Unit ID Help - German Dog Tag

[Brad Posey]

It is difficult to see in the photo as well as in the hand, but what I see is:

Ers. Es. R. U. 1. / 9
followed by the roster No. 986

Can anyone help me with this one?


Thanks!

.

[Jock Auld]

Brad,

Can't make it out but maybe you could try to fill the letters with a bit of chalk dust to make them stand out better?

Regards

Jock

[Brad Posey]

Thanks and I will do that tomorrow, but I am almost certain it reads:

Ers. Es. R. U. 1. / 9


.

[Don D.]

Where'd you find that one Brad?

[Chip M]

Ersatz Eskadron Reserve Ulan Regiment Nr. 1

Chip

[Brad Posey]

Where'd you find that one Brad?

Don - Argonne. I have a few more of other units from the same site. Thanks to Chip's quick ID it was found in an area where this unit would have been operating along with the other units.



.

[Chip M]

Brad,

The Ersatz Eskadron would have been the training unit in Germany. If this was the soldier's field Erkennungsmarke, it would have his field unit on the back or on the front, if there was enough room for it there. It is possible that he may have gone to the field with this same unit, in which case, there would be no need to add any other unit information.

Chip

[Brad Posey]

Chip,

Thanks again. There are no other markings so I guess this guy wore his trainnig dog tag.

Please look at my new thread of another mystery for me; a LIR 120 Dog Tag

.

[Brad Posey]

Chip,

I stand corrected.I thought the back was blank, but after a second cleaning I found this or at least this is what it looks like:

Eis. Es. Dr. 26.

Does that make any sense? It is very hard to see and I think will be difficult to get a good photo of it.


Brad

[Chip M]

Brad,

Due to his affiliation with an Ulan regiment, it might be a Dragoner regiment marking, but I doubt it, if you have correctly identified the marks.

More likely is Eisenbahn Es. Direktion 26 or Railway Directorate 26. Not sure about the "Es." yet.

I have a couple of armbands for guards and military railway personnel that are marked to Eisbandirektions.

Chip

[Brad Posey]

The sun is shinning today so I got some beter photos of both sides.

It definately reads: Ers. Es. Dr. 26

????


.

[Chip M]

Brad,

With that information it is definitely "Ersatz Eskadron Dragoner Rgt. 26.

Chip

[Brad Posey]

Thanks Chip,

I cannot figure out how this came to be in the Argonne? first Unit: Ers. Es. R. U. 1. was Hessian, Ers Es D.R. 26 is Wuerttenberg. From what I just read throughout the entire war D.R. 26 was nowhere near the Argonne. If he were with R.U. 1 that would make sense because the 76. Reserve Division area is where this came from.

.