An Austrian rank mystery (to me)

[McCulloh]

What rank is this chap @1915? He has a large button on his collar, as well as the star but with a thin silk edging to his upper collar. All my uniform guides show the rank being denoted not only by stars but by different kinds and shapes of edging. Is he some sort of Officer Aspirant? Thanks.
JeMc

[McCulloh]

Here he is as a lt. @1918:

[Glenn2438]

One Year Volunteer

Jeff,

thats a new one to me. The button appears to be that of a "One Year Volunteer" but the single embroidered star without the addition of any braid is of a Leutnant. Even if the guy had been a Fähnrich in der Reserve and still had the NCO braid on his collar he should have dispensed with the button on achieving the rank of Fähnrich idR. Do you have a name?

Regards
Glenn

[Rick Research]

Some sort of K.u.k. "Feldwebelleutnant?" Did they even have those???

Because though he was in the military in 1898, he got an enlisted man's M1915 small silver Bravery Medal and THEN what can only have been the senior NCO grade Golden Merit Cross on War Ribbon X after the first photo!!!

Yet his MMC3wWDX suggests he was not some weird technical type, but a frontline combatant branch officer!

And he's wearing mountain troops Edelweiss on his cap but NOT on his collar patches...

I'm with Glenn!!!

[Glenn2438]

Feldwebelleutnant

The Austro-Hungarian Forces had no similar rank to that of the German Feldwebelleutnant although the rank of offizersstellvertreter existed. The Austro-Hungarians were even more conservative in their policy of commissioning former NCOs to line officer rank than the Germans. This gentlemen may however have been a Proviantoffizier or Rechnungsführer type which were commissioned from NCO ranks.

The Edelweiß was worn by the entire XIV corps amongst othersd and would not have been worn on the collar unless the wearer was a member of either the three Landesschützen/Kaiserjäger regiments or of the two Gebirgsjäger regiments. Of course just about anyone who served in the mountains would probably feel justified in wearing the Edleweiß.

Regards
Glenn

[Glenn2438]

There may well be another explanation. Although it looks like a button from the angle of the photograph it could well be a version of the Landeswappen or state arms worn by various volunteer rifle units such as the k.k. freiwillige Oberösterr. Schützenregiment. This could well explain his relatively advanced age for his rank and the award of the Crown Jubilee Medal of 1898. He would have won the small silver bravery medal still as an NCO or aspirant officer.

The "button" could also possibly be one of the recognised oval shaped distinctive unit badges: electricity platoons or the Bosnian Landsturm carrier troops.

Regards
Glenn

[Glenn2438]

Volunteer Rifles

Afternote:

Having now got home I am more convinced that he is a volunteer rifles officer. The "button" is too large for the "one Year Volunteer". See the photo below of Hauptmann Dr. Leo Ghon, commander of 5./k.k. Freiwillige Oberösterrichische Schützen.

Regards
Glenn

[McCulloh]

Thanks! Great stuff!
So, what is a "volunteer Rifle Regimet?" Like a PALs regiment in the UK?
Thanks,
Jeff
p.s. Watch for another Austrian mystery photo tonight.

[Glenn2438]

Freiwilligen-Schützen

Jeff,

the volunteer rifles or freiwillige-Schützen were generally speaking very young men who in the normal course of things were too young to be conscripted but volunteered anyway and were formed in regiments with rather older officers and NCOs. Upper Austria, Salzburg, Carinthia and Stryria amongst others formed these regiments of volunteers who answered the call to defend the empire's southern border against Italy. Probably more famous are the Tyrolean Standschützen who ranks had men in their seventies and eighties and boys in their early teens.

By the way the silk on the Leutnant's collar is just the shirt collar turned over the upper collar.

Regards
Glenn

[McCulloh]

By George you are right Sir-it is a shirt collar.
The patch being so much darker made me think it was an NCO tpye.
Many thanks for the info.