Could you please identify these shoulder straps?

[desny]

I first thought the shoulder straps (at least of the bottom row of soldiers) were those of the Königin Augusta Garde Grenadier Regt No. 4, but was told that the background blue would look much darker.



[img
Döberitz by desny12, on Flickr[/img]

I have now enlarged all the "readable" shoulder straps the most I could. All shoulder straps have been rotated to show with the button hole at the top. The soldier I am interested in is at Bottom right:

[img
Bottom right (right shoulder) by desny12, on Flickr[/img]


[img
Bottom right (left shoulder) by desny12, on Flickr[/img]


His mate (at Bottom left) seems to have similar (identical?) shoulder straps:


[img
Bottom left (right shoulder) by desny12, on Flickr[/img]


[img
Bottom left (left shoulder) by desny12, on Flickr[/img]


Now, the middle row soldiers have shoulder straps which look different to me:
- the crown is different
- below the crown is a cipher which looks to me like a "J" or a "7"


[img
Middle left (right shoulder) by desny12, on Flickr[/img]


[img
Middle right (right shoulder) by desny12, on Flickr[/img]


[img
Middle right (left shoulder) by desny12, on Flickr[/img]


As the text on the reverse of the postcard says that the picture gathered 10 soldiers from the same province, they could come from different units, which could explain the different shoulder straps. Anyway, I would just need the unit of the Bottom right soldier identified. Are the above enlargements good enough to narrow in on the regiment of this family member of mine?

Thank you in advance for any clue which might get me a little further. Kind regards

Roland

 

[Chip Minx]

I would say that the straps are those of the Garde Grenadier Rgt. Nr. 4. There is really no other possibility. The blue of their boards was a medium blue, not the dark blue of say the Infanterie Leibregiment Nr.117. The color would actually not appear to be much different than the gray color of the Litewka in this black and white photo.

Chip

 

[desny]

Thank you Chip Minx. It confirms what I first thought. So, this soldier was enrolled in the Garde Grenadier Regiment Nr. 4 for a training period while in the Landwehr. Now what still remains unsure is if this implies that he was in the same regiment during his compulsory active military duty. Any opinion?

King regards

Roland