Hamburg Uniform Puzzle No.2

[Herbert]

Gentlemen (& Lady),

Here is another photo of Dad aged 19 / 20, almost certainly taken in Hamburg (1914/15).

With the first photo I posted in June 2009, I reported that I have a pair of his binoculars - calibrated lenses and exploding grenade by the left eyepiece (artillery?) . I also have (somewhere..) the spurs I believe I can see him wearing in the accompanying shot. They were ceremonial, of the "permanently fixed" type, i.e. with a nail to drive them into the heel of the boot and screw holes at the end of each branch to attach them to the side of the heel; freely revolving wheels at the spur tips. I think his trousers have a strap or elastic under the boots - what in British cavalry terminology are known as "overalls".

In this photo, I can see what look like some kind of studs below that stiff collar high on his chest from shoulder board to shoulder board.

I hope the photo is good enough for me to get some ID help.

Best wishes

Herbert

[The Prussian]

Hello Herbert!

This photo is not artillery. The he should have had a black cap band. This one is too bright. It´s also too bright for infantry, so I assume he wears the unifirm of a dragoon. There were four dragoon regiments in the north (IX and X army corps.) 16, 17, 18, 19.

177 and 18 had guard litzen, 19 had a black colour, so maybe he belonged to the 16th regiment. (colour yellow)

[joerookery]

Is it possible based on the date that this picture was taken when he was in a junior cadet school? He would have been quite young.

[The Prussian]

No. Impossible, Joe.

Cadet schools had guard Litzen. NCO pre-schools had polish cuffs and NCO schools had brandenburg ones.

And all of them didin´t had a bright cap band like this one on this photo

[joerookery]

Yes of course! Thank you Andy. I need more coffee.