Beverloo

[Marcin L]

Dear All,

I have at least few pictures with "Beverloo" name on it with additional information like "MG Kursus". I know it is a city in Belgium now.

Is there any story behind Beverloo?

Kind regards,

Marcin

[Guest Rick Research]

The only time I find that in military papers, it was always for attending a machine gun course, too.

[Chip]

Beverloo was a Belgian military camp that was taken over by the Germans and was used primarily as a training center and acted as a reservoir for the supply of drafts to the Western front. It had a permanent training establishment (Infanterie-Ersatz-Truppe) consisting of 11 battalions. Recruits were sent from this camp as required, either directly to the units in the field or to the field recruit depots. The troops of the battalions wore shoulder straps with a "B" and the arabic battalion number underneath.

There was also a field artillery Schießschule situated there and its Lehr-Abt. wore a yellow metal "B" on the front of each side of their tunic collar.

Chip

[Marcin L]

So I understand that first the recruits were sent to Beverloo camp and then to ersatz/reserve units?

[Chip]

Marcin,

As I understand it, the recruits received basic training in Germany. The time varied in length as the war progressed and events in the field caused these periods to be truncated. At Beverloo, one could get further basic training, trench warfare training, as well as other specialized training courses. From Beverloo, infantry troops could be sent to any field unit that needed new drafts. It could be a line regiment, a reserve regiment, a Landwehr regiment, etc..

Chip

[Marcin L]

Thanks Chip. That's much appreciated. I will post some new pictures from Beverloo on my website soon.

[The Prussian]

Hi Marcin!

There were two different MG exercises in Beverloo.

1) MG-Ausbildungskommando Beverloo (built from MG-Ausbildungskommandos I and II)

2) MG-Lehr-Kommando bei der Feldartillerie-Schießschule Beverloo