Seebataillon NCO fieldgrey

[ArHo]

Hi all,

I just received this nice picture of a Seebataillon (I think it is the 2nd, barely visible on the shoulder board) NCO and got two questions - help appreciated :-)

Am I right that he wears a long service cross / Dienstauszeichnungskreuz between an EK2 and a Hamburg hanseatic cross?

Amd: What about these chevrons on his sleeve - I understand that they denote NCO ranks, but have seen them very rarely so would appreciate any info on regulations for wear. 

Greetings

[The Prussian]

Hello ArHo!

That´s hard to see. But it´s possible:

https://www.ehrenzeichen-orden.de/deutsche-staaten/militar-dienstauszeichnung-1-klasse-1913.html

So he probably wears:

1, 15, 27

The chevrons stand for the rank of the "Etatmäßiger Feldwebel" (Company Sergeant-Major). They were only worn on the Bluse 15.

The background is the Litewka M92.

The ranks were:

1 Chevron (braid) for Gefreite

1 Chevron (galloon) for Unteroffiziere

1 Chevron (braid) + 1 Chevron (galloon) for Sergeants

2 Chevrons (galloon) for Fähnriche and Vize-Feldwebel

3 Chevrons (galloon) for Etatmäßige Feldwebel

I don´t know, if the translations are correct:

Braid = Tresse, Galloon = Borte

A Galloon was a one-coloured chevron

A Braid was a chevron with a black stripe in the middle (black for Prussia)

 

Since the introduction of the Litewka M94 the ranks were similar to the Waffenrock. Only the Etatmäßige Feldwebel kept his chevrons.

This "tradition" was taken over at the Bluse 15

 

Etatmäßiger Feldwebel (MG-Scharfschützen-Abteilung 2)

 

Unteroffizier with Litewka Inf.Rgt.78:

Edited August 20, 2021 by The Prussian

[GreyC]

Very nice photo ArHo!

Greyc

[ArHo]

Glad you like it, guys! It was taken in Lehrte east of Hannover.

@The Prussian Thank you very much for your explanation regarding the chevrons - now I understand the whole aspect!

Cheers

[The Prussian]