It is not a common location for an Imperial marking but not unheard of either. I would interpret the markings as III.M.G.K. (orA.) R.J.R.74. If the third letter is an "A" it would probably indicate III. Machine Gun Abteilung. The roman numeral III makes it difficult to read as normally a roman numeral designator will only apply to a battalion or an Army Corps. Neither if tese are possibilities as the 74th Reserve Division was part of the X. corps and there were no MG battalions.
The markings were probably obliterated in Germany by whoever took it home after the war.
|