Strap Number

[pzrwest]

Here is a picture of my uboot vet friend Edgar's father taken when he joined the army what is the number on the shoulderstrap? Is it 16? He was from Altenburg Saxony. Also what rank is he here in this picture

[Mike Dwyer]

Well, he may have been a Saxon, but that's not a Saxon army uniform he's wearing. That type of cuff was not used by the Saxon army. He appears to be in the Prussian army and the Infanterie-Regiment Freiherr von Sparr (3. Westfälisches) Nr.16 to be precise. I think he's either a sergeant or a vizefeldwebel.

[pzrwest]

Thank you very much. Edgar told me that his father was a cadet when he was around 15 or 16 in Altenburg Saxony. And when he got married in 1911 he was honored by haveing the privilege of being married in the castle chapel in Altenburg. On his father's medal bar beside the EKII there is the Altenburg-Saxony medal. I know I have posted these pics before but still trying to sort things out
medal bars

later picture

reverse of the picture

cap cockades, officers shoulder straps and sword knot

still curious as to the device on the EKII ribbon on his ribbon bar

[don-zamo]

25 years service? no idea pal, id like to know aswell

James M

[Mike Dwyer]

Originally Posted by pzrwest

Thank you very much. Edgar told me that his father was a cadet when he was around 15 or 16 in Altenburg Saxony. And when he got married in 1911 he was honored by haveing the privilege of being married in the castle chapel in Altenburg. On his father's medal bar beside the EKII there is the Altenburg-Saxony medal. I know I have posted these pics before but still trying to sort things out
medal bars

I apologize, I missed the Saxe-Altenburg part. When you said he was a Saxon I was thinking only of the Kingdom of Saxony, not the Province of Saxony. The Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg was a part of the Province of Saxony, which is in the Kingdom of Prussia, so it would figure that he's wearing a Prussian uniform. There is a Saxe-Altenburg bravery medal on his medal bar to show that connection too.

The outdoor photo shows him as definitely being a vizefeldwebel because he has an officer's swordknot on his sword, sergeant's wore the enlistedman's swordknot. Secondly, it says vizefeldwebel d. Res. on the back of the photo. I can't really make out the unit Something Battalion 133, 3rd Company. I could be wrong, but I don't think that's an infantry sword he's wearing in that photo. Apparently he was serving in the position of Spiess because I believe only Der Spiess was allowed to have the unit record book tucked into the front of his jacket like that.

On the device on the ribbon bar, Saxons, for some reason, liked to put miniature Iron Crosses on their EK ribbons, there's a thread here somewhere about that. The officer's shoulder boards probably came later on (if they're his).

[pzrwest]

Was told earlier when I originally posted thesde pics that the later pic was of him with the 133 construction battalion 3rd company which makes sense because he was re-called in some capacity on the westwall hence that medal. He did end WW1 as an officer. Unfortunately the devices or pips if any have been lost over time as well as the ribbon bar.
As for the medal bar we are curious what the last cross on the lower bar is it has the numerals XV on the reverse which makes me think it is a long service medal but shouldn't it have a cornflower blue ribbon like the the one on the first bar? If the ribbon is not for a long service medal what is it for? I do appreciate all the help given so far and any further info