Bah humbug! I've been trying to access the forum from work - where I seem to be spending the better part of my time these days, but the firewall doesn't like anything with the word 'forum' in it.
Great photograph Joe, thanks for posting it - I'm fascinated by the obsolete and more often than not improvised Landsturm kit. I'm sure I count for at least 50 percent of hits on the Colonel J's Landsturm site whilst trying to identify some anomaly or other incongruity in a picture.
According to
The German Forces in the Field November 1918:
2. Ldst.-I.-Btl. Gera (XI. 13) - Deployed to Belgium
2. Ldst.-I.-Btl. Gera (XI. 25) - Deployed to the Eastern Front
Here's a couple of similar pics.
Six friends belonging to Landsturm Infanterie Bataillon 'Reutlingen' (XIII 4) and a terrified looking mascot.
Letters on front and reverse. The letter is authored in 'New Germany' (Belgium) near Longwy on 16.9.1914 by one of the fellows depicted above, who writes to his old boss telling his that he and his friends are okay. Interestingly, he divulges detailed information about his duties and where he and his colleagues are located.
Landsturmmänner from the 76th Landsturm Brigade.
And when they're not on their collars - they're on the shoulders:
Cheers,
- Brett