Stosstrupp Training Photo.

[Paul B]

Another recent acquisition, this time a group photo captioned on the rear as being "in rememberance of my assault troop training, June 1917". It was sent by a soldier named Eduard Geyr, and although not positively identified, the regiment is narrowed down by the pointed "Old Prussian" style collar litzen most of the men are wearing. The photo has loads of interesting detail, from the trench knives down to the NCO in the centre wearing the EKI:

[Paul B]

In close-up, the uniform detail is fairly sharp:

[Paul B]

Different photo from a different source, but possibly the same regiment -this time the shortened version of the pointed litzen being worn on the M1915 pattern bluse by this decorated soldier:

[Tony & Kaiser]

although not positively identified, the regiment is narrowed down by the pointed "Old Prussian" style collar litzen most of the men are wearing.

Yowzers! You don't see these guys very often. Füsilier-Regiment von Gerdsdorff (1. Kurhessisches) Nr.80 XVIII Armee Korps. This is on my "I would perform any non-sexual act to get a Dunkelblau Waffenrock from this Regt" list.

But then again, for a nice Waffenrock, and with rubber gloves.........................

[Paul B]

Yup, that's the fellers....

I seem to remember Helmut Weitze having an officer's field grey tunic to this regiment for sale not so long ago, but like you I have never seen a dunkleblau tunic to this unit....as to the rubber gloves, as long as it's between you and the dealer in question, who's to know?

Cheers

Paul.

[Gilles C.]

Hi Tony, are you positive with the identification? When looking at the cuffs, don't you see something like a slightly darker piping on the white strips? Of course it's difficult to tell when you don't have the original picture and a magnifier in front of you . Maybe I should first start wiping my screen...
Paul, do you see a piping as well?
Gilles

[Gilles C.]

Moreover, FR 80 would have a dark Namenszug on the straps which doesn't seem to be the case. Once more only Paul can tell us about it.
Regards
Gilles

[Tony & Kaiser]

Hi Tony, are you positive with the identification?

Well actually......no. I am not positive. There were three Regts that utilized that pattern Litzen:

5. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß
Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr.5, and
Füsilier-Regiment von Gerdsdorff (1. Kurhessisches) Nr.80.

The two Garde Regts had a colored red line (der Spiegel) running down the center of the Litzen as you noted, while Füsilier-Regiment Nr. 80 wore blank Litzen with no Spiegel. I did not think I saw the Spiegel, but as you said, Paul can tell us.

[Dave Mosher]

Hey Tony and All

I owned and enjoyed the 80th Fusilier tunic for years and traded it to Weitze at the SoS Show last year. Here are a couple of pics to tide you over...

Dave

[Dave Mosher]

More

[Dave Mosher]

collar

[Tony & Kaiser]

I owned and enjoyed the 80th Fusilier tunic for years and traded it to Weitze at the SoS Show last year.

All I can say is that Weitze must have had something you wanted pretty bad for you to let such a unique tunic go. Wonderful example!

[Dave Mosher]

Tony
It was very painful. By the way, congrats on having your Fokker DVII article in Fine Scale Modeler.

Dave

[Paul B]

Collar litzen.

Hi Gents

Firstly, many thanks to everyone who's responded to this thread. The group photo is postcard-sized, and even with a magnifier it is very difficult to make out the detail of the collar patches. There MAY be a coloured line running down the centre of the patch, but even with the original in front of me I'm not sure either way. There are no feldpost stamps on the back to help us out on this one, either.

The photo of the individual soldier (which was a seperate purchase to the group photo) does provide additional clues, however. The litzen appears to have a line running through the centre, although it appears to be a light coloured line, so light it is virtually indistinct....possibly a trick of the light, or that well-known happening where colours appear the wrong hue of dark or light in old photographs (yellow litzen appearing dark, for example...) Either way, there does appear to be a line there. Also, the shoulder straps on this soldier's bluse appear to be plain, thereby ruling out Fusilier Regt Nr 80.

The inconclusive conclusion (!) then, is that the second soldier is not from Fusilier Regt Nr 80, but the first group of soldiers may be.

This photograph shows a much better view of the litzen with speigel being worn. The feldpost stamps are for II/6 Gard.-Inf Regt., and also the Garde Ersatz Division:

[Paul B]

By the way Dave, that was the tunic I remembered -a beautiful example!

The detail of the collar litzen is clearer in this close-up: