K.B.4.Jäger Bat.

[Chip M]

Hello all,

I have one of those postwar veteran's ribbons with a unit bar on it. The bar has the unit mark "K.B.4.Jäger Bat." To my knowledge, there were only two regular Bavarian Jäger battalions during WWI (the 1st & 2nd). Could this badge be referring to the IV.Batl.(bayerisch) of Jäger Regiment 3. (IV./Jäger 3.)? If this is not it, what else could it be? Any thoughts appreciated.

Chip

[Daniel Murphy]

Chip,
According to the Website "A Pocket German Army" by Glenn Jewison, there was a 4th Bavarian Jager batt. It was formed on Dec. 1, 1825 and was disbanded on Oct. 1, 1890. the troops were sent to the 2nd battalion of K.B. I.R. 19. Since no WW1 unit was listed perhaps the owner was an older veteran who served only with this unit before 1890 and was still around afterwards and involved in the veterans organizations. This is the only explanation that makes sense to me. I will have to check this out but it is possible these bars were handstamped with the unit info supplied by the vet. This would make good business sense as otherwise you would have to manufacture bars for every unit whether you could sell them or not. That way you would get stuck with a lot of leftover bars. I will check this out and amend if neccesary,

Daniel Murphy

[Chip M]

K.B.4.Jäger Batl.

Daniel,

Thanks for the comments. I suppose it would be helpful to know just when these Regiments Erinnerung Kreuz (R.E.K.) medals and the accompanying ribbon bars were made. I had assumed that they were strictly a postwar item and that the unit bars represented wartime units. If this is not the case, I would sure like to know over what time period they were popular.

Your senario might be possible. Anyone serving with that battalion in 1890 would have to be fifty years old by 1920. I have seen 50 year veteran's association pins, so it is not out of the realm of possibility.

Chip

[Daniel Murphy]

Chip,
I do believe that most of these are post 1918 veteran pieces. That makes it all the more unusual. I have looked at the photos of some of these and the unit designation lettering is in a very thin font (thin lines in the letters), are impressed and filled with paint. Most other officially recognised bars of the period have raised lettering. This further reinforces my view that they are stamped to order. The lettering is too precise for hand stamping , so possibly machine stamped to order. Therefore whatever unit a veteran had served in, and had most pride in could order a bar with that info. If you can peek at the underside of your bar and see reverse dimpling ( for lack of a better word) the letters are stamped. Worst case scenario is that it was a mistake when it was stamped, but I do not believe this since it would be easy to just stamp another one one the mistake was realized. I have passed up on so many of these over the years and now wish I had few that I could examine ,

Dan

[Chip M]

Unit Bars

Daniel,

Like you, I have been collecting a long time (since 1961 for me) and I have a few regrets too. Lots of things I should have kept, should have gotten, etc. Ah well.

There are two types of these unit bars that I have seen. One is type that has been shown on the medal bars here with the sort of bracket {_} shaped ends. The second style, seen on state colored ribbons with a helmet and crossed rifles, swords, etc. are squared off on the ends, have raised letters and don't have the black painted letters of the first pattern. Both of my examples from the first style are maked on the back "Paul Küst Berlin C19 Seydelstr.19A Ges.Gesch." They are unit marked to the "GBS.MASCH.GEW.ABT.201" and "JÄG.BAT.4". The square ended ones are mounted on the little ribbon bars, so I cannot see the reverse. One is from the "K.B.4.JÄGER BAT" and the other from the "BRANDB.HUSAR.R.3". Both of these bars have a clip on the back for attaching a medal's ring. I am not sure what medals were meant to go on these bars, but I have seen the R.E.K. on them. I'm just not sure if that is what was originally supposed to be there, as they are easily replaced.

Chip