Medal ribbon......???

[dphillipsd]

Hi Guys,

I am looking for some help. I know Imperial Collecting is not what I prefer, at least for the time being, but my grandparents are involved in translating some of my Great great uncles fieldpost letters from WWI. Just for your info he served in 1 M.G.R of the 28th Infantry Division, dying on 28.03.1918.

I have 2 questions:
a) Like WWII fieldpost letters do WWI fieldpost letters have a fieldpost number?
b) Whilst translating the letter they describe how he complains that noone has noticed that he has been wearing a "grun-rot-goldene Schmut" (or something like that; the fax is hard to read) i.e. a green-red-gold braid or piping for the last 4 months."

My grandparents believe that it may be an award ribbon of some sort. I was merely wondering if anyone recognised such a ribbon and medal/award?

Thanks in advance for your responses, I am sure my grandparents will appreciate it. I may also post this in the order of battle forum for info on FP related things.

Thanks!

[Rick Research]

The Germans didn't have machine gun regiments, so that "R" may be a "K" for Company, though divisional MG companies should have been phased out around 1915/16 as line infantry regiments had machine guns supplied to them.

I can't think of anything that would apply as a German insignia or wartime ribbon with those colors.

[dphillipsd]

Hi Rick,

Thanks for the reply, you are correct it is the 1 M.-G.-K.

These letters are a bit smudged as they are written in pencil. My gran has only recently just gone through her parents items were she found them with photos of his grave taken just after the war and more recently. One photo depicts a wooden cross with his name, date of birth and death and 1 M.-G.-K.

I only have rough copies of the letters in GERMAN and I found the phrase she is curious about:
"Jetzt trage ich doch schon seit 4 Monaten meine grunrotgoldene Schmur (Schnur??) und der hat nich immer nichts gewerkt."

I am not sure if that helps. Any other idea of what it may be? Maybe an insignia of his rank?

[AOK4]

Hello,

I think he might have been wearing his student colors somewhere under his uniform.

From 1917 on, the Germans used Feldpost-Station numbers for reasons of secrecy. I guess that he may have been using Feldpost-Station (also used is the term Deutsche Feldpost) Nr. 899 for the 28. Infanterie-Division.

Hope this helps you a bit.

Regards,
Jan

[Kurt Doench]

[QUOTE=AOK4]Hello,

I think he might have been wearing his student colors somewhere under his uniform.

I don't think so. The correct term is "Band", and though certain other words may be used, such as "Saufleine" or "Strippe", I've never heard the student colour ribbon being referred to as Schnur (lanyard).

What do you make of the second half of the sentence? Doesn't sound German at all (probably just garbled in the fax).

Sorry, not much help.

Regards,

Schleppfux

[AOK4]

The second part is undoubtedly: und der hat noch immer nichts gemerkt.

Perhaps a Baden shooting prize then? Green being feldgrau and red-gold the colors of Baden. I don't know anything about Schützenschnure though...

Jan

[dphillipsd]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the replies so far.

Sorry that the second half of the sentance is jumbled but as I say the fax is hard to read. However, I dont think it has any bearing on the first half, just him complaining about it not being noticed.

I dont suppose anyone has a picture of this shooting prise that it could be?

Also Jan, any idea were I can get information about WWI FP numbers?

Thanks again.