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Zoring, The bayonet in the first photo you have shown appears to me a normal 98/05, but if it is actually longer, I suppose it could be a 98/02. The next photo shows an Ersatz bayonet on the soldier closest to the camera and what appears to be an S14? on the man in the rear. The latter one is...

Jeff, You don't understand. He would rather come by when you are not there! :lol: How do you think Gus got so much stuff? Hint: (with collector's addresses and a U-Haul). Chip

Gus, I didn't think you would be holding out on us with something like that in your possession. I thought I had one some years back. The guy did not know what it was, but my interest scared him off. I'm sure he eventually identified it. :cry: Chip

Gus, Tell me that's not your Tasche! :o Chip

The ammo for these was normally carried in a special shoulder bag. There are no reproductions of it. As you can imagine, they are quite rare. Chip

The "Schlaufen" (cloth strips on the shoulders of the tunic) were authorized on January 3, 1917, so the photo would have been taken some time after that. He was a some point in a unit that was part of the "Alpenkorps" (roughly a division), an elite alpine unit, as evidenced by the Edelweiß...

Michael, It's a nice photo of a handsome couple, but unfortunately, there is not much to go on regarding your great grandfather's unit. I can tell you that the tunic is a model 1903 gray Litewka (undress jacket). The shoulder strap number looks like a "12" to me. Even with that information, it...

Gus, I'm a little PO'ed that you dropped by the National WWI Museum and didn't give me a call (I'm just ten minutes away!). Maybe next year? Chip

I did get a response from one of my German friends, who sent me the following from the book "Das deutsche Reichsheer in seiner neuesten Bekleidung und Ausrüstung". There is no date on the book, but given the units within, it has to be before 1889. Unfortunately, it's only one sentence.

Larry, I took a look at Pietsch and could find no more than you did. I don't have any answers for you, but I will ask some of my German friends, who have much larger libraries than I. Regards, Chip

Both caps should have a manufacturer's mark in them. This might give a clue. If the visorless one is indeed a Württemberg cap, then it would not belong with this tunic. The visored cap appears to have a Hanseatic reservist cockade, as Ron has mentioned, so it would be a likely candidate. The...

James, If it's a shoulder strap, I don't know what it could could have been removed from. Certainly, it is not from a military uniform. The navy insignia represents an Oberfeuermeister, but it is not an official piece of insignia. My guess is that it is a veteran's thing. The cloth looks like...

All I can tell you is that his shooting cord indicates that he belonged to a foot-troop unit. That is the higher level shooting cord. Chip

The stampings look odd to me. There seems to be some problem with the date too. The J.z.P. enlisted field cap had changed from white to gray/green in 1903! The first three regiments were formed in 1905. So I am wondering why there is no specific unit number designated. I don't see any reason for...

Pioneers wore Troddeln too. :wink: Chip

There are plenty of Austro-Hungarian metal items from the imperial period being reproduced (belt buckles for instance), but this piece looks good to me. The wear, especially on the painted/plated surfaces of the attaching lugs, makes it look like it was in use at one time. Chip

There were no Jägers garrisoned in Cassel, but Marburg (Jäger Batl.11) is in the same corps district (XI.AK). Chip

Ron, You have to be careful with these Einheits-Schirmmützen. The Stahlhelm wore a nearly identical cap in the postwar period. Frankly, I would be a lot more comfortable with a gray visor and chinstrap, since those were authorized in 1915. Of course, there could be exceptions, but the Stahlhelm...

Ron, That leather stamp is also post WWI. Both belts are postwar. Chip

Hello Westfront, Unless you can see some marking on the pick itself, I think that Raum is just the manufacturer of the leather carrier. Both pieces are very nice. I have no idea what Arran is talking about? :-k :D Chip