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**RonR** · 10-10-2006, 10:09 PM

Reverse view:

**regular122** · 10-11-2006, 12:19 AM

Ron,

Very impressive. Might have been collected by a vet on the battlefield and then sewn together later or even in theater. I'm sure you are familiar with the 'hate belts' where the soldiers snapped up buttons and NCO collar devices and stitched them into a German Belt. This is a very nice item. That Minnenwerfer strap is quite rare although Tony (and maybe even Kaiser) could enlighten us all on the specifics of the units. Steve

**Chip M** · 10-11-2006, 07:03 PM

Ron,

Welcome from the other side of the state! I collect wartime German straps so this is of particular interest to me. Several very nice things on this souvenir. Steve was very perceptive to have picked out the real stunner though, and that is the Minenwerfer piece. I have lots of examples of Minenwerfer straps, but none like this one. What makes it different is that letter "G" underneath the company number. The 174th was a mountain unit (Gebirgs). I have never seen one with this designation on it. I have never seen any reference to it either. Thanks for showing it.

Other pieces worth mentioning are the three cyphered straps from the 94th IR (EW), the one from the 95th (EG) and the one from the Hessian 116th (WII). The yellow one is from the 26th Bavarian Foot Artillery Regiment, and the "T 5" is from the 5th Telegraph battalion.

The whole thing is very interesting, but as a strap collector, I lament the fact that the straps were cut up.

Chip

**RonR** · 06-19-2013, 11:48 AM

Bringing this very old thread back up to replace some missing pictures after being very kindly asked for more shots of the straps...

...

Attached Files

54 Imperial shoulder boards reverse #2.jpg (160.6 KB, 159 views)

**RonR** · 06-19-2013, 11:54 AM

.,.

Attached Files

54 Imperial shoulder boards #2.jpg (127.4 KB, 158 views)

**J. M. C.** · 06-19-2013, 12:02 PM

Ron,
That is a really great piece that you have there. It's really just a beautiful work of art in my eyes.

**ROBB** · 06-19-2013, 01:32 PM

Amazing stuff Ron , they used to take the straps for inteligence to see who was about ,( as well as souvenirs ) but I am sure you knew that . Rob

**phild** · 06-19-2013, 03:51 PM

Originally posted by ROBB View Post

Amazing stuff Ron , they used to take the straps for inteligence to see who was about ,( as well as souvenirs ) but I am sure you knew that . Rob

It would be really interesting to research all of these units and see if or what the patterns were as to their locations during the last year or two of the war. Most of these are infantry boards and there are a number of duplicates..at least some of which are not pairs....so came off different tunics from the same regt.

I suspect that these were gathered as intell over a short period of time by an allied unit...maybe Div or Corps and I also suspect that most of these units can be tied to a common general location (or two) during 1918.

I should add that I can not tell for sure (maybe others can) if all of these are oriented in correct way.....meaning are the 66 really 99 and could the 86 really be 98.....just for a couple of examples...I think that it would be easy (but take an hour maybe) to map out the divisions that each of these regts were assigned to in 1918 adn then the Corps and Armies would be real easy from there. I would think that about all of these would map to one or two German Armies.

**90th Light** · 06-19-2013, 05:59 PM

I found one of these shoulder strap blankets in the 1970's. The antique dealer contacted the veteran's family for me and asked how their father got them. The dad was still alive in a rest home at that stage. He said he was part of a grave digging unit. the straps came from both German POW's helping to dig graves and some of the bodies being buried.

I asked about straps taken for intelligence. He said that happened on trench raids and they were handed over to an officer upon return. However, once a German unit surrendered or was over-run, there where many straps to souvenir from both the living and the dead,

Chris

**Johnny R** · 06-19-2013, 06:13 PM

There is an example like this is the State veterans museum where I live that is the size of a bed blanket with probably 150-200 different straps.. It was donated by the WWI Vet and interestingly 20 some years later the kids tried to get it back realizing its value. As far as I know it is still there.

**pzrwest** · 06-19-2013, 08:46 PM

A nice group of strap insignia, what a great collection if all the straps were intact not cut up, but that being said, a nice piece non the less. Congrats.... Harold

**Andy C.** · 06-20-2013, 09:37 AM

Outstanding Ron, you never seem to disappoint.

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54 Different Imperial Shoulder Straps All In One

54 Different Imperial Shoulder Straps All In One

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