Strange MG unit (and some cats)

[Robert]

I got this picture because of the cute little kittys. I always like cats.
But the stamp made me wonder, it reads 10th MG company of the Generalgouvernement. I cannot make out much in the address line, it contains the word "Landwehrdivision". From what I know, there were three Generalgouvernements in 1915 - Belgium, Warsaw and Lublin (Poland).

It seems strange to me that a company would be attached directly to a Generalgouvernement which was more a political/organizational entity. Any more infos about this?

 

[Glennj]

Robert,

Taking Belgium as an example, the Generalgouvernement Belgien was the amongst other tasks the headquarters of the military occupation forces in Belgium. According to Generalleutnant Hans v. Winterfeldt, the military strength of the Generalgouvernement Belgien as as 1 April 1915 was 102 battalions of infantry, 32 squadrons of cavalry, some batteries of field and numerous batteries of foot artillery. Aditionally there were machine gun companies and technical troops of all kind - mostly Landsturm and Landwehr.

Regards
Glenn

 

[Gustaf]

Hey Robert, I hate to say thins, but the one inthe middle is not a cat
Best
Gus

 

[Robert]

Hey Robert, I hate to say thins, but the one inthe middle is not a cat

Now that you point it out..

Were these units really sort of free-floating, attached directly to the Generalgouvernement without regimental organization? The list that Glenn provides sums up to quite an amount of men.

 

[Glennj]

I came across an article in the March/April 1969 edition of the Zeitschrift für Heereskunde by Hans Kling and H.R. v. Stein titled Maschinengewehr-Formationen 1914/18. In it under the sub-heading "Independent Machine Gun Companies etc" are listed Maschinengewehr-Kompagnie Nr. 1 - Nr 15 des General-Gouvernement Belgien.

Regards
Glenn

 

[chrispaulodale]

Hey Robert, I hate to say thins, but the one inthe middle is not a cat

Now that you point it out..

Brilliant!