Am I thinking logically ? Records and shoulder boards

[Chris Boonzaier]

OK, I have just purchased a superb Field Grey Tunic to a major in one of my Bavarian regiments.

The tunic is of a style introduced just a couple of years before the outbreak of the war, the Shoulder boards are the early subdued ones which came out in 1914.

I went through the list of every major in the regiment, also those from the regiment serving in other units.

The tunic, which is close to mint, has the loops for a ribbon bar of 4 awards (7cm) ...

It never had loops for an EK1, does not seem to have had an EK ribbon in the button hole.

Going through the officers list of the regiment and their records, just about every major in the regiment at some stage in the war had an EK1, even those who transferred to another regiment received an EK1and it is unlikely that they never used their old uniform at some stage later in their careers.

Only one guy seems to have left the building with just a ribbon bar with 4 awards... a Major killed in the first week of the war. He never needed the loops for a bigger bar, never needed the loops for an EK1....

I would say it is a slam dunk, the only Major in the regiment that fits.... if it was not for the fact that he has the early subdued boards.

Subdued boards were officially approved in September 1914... would it be a big stretch of the imagination to assume that they were already unofficially being worn in some form on field uniforms prewar /August 1914?

A friend has a WW1 German Navy tunic, it was ordered before the young officer went to sea, was completed and delivered to his residence... arriving months after he had died in action... could this be a similar case? thereby having the subdued boards?

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks

Chris

 

 

[The Prussian]

Hi Chris!

Remember that officers had to buy their own uniforms. Maybe he bought one for the time after the war and the tunic stayed well-covered in his flat for four years? Maybe no-one placed the medals, because he was killed during the war?

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

 

I dont think it is a closet jacket, just the material screams "Send me into the field!"... however, my thinking is the same as yours... if it was the guy I think it was... he was killed in August 1914, and the jacket was sent home with his stuff and it would answer the question as to which Major of the Leib Regiment only had 4 prewar awards on his ribbon bar and be the only dude not to get the EK1..... the only stumbling block is the fact that the boards seem to be a bit later... unless boards like this were in fact being worn at the outbreak of the war...

[ccj]

Chris, this has made me want to pull out my references on officer’s board evolution. I really don’t know when the first subdued boards came about but had thought 1915. I know the Bavarian’s lagged behind the Prussians in uniform changed officially but not sure if that was the case in practice.

I noticed the book in the bottom right corner of you picture so I looked and it does reference 1914/15 subdued boards on page 250. 

Edited December 29, 2019 by ccj

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi, these are indeed the later 1916 boards.... but i think I have now nailed the identity of the guy.... very difficult to find... but once you find the right trail the penny drops and you think "of course!!"

[ccj]

So you are fairly certain? 

[Chris Boonzaier]

Jup, what looks to be brown is actually the classic 1916 grey boards with blue and white Bavarian threads... clearly visible under the buttons, but faded on the rest