Das Wurttembergische Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 119

Pierre Grande Guerre

Pierre Grande Guerre

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I found these 2 scans of French period postcards in my digital photo collection of “Chasseurs Alpins”. Chasseurs Alpins, were French elite light infantry soldiers, with expertise for mountain warfare. They always, even the officers, were berets instead of képi’s or caps. On each picture there is only one Chasseur amidst other prisoners of Chasseurs à Pied and Infantry soldiers.

Maybe though interesting photo’s for you also, showing, besides only one Chasseur Alpin NCO / prisoner of war, quite some guys with “Picklehauben mit Feldüberzug” of “Das Wurttembergische Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 119”. (As you can see, I learned quite something here of you guys. :) )
Gmünd is a village at the east bank of the Bodensee, Germany. I suppose, these pictures have been made in the late summer of 1915???
Any other comments are welcome, please?

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Pierre
 
I agree with Bruno it looks like these guys are at a barbecue! As I mentioned in the handbook of Imperial Germany there were some interesting interactions between the French prisoners and the German guards early in the war. There really was a problem for the Germans as many hospital workers that were female became romantically involved with Frenchman. This phenomenon disappeared as the war went on. So this could be a pretty early picture???

I also do not think this is a reserve infantry Regiment. On the last picture, the guys on the left seem to have the letter L. on top of their helmet which would indicate a Landwehr unit. The mixture of numbers and letters in the same unit can really be confusing. As you know, not all reserve organizations had any kind of marking besides the base number. Then there is this kind of weird example. This is a 119 with a patch that covered up an old 123 it is in the red numbers but there is no letter?!?!
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from the helmet cover article
http://www.pickelhauben.net/articles/Uberzug.htm
 
I concur with you Joe, looks like Landwehr 119 on the überzug, but take a look at the tunics - Garde Litzen and Swedish cuffs, Grenadiers?

Thanks for postin' Pierre!

A fairly common picture of the fellows from Landwehr Infanterie Regiment 119 :

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-Brett
 
Thanks , Joe, I already supposed, I could have misinterpreted the unit in this picture. Landwehr I.R. it is then. Your book warns for this trap! :? (Life is permanent education.)
You are also making an interesting, rather intruiging, remark, that this photo might have been taken in 1914!
 
Great picture Brett! Two different individuals -- two different helmet covers.

The guard uniforms create yet another anomaly. Much of this depends upon where the unit was formed from. For example, where did they get the equipment for their training area? It is relatively less burdensome to determine if a reserve or Landwehr unit was formed from elements of a guard unit. It gets a lot more messy when you are dealing with smaller components that had their own guard units. But then you find ones that are real outliers -- no idea why they are using guard uniforms unless there was some sort of surplus in the Army Corps area.
 
While I am on a uniform subject there is another thought that was really bolstered by Herwig in his recent book. Sometime in late 1914 -- probably around the end of the battle of the Marne -- the individuality of the individual states inside of the Army became more blurry. Once they started mixing contingents inside of higher headquarters things became less distinct. I wonder if the Prussians were a bit less unsufferable as this transpired?
 
joerookery said:
I wonder if the Prussians were a bit less insufferable as this transpired?
Click to expand...

I know an insufferable Saxon - imagine if he was a Prussian! :D

Pierre ... something that may interest you:

http://postcards.delcampe.net/page/item/id,62289789,var,PRISONNIERS-FRANCAIS-PHOTO,language,E.html
 
Thanks a lot, Brett. But I had this (digital) picture of November 1914 already in my collection. It is really a sad sight to see these prisoners in wintercold at a station "Nation - Bruxelles - Etterbeek". Even though thanks for your thoughtfulness. :D
I have also the (digital) flip side with a pencil handwriting d.d.17-11-1914.
If someone is interested, I will post it.
 
I should have known Pierre :)

The reverse reads: ""11.11.14. Verwundete u. gefangene französ. Alpenjäger im Schnee auf der Verband Station Brüssel - Etterbeek" which I roughly translate to "Wounded and captured French Mountain troops in the snow at the connecting station at Brussels - Etterbeek."

- Brett
 
Well, Brett, my collection of Chasseurs Alpins is modest, about 125 pics.
But I thought instead of "Verband" there was written "Bahnh.", an abbrevation for Bahnhof (station), en then Nation- etc.
Thanks again, Brett!
P.S. There were Chasseurs a Pied, organised in Regiments, and these Chasseurs Alpins, considered as elite mountain troops, organised in Battalions.
 
There is a concise source in Wikipedia, which is alas not at all correct. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chasseurs_Alpins . For instance there were far more Battalions than only three.

I have derived my knowledge about them from French books and French internet sources. For my website I published a concise, illustrated article about the backgrounds of the Chasseurs Alpins, but alas in Dutch, Brett; http://pierreswesternfront.punt.nl/?id=454908&r=1&tbl_archief=& .
I also published an article about a book about a Chasseur Alpin war painter, Pierre Comba; http://pierreswesternfront.punt.nl/?id=481896&r=1&tbl_archief=& .
Chasseurs Alpins were not only deployed in mountain warfare, but they also fought important fights like near Verdun, the Chemin des Dames, and the French front sectror of the Somme.
But I understand, you are interested also in these mountain guys, Brett?
 
Sorry for the delay Pierre, I was busy selling my house :D .

The article on the Chasseur Alpin on your website is superb. Even though I had to use an online translator, the information contained therein was easily understood. Many thanks for bringing it to my attention, I spent the afternoon today going back and forth between PPIOTHWF and Babel Fish LOL.

Your site is so comprehensive, it is easy to get lost there. Well done my friend.

- Brett
 
Thanks, Brett, for your praising words. I am amazed that you could understand so well the content of google´s "Dunglish" translation. I am content, that my article provided you some useful information.
There is indeed much more to see and to read on my website, Brett, than most visitors would first expect to find there. From the beginning I do realize that it is all too much for one evening. I always hope, that visitors have become that attracted to find another visit to another subject or topic worthwile enough .

Thanks again, Brett! :)
 
Again about the Chasseurs Alpins. Maybe only for the eyes of Brett. :) Recently an anonymous Frenchman opened a recommendable website with a complete and concise overview of all Battalions of Chasseurs Alpins.
It give concise overviews of the battalion's history, whereabouts in years, and important battles. With some modest knowledge of French, I think, these pages are accessible to almost anyone. Click on: http://www.bataillonsdechasseurs.fr/fiches_bataillons.htm .
In the bibliography of a battalion you will sometimes find pdf-files of battalions war diaries.
 
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