Standards of the Seebataillone

[chrispaulodale]

Hello all,
I'm trying to work out what standard streamers were awarded to the three Seebataillone of Marine Infantry.

I've read that the I. Seebataillon were awarded the 1870-71 War streamer. That was the same vertical black, white and red pattern as the similar 1870-71 War medal wasn't it? The II. Seebataillon cannot have got that streamer as they were only formed in the 1880s.

I've also read that the I. Seebataillon were awarded the Herero War streamer with a battle clasp. Was that streamer of the same patttern as the medal for the same campaign? I haven't found it confirmed in writing but the II. Seebataillon would presumably also have got that streamer as the standard itself went out to Africa during the campaign.

Did all three batallions get the China streamer for the Boxer campaign? They were all out there. I'm assuming that's the blue streamer with a Chinese dragon.

Would they have gotten any other streamers?

Any help would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Chris

 

[JzPf]

Hello all,
I'm trying to work out what standard streamers were awarded to the three Seebataillone of Marine Infantry.

I've read that the I. Seebataillon were awarded the 1870-71 War streamer. That was the same vertical black, white and red pattern as the similar 1870-71 War medal wasn't it? The II. Seebataillon cannot have got that streamer as they were only formed in the 1880s.

I've also read that the I. Seebataillon were awarded the Herero War streamer with a battle clasp. Was that streamer of the same patttern as the medal for the same campaign? I haven't found it confirmed in writing but the II. Seebataillon would presumably also have got that streamer as the standard itself went out to Africa during the campaign.

Did all three batallions get the China streamer for the Boxer campaign? They were all out there. I'm assuming that's the blue streamer with a Chinese dragon.

Would they have gotten any other streamers?

Any help would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Chris

Chris,
From what reference I have, I. Seebatallion was raised in 1883, so no 1870-71 streamer. I only show I. & III. Seebatallions had the China Paradebänder, (blue streamer with Chinese Dragon.)

I. Seebatallion, raised 1883, had the Chinadenkmünze streamer with the “PEKING” clasp, the 1900 Banderole, and the blue China Paradebänder.

II. Seebatallion raised 1889, had the Chinadenkmünzen streamer with the “PEKING” clasp, the Südwest Afrika denkmünze streamer with “HEREROLAND” clasp, and the 1900 Banderole.

III. Seebatallion raised 1898, had the Chinadenkmünze streamer with the “PEKING” clasp, the 1900 Banderole and the blue China Paradebänder.

Post WWI (1920/21) they should all have received the 1914-1918 Streamer Hindenburg Cross.

Cheers,
Dennis

 

[chrispaulodale]

Hi Dennis,
Thanks for that great reply. So the Chinadenkmünze streamer and the blue China Paradebänder are two different streamers for the same action? And was the Chinadenkmünze streamer in the same colours as the Chinadenkmünze medal ribbon? I wonder why the I and II SB got the Peking clasp as both units arrived in China too late to relieve Peking, while the III SB actually fought defending Peking? I guess for trying to take part? I have read that the Chinadenkmunze itself was only awarded with Pekin clasp to the III SB members who served there.

As for the 1870/71 streamer for I SB, they were formed in 1852 as I understand it but their standard was only issued in 1883 with the 1870/71 streamer retrospectively awarded. According to https://www.fotw.info/flags/de^sb~71.html
"The colour staff is white with a golden spearhead; from it hangs the streamer of the War Service Medal of 1870/71, ending in a silver, black, and red intertwined tassels."
Source: Schlawe 1913, p. 131
Joseph McMillan, 5 Dec 2001

According to http://www.marine-infanterie.de/html/1_5_2.html the I SB did get the DSWA streamer with a clasp "Während des Hereroaufstandes erhielt das I. Seebataillon für die Beteiligung an der Erstürmung einer Wasserstelle im Gefecht von Otjihanamaparero (25.02.1904) ein Fahnenband verliehen."

Thanks again for your help so far.
Cheers
Chris

 

[JzPf]

Hi Chris,
I stand corrected, yes, I.SB had a Banderole/Streamer for 1870/71 in the same colors as the 1870/71 KDM. ( I went to your links and re-read my references, guess I missed that!)
The Paradebänder was a gift to the battalion(s) from Prinz Heinrich von Preussen , with the Chinese Dragon and inscription (not sure of the placement, opposite the dragon or on the back?)

“des Prinzen Heinrich von Preußen 1898“ for I.SB,
”des Prinzen Heinrich von Preußen 1912 “ for III.SB.

The streamers colors are the same as the respective medals for the China and DSWA medals according to my reference.

As to the I.SB getting the DSWA streamer you have better reference, mine does not have that listed.

Cheers,
Dennis

 

[JzPf]

 

[chrispaulodale]

Hi Dennis,
Thanks for this new info and pictures. The china medal and dragon banner being separate make sense now. As I see Prince Heinrich was in Tsingtao in 1898 alongside some of the I. SB to occupy the province, and he also visited Tsingtao in 1912 when the III. SB occupied it.

And I see from the pics you posted the I SB has the 1870/71 and China medal streamers, as well as Prince Heinrich's blue streamer. But no DSWA streamer, maybe my source was wrong...

But in the pic of the III. SB, I can see the china medal streamer and the blue china banner... but what is the extra red and white streamer?

Cheers
Chris

 

[JzPf]

Chris,
I believe that is the 1900 Banderole, based on the gold clasps. Here is a photo of a standard Prussian Banderole, however, the ones awarded to I., II., III Seebatallion, the Ostasiatisches Infantry Regiments and the Ostasiaisches Reiter Regiment, all had a red stripe down the center replacing the black center stripe. The illustration is just not spot on.

Cheers,
Dennis

 

[Zebedeus]

Never seen before. Congrats. I love it.
Zeb

 

[chrispaulodale]

Thanks again Dennis!

So what was the 1900 Banderole awarded for? Was it something every unit got to celebrate the turn of the century or similar? In that case did all three Seebataillone have it?

And finally onto the II. SB. Here's an image showing it battle scarred after the Herero Rebellion. As you predicted there's no Prince Heinrich Chinese eagle banner, just two (or maybe three?) streamers. Presumably 1900 Banderole, China Medal and DSWA medal. The curious part here for me is the caption stating this was their standard up to 1 April 1914. Was it withdrawn then? Did they get a replacement new one?

Cheers
Chris

 

[JzPf]

Chris,

Yes, the 1900 Banderole was a turn of the century streamer awarded to all regiments. The reverse of the clasps include the date of the raising of the regiment (In this example 31 März 1897) Yes, all three SB’s would have had them.

Good question on the II.SB standard, I’ll have to do some more homework on that one. Never heard of a standard being withdrawn. If the II.SB was folded in to the Marine Infantry Regiment, I guess it’s possible that the standard was retired?

I know the III.SB standard was destroyed during the Siege of Tsingtau by the Japanese, the only parts that were saved was the pole top, the fahnenring, a portion of the bandolier and the Paradebänder. The parts were flown out by the “Der Flieger von Tsingtau “, Gunther Plüschow.

As far as I know, no regimental standards were produced after the start of the war.
Cheers,

Dennis

 

[03FAHNEN]

Here I show some photos from the Bundesarchiv about the tapes
I hope it's what you want.
Greetings
Anthonio

 

[chrispaulodale]

Here I show some photos from the Bundesarchiv about the tapes
I hope it's what you want.
Greetings
Anthonio

Wow, thank you Anthonio!
That's great to see all the Fahnenbaender together. And also to see the damage on the I SB flag. I'm guess that happened on the Western Front perhaps at the Battle of Lombardzyde in 1914, when they reportedly carried it into action.
Cheers
Chris

 

[chrispaulodale]

Hi Dennis,

Thanks for the clarification there on the 1900 streamer.

As for the III. SB flag parts being taken out by Gunther Plüschow, I've read that in a few places. The only person who doesn't mention it is Plüschow himself in his memoirs. He does say before he left the Governor gave him papers to take with him but doesn't mention parts of the standard. As I'm sure you know, he flew to China, escaped on a steamer to USA via Japan pretending to be a neutral businessman. He travelled across America on train, then on another steamer to Gibraltar, where he was captured and questioned by the British, sent to a POW camp in Derby UK. He escaped from there, got a train to London. Spent a few days sleeping rough, then after several attempts swam across the river Thames at night to climb up the anchor chain of a Dutch ship and hide on board until they were near Holland. Then he got to Holland, train to Germany where he was arrested as a spy as the police didn't believe his crazy story about being a pilot from China!

In short, I don' see how he carried flag parts. He would have been searched several times. And carrying that kind ofevidence would make it impossible to claim to be a Swiss businessman! He had to climb under barbed wire fences and up anchor chains, run across fields, jump into ditches and swim a tidal river at night. Could he do all that carrying flag parts? Then when he was arrested by German police surely he would just show them what he was carrying as proof of who he was?

So if Plüschow didn't take them, how did they end up back in Berlin?

Cheers
Chris

 

[JzPf]

Chris,

I guess it will remain a mystery. If Plüschow didn’t mention it in his memoir, that is pretty telling. I would surmise that the parts were left with a German diplomat to take them back to Berlin?

Great archive photos of the standards and related parts. In the one photo you can see what I believe is the remnants of the III.SB standard, the pole top, fahnenband and a portion of the bandolier.

Dennis

 

[chrispaulodale]

Yes, that's a possibility. Or he took them to China and left them with officers of the S90 tropedo boat who were interned while he intended to escape. But no evidence either way and odd that he doesn't mention them at all.
Cheers
Chris

 

[chrispaulodale]

More from Bundesarchiv, the I SB streamers...
They would appear to be-
Prince Heinrich 1898
1900 Streamer
China Streamer

No sign of the 1870/71...

 

[chrispaulodale]

II SB streamers...
They would appear to be
1900 Streamer
DSWA Streamer
China Streamer

 

[chrispaulodale]

Remains of the III. SB standard... with the Prince Heinrich 1912 streamer being the only surviving one.

 

[KAGGR#1]

Here I show some photos from the Bundesarchiv about the tapes
I hope it's what you want.
Greetings
Anthonio

Great photos
Thank you for the post
Steve

 

[chrispaulodale]

Please correct me if I'm wrong but the photo from Bundesarchiv that Anthonio kindly posted then shows from left to right-

I SB Prinz Heinrich China Streamer 1898
I SB Boxer Rebellion Streamer
I SB 1900 Streamer
A carrying sash from one of the battalions
II SB 1900 Streamer
II SB Boxer Rebellion Streamer
II SB Herero Rebellion Streamer
III SB Prinz Heinrich Streamer 1912
Below that are the remains of the III SB standard

Is there a name for the 1900 streamer?