Open season on identification

Question, Joe; Do I read correctly "E 17"? It looks to me that the guy wears a Husar uniform. I only know the abbrevation "E" for Ersatz, like Ersatz Bataillone or Ersatz Regimente, a topic which we discussed elsewehere on this forum. Please, enlighten me. :)
 
Peter,

This exact photo is also being discussed in this thread about things Braunschweig http://www.pickelhaubes.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6800" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There is another educated individual on Flickr who also saw the E the vast majority however, see the L.
 
Thank you , Joe. The link to this topic and the answers of especially Glennj made it all clear to me. So, it is an "L" and not an "E". That explains also why I could not understand the Husar outfit combined with an "E". But still, considering the answer of Glennj on the other mentioned topic, this is still an extraordinary sample, because there were so few Landwehr Husar units. :)
Xcuse me for my misinterpretation of the letter "E". I am only looking with the view of a "virgin" outsider to these pictures and of course then I am in awe and in admiration and in a state of a sound amazement of such a find. :) As always, thanks for sharing!
 

ps1865 by joerookery, on Flickr

I was pretty happy with that identification of:
Kgl. Sächs. 1. Train-Bataillon Nr.12
(Dresden/Bischofswerda) XII Armee Korps

But I cannot figure out where the connection is with Bautzen?
 
Joe,

I think more likely he is a member of 1. Bataillon 4. Landwehr-Regiment Nr. 103. The Train-Bataillon had red piped black collar and cuffs.

Regards
Glenn
 
Joe,

While you are at it… Those shoulder straps says 7
Click to expand...

A Wachtmeister of the 7. Landgendarmerie-Brigade. Coesfeld was in the VII. Armeekorps District, about 30 Kilometres to the West of Münster.

Regards
Glenn
 
I think more likely he is a member of 1. Bataillon 4. Landwehr-Regiment Nr. 103. The Train-Bataillon had red piped black collar and cuffs.
Click to expand...

Would it be that easy? That explains a city connection but why would there be anybody getting their picture taken from a Landwehr-Regiment that had a limited time of existence? Shako yes and Tony has a wonderful example of a shako from an older Saxon train battalion. http://www.kaisersbunker.com/dunkelblau/helmets/dbh45.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; worn between 1873 and 1903. This picture does not look like the example. Because of the lack of the insignia on the field badge.

TB 19 wore the shako between 1899-1903. I cannot see the kind of cuffs.
 
Joe,

why would there be anybody getting their picture taken from a Landwehr-Regiment that had a limited time of existence?
Click to expand...

Well not that limited. I./Landwehr-Regiment Nr. 103 was in existance as the recruiting and replacement organ in Bautzen from 1869-1888 when it became Landwehr-Bezirk Bautzen. The photograph appears to come from this earlier period and this chap is not wearing the sword and mounted personnel waist and cross belts.

Regards
Glenn
 
Glenn,

If I understand you correctly–which is perfectly reasonable–this picture would predate Landwehr-Bezirk Bautzen but have the same function. In which case this would be an extremely small group of people. Yes?
 
Joe,

the Saxon Landwehr were apparently wearing the Helmet as opposed to the Shako by 1888 according to Krickel/Lange (although not generally introduced until 1900). Mila has them still wearing a shako in 1881. So if this chap is Landwehr, which I believe he is, then yes. The Saxon uniform regulations of 1872 only prescribed the shako for Schützen-Regiment Nr. 108, the two Jäger battalions, the Train-Bataillon and the Landwehr. I think if you look at the shako plate closely, there appears to be an arm of the Landwehr cross visible on the right hand edge.

Regards
Glenn
 

ps1865b by joerookery, on Flickr

Tough to say about the cross.

If indeed he is I./Landwehr-Regiment Nr. 103 how many people is this? The number of active duty individuals has to be microscopic. Ranks would also be quite interesting. Another interesting question to you is why do you use the designation I./?
 
Joe,

I./ = 1st Battalion: Bautzen

II./ = 2nd Battalion: Meißen

I am also going on the assumption that individual Landwehr soldiers recalled for a session of training at this time would wear this uniform; not just the permanent staff of the recruiting district which in effect was what the Landwehr-Regiments were in peacetime at this period. Of course, the number or regulars at this rank assigned to the permanent staff would just be a handfull.

Regards
Glenn
 
This from the 1872 dress regulations.

Regards
Glenn

sachsen72.jpg
 
I am also going on the assumption that individual Landwehr soldiers recalled for a session of training at this time would wear this uniform
Click to expand...

That is an assumption that might be true for that time however I do not know. There is an interesting observation from postcards about these Übungen. At least later in the Empire they did not appear to use older equipment but often more modern stuff. Also the Übungen do not seem to be named for any specific unit such as 103. I have seen them named for the Bezirks-commando, or the Army Corps. so for instance you would have Landwehr Übung Battalion XIV corps 1910. This also seems to be a conglomeration from throughout the Army Corps area. That makes some sense because the Landwehr Übung requirement was given to the Army Corps. So I can make the extension or assumption that the Army Corps tasks the different regiments for equipment to support those battalions. It is not clear to me that I./Landwehr-Regiment Nr. 103 ever went anywhere as a group. I really don't know. However, you have certainly put me on the scent as I was heading down the train Battalion path.
 
Joe,

It is not clear to me that I./Landwehr-Regiment Nr. 103 ever went anywhere as a group.
Click to expand...

Indeed. In peacetime they were just an administrative organisation like their later renamed successor organisations - the Landwehrbezirke: They facilitated recruitment and the control of reservists and Landwehr personnel.

Saxony did mobilise four Landwehr battalions during the Franco-German War but these were formed not from the individual battalion districts but from each of the four entire brigade districts respectively.

Regards
Glenn
 
Joe,

going back to Maximilian v. Seubert, I came across this shot on my hard drive, showing Seubert as a Major. d.R.

Regards
Glenn

seubert.jpg
 
Joe,

There was not a lot of these: Major. d.R.
Click to expand...

There were considerably more once the war started with lots of promotions to Major from 1916 onwards. But these are rare: Pre-War Oberstleutnant der Reserve Ferdinand Fürst Radziwill of Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 3 or Oberstleutnant der Landwehr von Windheim of the 1. Garde-Landwehr-Regiment in 1914 for example! If we go back a bit further to 1905 one will find Oberst der Landwehr Graf von Seckendorff and Oberst der Landwehr v. Boetticher.

Regards
Glenn

radziwill.jpg
 
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