Imperial German Buckles.

[DUJAILAH]

Hi Bodkin, nice pair of buckles. The top one is a very rare Saxon Reservist buckle It's a real gem. The soldier would have served with the Reserve regt. of the 100R - (Leib) Grenadier Regt. an elite Saxon unit, Cheers, Richard.

[bodkin]

Dujailah: thank you very much for your comments and the information.On my end I believe those two buckles were picked up by my grand father ( a captain with the 18eme Bataillon de Chasseurs a Pied) either during the second battle of "La Marne" (July 15th- August 8th, 1918) or the third battle of "Champagne" (September-October, 1918). They came with a German mismatched bayonet.

[bodkin]

Dujailah: here are the marking of the mismatched German bayonet.

[DUJAILAH]

Hi Bodkin, it looks like a S 84/98 aA. Are the wood grips replaced or has somebody sanded them? Cheers, Richard.

[bodkin]

Dujailah: No to my knowledge the wood grips have not been sanded or replaced.

[bodkin]

Richard: it is probably out of place in this thread but here are more scans of the bayonet. Cheers.

[DUJAILAH]

Hi Bodkin, I can see the grips are ok now. Must have been the flash in the other pic making them look very light, Cheers, Richard.

[shinyemon]

Cracking buckles there, chaps. Imperial buckles were my first love in the collecting field after seeing some in London's Imperial War museum when I was a lad. The fact that each state had their own version made it more interesting.
As for the Saxon 100 Regiment, they were entitled to wear a buckle with reversed colours --- nickel body with brass or tombac roundel. I don't know when this regulation started. Perhaps someone here can supply us with the information. I do have a pre-1895 pattern Saxon brass buckle with a nickel roundel stamped with 100 R., so maybe the regulations date from after 1895. I also have an unusual Aurich (Dresden)-made nickel buckle with a Tombac Prussian roundel --- very unusual! In period photos of the 100 Regiment you can see both styles of buckle being worn. There are also group photos of Hessian soldiers wearing the distictive crown buckles as well as the Prussian buckle, which seems to indicate that it all depended on supply rather than regulation. I hope to post pictures of these things soon.
Regards

[DUJAILAH]

Hi Shinyemon, the Aurich made nickel buckle with a Tombac Prussian roundel is a Prussian customs buckle. Not often seen. Looking forward to your photos, Cheers, Richard.

[oradour]

bodkin, super bayonet, in extremly good condition, if you dont already know, heres some info on the markings, apologies if you are already aware !....Bayonet :- R.8.37. is for command (no company # inscribed) of the Lieb-Grenadier-Regt Konig Friederich Wilhelm III ( 1 Bradenburgisches) Nr 8. garrisoned at Frankfurt am Oder, and part of the III Army Corps. Weapon number 37. The scabbard :- 131.R.E.3.165. is for 131 Ersatz (substitute) Regiment, (of the 2nd lothringisches Infanterie-Regt Nr 131 garrisoned in Strasburg i.E. and part of XXI Army Corps). 3rd Company, weapon number 165. Hope that helps. I just love Imperial 'regimentally' marked items, something that rarely happened on Third Reich items !..it all adds to the history of the item and of course makes its history somewhat traceable.