Communications/Telegraph Troops

[b.loree]

I picked this up on Ebay a month ago. I bought it because of the 2 Wurtt troopers, the filz tschakos and the mounted troops swords. This probably was taken after some sort of training course. The post mark on the back: Karlsruhr 30. 5. 15 Baden.

 

[Sandmann]

Nice and clear picture... but it’s always sad to see how young these soldiers have been

 

[kaiser]

Indeed a clear foto
Think that those jung guys are begin there 20ties
These are not that common those pictures with filz tschakos
Great find on this one

 

[coert65]

Very nice picture, indeed the age of the guys is very young..
But I seem to see the first soldier on the left, and the second one seen on the right are having black feldzeichens on their Tschako's,
can anybody explain the why and how of these? Or is the picture misleading me? :-?

Edit, I just saw the württemberg wappens on their Tschako's, should have seen this before...

 

[Tony without Kaiser]

// But I seem to see the first soldier on the left, and the second one seen on the right are having black feldzeichens on their Tschako's,
can anybody explain the why and how of these? Or is the picture misleading me?

Yes it is. Those are red Feldzeichen with black centers. The
orthochromatic film does not show colours well, especially red.

Here is the same Filz as worn by the Preußens.

Standard write up and more photos http://www.kaisersbunker.com/feldgrau/helmets/fgh43.htm

 

[kaiser]

Thats a great one tony

 

[b.loree]

Arghhh das Bunker strikes again!! Thanks for the pic T! When I saw this foto I saw the filz tshakos but what made me buy it, was the addition of 2 Wurttemberg soldaten in the picture, you just never see that in these group shots.....a mixture of truppen. Plus, I thought it was weird that telegraph troops would be wearing Arty style sabres. Tony told me that telegraph were mounted troops so that explained the swords, but again....why would a telegrapher need a sword to drag around???? All armies are steeped in tradition. :-? Last, in regard to Tony's tschako....an original chin strap with correct neusilber fittings plus an original Prussian feldzeichen which in many examples, are missing and replaced with reproductions. :thumb up:

 

[b.loree]

Ok, I do not have a tschako but I do have both neusilber wappen shown in this picture:
View attachment 1
Period fotos are highly useful to the collector, they are snap shots of past times.

 

[Tony without Kaiser]

Both very difficult to find and superb examples :bravo:

 

[keoki7]

Looks like Nicholas II sitting among them.

 

[joerookery]

One of the fun things I discovered is that at least in 1914 – you had telegraph troops but no telegraphs. Telephones and radios were it. They stopped with the telegraph around 1910.

 

[b.loree]

Thanks Joe for that information, another anachronism is these troops being issued with swords. One last thing.......take a look at the soldier on the left side of the tallest individual in the centre of the picture, his chin strap is up underneath his wappen. Very unusual.

 

[SkipperJohn]

Brian,
I blew up the photo and I don't think the chin strap is underneath the Wappen. He just has it adjusted so tight that it is laying across the middle of the Wappen plate.

John

 

[b.loree]

Thanks John, that makes more sense.