November 30, 2011 Here's pages 8 and 9 which is where the more detailed writing starts. No idea yet on what it says. It seems pretty clear so I will be translating over the weekend. Chip - I'm sorry I have no idea about WW1 German troopies, units, where they were based or uniforms. This is the first real buy for me along those lines (all your fault in here obviously) other than some photo books and a few medals. So any help would be appreciated.
Spasm Posted November 30, 2011 Author Posted November 30, 2011 (edited) I thought the t'tinternet had broke then but I'd forgotten to reduce the size of the picture - silly me . Here's pages 10 and 11: This has a strip of paper stuck in (a weird sort of hand written form) with purple (faded blue?) ink that has spread making it difficult to make out. Edited November 30, 2011 by Spasm
Spasm Posted November 30, 2011 Author Posted November 30, 2011 Pages 12 and 13. Which is the start of the "smaller" sized pages with no numbering. Again, a page I'll have to start translating this weekend.
Spasm Posted November 30, 2011 Author Posted November 30, 2011 This is the next "smaller" page. I'm asuming this is the "battle" page referred to by Chris. However, you may have noticed that there is a skip in years from the previous pages. This is because the two previous "smaller" pages have been stuck together. There's writing in between (it can be seen when held to the light). Could this be something that the owner wanted to hide? I'm tempted to try to steam apart as the glue wouldn't be anything too strong from those days. Any advice here? These pages seem to be mid war years, 1916 - 1917
Spasm Posted November 30, 2011 Author Posted November 30, 2011 The next "smaller" pages with just the one entry?
Spasm Posted November 30, 2011 Author Posted November 30, 2011 And the next last "smaller" pages. However, the right hand page has again been stuck to page 13. You can clearly see writing again hidden between the glued pages. Is it worth finding out what it says?
Spasm Posted November 30, 2011 Author Posted November 30, 2011 (edited) Pages 16 and 17. Pages 14 and 15 are not missing, they have been glued together, but there's writing in there. Didn't take any photos of any of the later loose pages that start in Sept 1917 and run through to Feb 1920 but can do so if you are interested. I'm intrigued to find out a bit more detail from the entries and why the pages should be purposely stuck together. Edited November 30, 2011 by Spasm
speedytop Posted November 30, 2011 Posted November 30, 2011 Hi, Sergeant Wilhelm Karl Adolf Baumann Envelope: Militärpaß u. Dienstzeitberechnung Baumann 7.5.41 zugestellt Page 8: Lauenburgisches Jägerbataillon No. 9 1. Kompagnie War vom 20.8.07 bis 16.9.07 zu einer 28tägigen Übung eingezogen (einschließl. 2 Marschtage). Mit Gewehr 98 ausgebildet. Führung: gut Strafen: keine v.d. Oelsnitz Hauptmann und Kompagnie-Chef Uwe
Ulsterman Posted December 1, 2011 Posted December 1, 2011 Interesting that he did not get a Hamburg Hansakreuz....esp. as an NCO.
Spasm Posted December 1, 2011 Author Posted December 1, 2011 Uwe - thanks for that, gives me a start on the difficult handwriting Ulsterman - something else for me to look up. Why do I do this? maybe its because telly only has Eastenders, Corrie, Emerdale and Come watch me sing and dance and make me famous on it
Ulsterman Posted December 1, 2011 Posted December 1, 2011 Eeee By Gum. In my day it was a only a test pattern, Noggin the Nog and Open University ("Today's Learning Russian lesson: Food") at this time of day.
Spasm Posted December 4, 2011 Author Posted December 4, 2011 (edited) Gents Didn't really get enough time on this over the weekend. Interested in following up the details in the photo to see if they match. So far I have (from the passbook) Jager Battalion No 14 at the start of Wilhelm's army career in 1903, which would make him 22-ish. Which, I would guess, be about the age of the guy in the picture. Just joined up so have me picture taken in a posh photographers to show me mum. He appears to have a white (even in close up after scanning) bayonet troddel. Which seems to be right for a 1st Company member - confirmed by the Passbook - 1 Kompagnie. The Cockades took a bit of finding but this Großherzoglich Mecklenburgisches Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 14, was from the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The cockades on his hat (Kratchen is it?) should be the imperial German Black/White/Red above the Mecklenberg Blue/Yellow/Red. To be honest I can't really make this out on the photo but it could be. I haven't the faintest what colour bands or braiding the hat should have but I will try searching for that next. The shoulder boards do have someting on them but who knows from the photo. So far then, I have no reason not to connect the photo with the rest of the items. I'd be pleased to hear from you experts as there's tons of stuff out there on WW1. Spaz Edited December 5, 2011 by Spasm
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now