Working on a deal - Page 2

Don M · 08-14-2012, 10:01 PM

It seems possible that the first "1" in this marking was part of the earlier military marking and we should not be looking for a "1st Freiwillig" unit.

Ron Smith · 08-15-2012, 07:46 AM

Hi Don,

I believe the "1" is part of the Freiwilligen mark. It is very prominent and appears to have been heavily struck.

Ron

Don M · 08-15-2012, 09:30 AM

Ron, you may well be right but the Frw. seems more lightly struck than the 1. The depth of the 1 looks more like the unbuffed parts of the preceding characters.

I also just realized that the last part of the marking is R.a.1. and not Ra.1. Of course, I have no idea what either of them means.

Ron Smith · 08-15-2012, 09:42 AM

Douglas,

You are correct. I was depending on memory, and had too many numbers going through my head. At the time of the reduction mandated by the Allied Commission, the Provisional Reichswehr had approx. 400,000 personnel. By 1924 the official reported strength of the Reichswehr was 99,086. (Ref: "The Reichswehr and the German Republic 1919-1926" by Harold Gordon).

Thanks for the correction...

Ron

Ron Smith · 08-15-2012, 09:49 AM

Don,

I'm not certain of the translation for R.a. either. The only Freiwilligen unit that correlates is the one I posted. As I said, it could be an Austrian Freiwilligen unit also, and R.a. could have an altogether different translation.

I am convinced that Frw can only be "Freiwilligen".

Ron

C.Brown · 12-07-2012, 08:44 PM

I have examined this piece and there is no evidence of scrubbing any part of the marking; it appears to have been struck all at one. Proposed solution:
Grenadier Regiment 4, 1st Volunteer company Rastenburg, weapon number 1 within the company.
GR 4 was garrisoned at Rastenburg.
The first Fw. units were raised ca. 15 Nov 1918 and by 1920 were dissolved or absorbed into the Reichswehr. The marking was probably applied within that time span.
This probably an improvised marking following the pattern of regulation markings in the format regimental number, company/squadron/battery number, weapon number.
There are at least four post-WWI histories of GR 4 covering the WWI period, none of which I have. Perhaps there is some reference to the Fw. company or companies in one of them.

Curly1 · 12-08-2012, 12:31 AM

Guess the deal never went thru for the OP.

08-14-2012, 10:01 PM	#1
Don M Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,429 Thanks: 67 Thanked 292 Times in 191 Posts	It seems possible that the first "1" in this marking was part of the earlier military marking and we should not be looking for a "1st Freiwillig" unit. __________________ Regards, Don donmaus1@aol.com Author of History Writ in Steel: German Police Markings 1900-1936 http://www.historywritinsteel.com

08-15-2012, 07:46 AM	#2
Ron Smith User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 4,243 Thanks: 118 Thanked 245 Times in 150 Posts	Hi Don, I believe the "1" is part of the Freiwilligen mark. It is very prominent and appears to have been heavily struck. Ron __________________ I Still Need DWM side plate #49... if anyone runs across a nice one. What ~Rudyard Kipling~ said...

08-15-2012, 09:30 AM	#3
Don M Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,429 Thanks: 67 Thanked 292 Times in 191 Posts	Ron, you may well be right but the Frw. seems more lightly struck than the 1. The depth of the 1 looks more like the unbuffed parts of the preceding characters. I also just realized that the last part of the marking is R.a.1. and not Ra.1. Of course, I have no idea what either of them means. __________________ Regards, Don donmaus1@aol.com Author of History Writ in Steel: German Police Markings 1900-1936 http://www.historywritinsteel.com

08-15-2012, 09:42 AM	#4
Ron Smith User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 4,243 Thanks: 118 Thanked 245 Times in 150 Posts	Douglas, You are correct. I was depending on memory, and had too many numbers going through my head. At the time of the reduction mandated by the Allied Commission, the Provisional Reichswehr had approx. 400,000 personnel. By 1924 the official reported strength of the Reichswehr was 99,086. (Ref: "The Reichswehr and the German Republic 1919-1926" by Harold Gordon). Thanks for the correction... Ron __________________ I Still Need DWM side plate #49... if anyone runs across a nice one. What ~Rudyard Kipling~ said...

08-15-2012, 09:49 AM	#5
Ron Smith User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 4,243 Thanks: 118 Thanked 245 Times in 150 Posts	Don, I'm not certain of the translation for R.a. either. The only Freiwilligen unit that correlates is the one I posted. As I said, it could be an Austrian Freiwilligen unit also, and R.a. could have an altogether different translation. I am convinced that Frw can only be "Freiwilligen". Ron __________________ I Still Need DWM side plate #49... if anyone runs across a nice one. What ~Rudyard Kipling~ said... Last edited by Ron Smith; 12-08-2012 at 10:16 AM.

12-07-2012, 08:44 PM	#6
C.Brown New User Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I have examined this piece and there is no evidence of scrubbing any part of the marking; it appears to have been struck all at one. Proposed solution: Grenadier Regiment 4, 1st Volunteer company Rastenburg, weapon number 1 within the company. GR 4 was garrisoned at Rastenburg. The first Fw. units were raised ca. 15 Nov 1918 and by 1920 were dissolved or absorbed into the Reichswehr. The marking was probably applied within that time span. This probably an improvised marking following the pattern of regulation markings in the format regimental number, company/squadron/battery number, weapon number. There are at least four post-WWI histories of GR 4 covering the WWI period, none of which I have. Perhaps there is some reference to the Fw. company or companies in one of them.

12-08-2012, 12:31 AM	#7
Curly1 User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 1,260 Thanks: 126 Thanked 722 Times in 379 Posts	Guess the deal never went thru for the OP. __________________ Laugh hard and often. Gary

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