Gents,
The following response is from Jurgen at the Kavallerie-Regiment 18 website. My very poor translation (from an online translator) follows. If you can help to improve the translation, please feel free:
Hallo Mike,
leider spreche und schreibe ich wenig Englisch! Aber vielleicht findest Du jemanden, der dir das Deutsch geschriebene übersetzen kann. Die Bluse M1915 ist ok, sie hat keinen Umlegekragen wie ein Mannschafts-Rock sondern einen Stehkragen (offiziersmäßig). Haben die Taschenklappen sichtbare Knöpfe? Wenn es verdeckte Knöpfe sind, ist die Jacke offiziersmäßig! Kronenknöpfe außen sichtbar - Mannschaft! Könnte aber auch sein - Wachtmeister, der im Lauf des Krieges zum Offizier befördert wurde. Die dunklen Stellen am Kragen - klar da waren Offiziers-Kragenspiegel (Patten 7,5 x 4,5 cm) drauf! Könnte sein im 1. WK - Dragoner 25, die hatten Patten Meine aber eher Reichswehr - die hatten dann immer welche drauf, dann aber auch Offizier. Die Löcher (pin-marks) sind am Kragen?! Dann wären es die Löcher für die Seganten-Knöpfe. Auf den Ärmel, dann für die Armscheiben mit der Regiments-Nummer (1919/20).
Hi Mike,
your interpretation to this Uniform scems correct to me. In the WK 1 the Dragoner 25 wore the bluse with litzen (Patten) couacs.
It could be interpreted that the bluse through the war became to be an officer bluse after laving been a mannschaft pattern before (officer litzen - patten)
My interpretation of the German text:
Hello Mike, unfortunately I speak and write little English! But perhaps you can find someone to translate the German writing. The blouse M1915 is ok, it has separate no Umlegekragen (??) as well as a Mannschaft Rock a state collar (officer modified). Do the pockets have visible buttons? If they are covered buttons, the jacket is officer modified! If the crown buttons are visible, Mannschaft! However, it could also be a sergeant who was commissioned during the course of the war to the officer. The dark places at the collar – clearly there were officer Kragenspiegel (stalemates 7.5 x 4.5 cm)! It could have been Dragoner 25 as they had litzen. However it is possibly Reichswehr – which had them always which thereon, then however also officer. Are the holes (pin marks) at the collar?! Then the holes would be it for the Sergeant-knopfe. On the sleeve, then for the arm disks with the regiment-number (1919/20).
In response to Jurgens questions, :
There are definitely Sergeants-knopfe pin marks on each side of the collar, and enough wear/fading to identify Sergeant-knopfe rather than Gerfreiter-knopfe.
There is no evidence that I could find on the upper sleeve of a regimental number having been pinned there.
Another point of significance is that the turnback cuffs have been stitched closed at the top, perhaps an NCO modification?
Mike
