Bavarian Army Units Photos ?

[AlecH]

Picked up these four old portrait, group photos. Think they well be different units of Bavaria Army (bought in Bavaria & first photo, photographer based in Bavaria). First two pictures show soldiers well into their middle age - maybe they were reservists. Can members tell me which units are pictured and if possible their era. Cheers    

[The Prussian]

Hello!

1) Unteroffizier in WW1. Unit invisible. Probably infantry because of the red(?) cap band.

2) Landsturm. To ID the unit I might know the collar numbers

3) bavarian soldiers between between 1860 and 1873, probably late 60s, early 70s

4) like 3

[Bayern]

Hello : photo 4 shows bavarian infantry with what appears to be Podewils Lindner rifles , a percussion breechloader used between 1858 and 1867 , The bavarians of photo 3 carry the bayonet of the Werder rifle used from 1868 onwards till replaced with the 1871 Mauser 

[AlecH]

Gentlemen, The Prussian, Bayern, - that's tremendous info to read. I did have another look at the photos, this time under the magnifying glass. Photo 1 doesn't have any unit number on the shoulder broads or collar points. However, Photo 2 the soldiers have the no.3 in both collar points,their caps appear to be made from leather with a distinctive Balkan Cross at the front. Photo 3 I take it the the men are in their no.1 dress, what exactly is the significance of the pom-poms on their fronts. Photo 4 looking closer at the helmets, they have to my eyes a stylised letter L on the front, perhaps for Ludwig no idea which one. Again much obliged for your help, if there's any-more information to come; I will be glad to hear it. Cheers

[The Prussian]

Hello!

Photo 2:

That´s no leather, it´s oilcloth.

The 3 upon the collars means 3rd infantry brigade, so the boys came from around Rastenburg (East-Prussia)

[Trajan]

13 hours ago, Bayern said:

Hello : photo 4 shows bavarian infantry with what appears to be Podewils Lindner rifles , a percussion breechloader used between 1858 and 1867 , The bavarians of photo 3 carry the bayonet of the Werder rifle used from 1868 onwards till replaced with the 1871 Mauser 

Photo 3: They are pretty certainly M.69 Werder bayonets introduced 1869, not 1868 (!), and look to be the original unaltered version with the full quillon and round finial at the end, and so not adapted to the M.69 aptiert specification of December 1975. Note also that Werder bayonets were still around in Bavarian stocks in 1914, although clearly this photograph is not that late!

 

Trajan

Edited March 23, 2017 by Trajan
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[AlecH]

6 hours ago, The Prussian said:

Hello!

Photo 2:

That´s no leather, it´s oilcloth.

The 3 upon the collars means 3rd infantry brigade, so the boys came from around Rastenburg (East-Prussia)

Thanks for the 3rd infantry brigade info, in England oilcloth used as cheap floor covering, didn't know it was also used in military cap manufacture. Can't help thinking surely these men aren't active soldiers, they look far to old, not one looks under forty. Veterans maybe ? what do you think ? any ideas on the pom-pom pairs in photo 3 ? Cheers

Edited March 23, 2017 by AlecH

[The Prussian]

Well, they were Landsturm soldiers.

First a man has to serve in an active unit for 2 or 3 years (if he volunteered, he could serve more years).

After this active period, he became a Reserveman. The active + reserve time is 7 years.

2 years active = 5 years reserve

3 years active = 4 years reserve

Then the men came to the Landwehr 1. contingent

2 years active = 5 years Landwehr

3 years active = 3 years Landwehr

After that they came to the Landwehr 2nd contignent und the 31st march of the year, when they reached their age of 39.

All men, who didn´t serve active, in reserve or Landwehr, came to the Landsturm (1. contingent age 17-39 ; 2. contingent age 39-45)

 

Edited March 24, 2017 by The Prussian

[AlecH]

Thanks "The Prussian" for taking the time to lay out the structures of the Landwehr, Reservists, Landsturm - I've have some reading to do. Regards

[Bayern]

Hello : The 16th Reserve bavarian infantry regiment Adolf Hitler unit , departed and went in action wearing Landwehr mutzen . there were not enough helmets , Raymond Cartier in his biography of A H relates the use of caps and says also that because of the caps they were confounded with british soldiers . the caps have a feldgrau cover . exists a film with King Ludwig III reviewing troops with the cap,