WWI Centennial FB Page photo

The WWI Centennial often posts photos like this. Great one of a man in uniform - could help ID medals & hat, etc.

 

I'm still trying to figure out why anyone ever thought that style hat looked good.

 

...and he looks awfully darn full of himself, too, doesn't he?

 

It's all the fancy scrap metal on his jacket, combined with an ego to match no doubt. Unless he's an actor in a costume or something.

 

Speaking of that hat, sometime in the last couple of months I read that those German spike military hats were a left over from sword fighting wars. The spikes deflected swords or whatever from splitting ones head open in hand to hand combat. The correct name of them is pickelhaube. Just a bit of trivial that I don't know if true or not.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickelhaube

--- Susan

 

Well fed.

Debora

 

Trying to ID rank , regiment, etc.. by the helmet plate. It is a spread eagle with a Prussian Garde front plate/Helmewappen. On the eagle is a Garde star with a round center. Wish I could see exactly what is in the middle of the center. Also can't see the epaulets well enough to determine rank.

Scroll down a bit to the section "Preußen (Prussian) Garde Helmewappen (Front Plate)" and click on the 4 thumbnails for bigger pics and a bit more detail.
http://www.kaisersbunker.com/hp/wappen.htm

The thumbnails pics of different emblems at the top probably has more help but all n German and can't copy/paste to a translate site.

--- Susan

 

I'm fairly sure the eagle is this one: http://www.kaisersbunker.com/hp/hp20e.htm

The bullseye (aka target if you're a sniper) seems really raised, but we can't see what's dead center well enough to be entirely sure.

 

The cross pinned low on his jacket is an Iron Cross 1st class. The one that appears to be attached to a ribbon around his neck is probably an Iron Cross 2nd class. It seems the back of IC 1st class is flat with a pin or screw backs while IC 2nd class have a ring loop at the top only. It appears this man has received at least 1 of each. 2nd class ones are for a single act of bravery while 1st class for repeated acts of bravery while in combat.

--- Susan

 

I tend to agree with you evelyb on the center being raised, definitely higher that the other round, bullseye, ones.

--- Susan

 

Well, he's got his weapon right on his head.....just needs an exaggerated forward tilt.................

 

And shall we hope that he was not forgetful enough to SIT on his hat? Unless of course he was into that sort of thing......................

 

You've got a point...................
~

 

"OH my."
~
That's a quote.

 

Hi,
He certainly looks Italian not German to me.
greg

 

Then again part of what's Italy now was German back when. His medals and hat are German.

 

I just remembered DH has some old Leslie's Magazines.....Bev's guy's helmet kind of resembles this cheerful bloke's helmet:

 

i think that's more than ....kind of !!!

 

Hogan's Heroe's lead in!
It just came on!!!