Two Latest Acquisitions...............

[E Williams]

First one is just a young fellow, studio shot. My interest in this one was he wears mountain boots.

This second one was quite sought after which drove up the price, for me, it had more than one interest:

Group Shot

Bavarain Lieb Regiment and with the presence of mountain boots, I would understand they are part of the newly formed Alpine Corps, formed from the Lieb Regiment as it's core in 1915.

I believe these guys were formed from the Signal Abteilung that were part of the Bavarian Cav Corps at the outbreak in 1914.If this is a possibility, my S.A. Luger could be related.

What can be seen in the photo is:

Two Iron Crosses

Two Telegrapher's Belt Buckles

Field Telephone

Telephone Earpiece

Signaling Light

Telephone Earpiece Leather Case

Leather re-enforced Trousers

Mountain Boots

Luger Holster

My budget for photo cards has just about reached it's limit already but, considering it was the Crème de Crème for my Signal Abteilung display, it was worth it, I was prepared to go higher.

Edited January 7, 2014 by E Williams

[IrishGunner]

Glad you got the Signal one!

Mind telling me (even in PM) how much you paid?

[E Williams]

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2014/post-16240-0-22280200-1389114201.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2014/post-16240-0-71487400-1389114238.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2014/post-16240-0-22345600-1389114161.jpg

[E Williams]

Glad you got the Signal one!

Mind telling me (even in PM) how much you paid?

In Dollars, Pound Sterling or Gold Bars?

[IrishGunner]

In Dollars, Pound Sterling or Gold Bars?

How about "blue hair equivalent units"?

[E Williams]

I'll make it all up, I'll commit to another Gigolo job.....................

[Chris Boonzaier]

I'll make it all up, I'll commit to another Gigolo job.....................

So 5 Bucks then??

[Chris Boonzaier]

I like the Leib Regt one!!!

[IrishGunner]

So 5 Bucks then??

I think he works for cookies.

[Chris Boonzaier]

I think he works for cookies.

Didnt know he still had his teeth!!!!

[IrishGunner]

Didnt know he still had his teeth!!!!

I think you can borrow 'em from the Home. Sort of like the library.

[E Williams]

You guys crack me up!!!!!!

[E Williams]

I like the Leib Regt one!!!

Chris, what's your take on what related assumptions I have made? Do you concur, disagree; etc etc?

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

from the straps I would say Leib Regt from day 1, unless there is evidence to the contrary I dont see any reason why they would have been in a Signal Abteilung before hand? I love Alpenkorps!!!

[E Williams]

Hi,

from the straps I would say Leib Regt from day 1, unless there is evidence to the contrary I dont see any reason why they would have been in a Signal Abteilung before hand? I love Alpenkorps!!!

Chris..............True, I'm going on that assumption and from info I read of Kaisercross, at the outbreak in 1914, there were only two Signal Units, one was out of Berlin and the other was Bavarian which was attached to the Bav Cavalry Corps at the outbreak. I don't believe the High Command would transfer them out and into the Lieb Regt but create a new Signal unit for the Lieb Regt since it was 1915 the German High Command realized just how important battlefield communications were. They could have taken some experienced signalmen from teir original Signal Abteilung as they did when they created the MGSSS Trupps. Just speculating here......

Since they were Lieb Regt shoulder boards and wear mountain boots, I would understand them to in the newly formed Alpine Corps. The telegrapher's belt buckles are of brass and not late war steel also.

Ed

Edited January 7, 2014 by E Williams

[Chris Boonzaier]

Well, your speculation is as valid as mine, I am not sure exactly HOW they did it with the signals guys :-(

[E Williams]

Well, your speculation is as valid as mine, I am not sure exactly HOW they did it with the signals guys :-(

Thanks for your input...............Cheers

Edited January 7, 2014 by E Williams

[Chris Boonzaier]

I have seen an Alpenkorps EK doc that was awarded to a Signals guy in 1914, who was then later in a Signals unit in the alpenkorps later, but unfortunately no record of just which unit he was in...

[E Williams]

I have seen an Alpenkorps EK doc that was awarded to a Signals guy in 1914, who was then later in a Signals unit in the alpenkorps later, but unfortunately no record of just which unit he was in...

He was in an ALPENKORPS and then later in the ALPENKORPS? Did you mean to say he was in the Lieb Rgt and then later in the AlpenKorps? Confused a bit...........

[Chris Boonzaier]

No, he was in a signals unit in 1914 and later transfered to (maybe with his unit) the Alpenkorps. The Alpenkorps Iron Cross documents were issued much later... in his case the exact unit was not mentioned. So a 1917 Alpenkorps Iron Cross document for a 1914 award with no mention of what unit it was back in 1914, or in 1917...

[E Williams]

No, he was in a signals unit in 1914 and later transfered to (maybe with his unit) the Alpenkorps. The Alpenkorps Iron Cross documents were issued much later... in his case the exact unit was not mentioned. So a 1917 Alpenkorps Iron Cross document for a 1914 award with no mention of what unit it was back in 1914, or in 1917...

Gotcha......thanks. If it should happen to arise on the market again, please let me know, if you decide to let it pass.

Ed

[Chip]

I think the dating of the photo is the main key to who these guys were. Starting in May of 1915 four heliograph signal units were assigned to the Alpenkorps. The infantry had carried telephone equipment with them since the beginning of the war and had formed telephone detachments to operate them. Each battalion had such a unit. These detachments also looked after all other signalling for the unit as well (signal flares, sirens, ground signals such as flags and ground cloth signals, etc). I am assuming that this photo shows such a detachment. This information is taken from the translation of Cron's "Geschichte des deutschen Heeres im Weltkrieg 1914-1918".

Chip

[E Williams]

I think the dating of the photo is the main key to who these guys were. Starting in May of 1915 four heliograph signal units were assigned to the Alpenkorps. The infantry had carried telephone equipment with them since the beginning of the war and had formed telephone detachments to operate them. Each battalion had such a unit. These detachments also looked after all other signalling for the unit as well (signal flares, sirens, ground signals such as flags and ground cloth signals, etc). I am assuming that this photo shows such a detachment. This information is taken from the translation of Cron's "Geschichte des deutschen Heeres im Weltkrieg 1914-1918".

Chip

Chip....what about the wearing of the Lieb Regt shoulder boards?

[Chip]

Ed,

They have the LIR shoulder straps because they are members of the regiment. They are specialists within the unit as mentioned in my last post. They are not part of the signals establishment per se. Just like the infantry brought MGs, Granatenwerfer, Minenwerfer into their units, each battalion had a phone section manned by it's own troops, wearing the same uniforms at the rest of the regiment.

Chip

[E Williams]

Ed,

They have the LIR shoulder straps because they are members of the regiment. They are specialists within the unit as mentioned in my last post. They are not part of the signals establishment per se. Just like the infantry brought MGs, Granatenwerfer, Minenwerfer into their units, each battalion had a phone section manned by it's own troops, wearing the same uniforms at the rest of the regiment.

Chip

Gotcha!!!! This is a photo of the Signal Abteilung of the Kgl. Bayerisches Infanterie-Leib-Regiment, Kgl. Bayerische Jäger-Brigade 1, Alpine Korps.