WWI Konvolut !!!!

[don_kihotis7]

Thanks my friend

[CCMJR]

Hello,

Some observations.....I see three different first names here, Franz, Theodore and Gustav. I could not find any mention of Verdun in the list of battles participated in. I think the photo must be someone other than the one whose documents you have shown. The name is not the same, he looks younger than 34 years old and he has no rank insignia. According to the documents, his last rank was Vizefeldwebel. Normally, the MGSSA badge has a backing plate. Is there one underneath the white cloth? I've never seen this type of cloth backing before and I wonder what purpose it served.

Regards,
CCMJR

[don_kihotis7]

Hello,

Some observations.....I see three different first names here, Franz, Theodore and Gustav. I could not find any mention of Verdun in the list of battles participated in. I think the photo must be someone other than the one whose documents you have shown. The name is not the same, he looks younger than 34 years old and he has no rank insignia. According to the documents, his last rank was Vizefeldwebel. Normally, the MGSSA badge has a backing plate. Is there one underneath the white cloth? I've never seen this type of cloth backing before and I wonder what purpose it served.

Regards,
CCMJR

Hi CCMJR and thanks for posting your opinion. Well the books belong to the same guy named Franz Grimm. The back of the photo says ''souvenir of Theodor'' so maybe you are right and the guy's name is Theodor so he is not the owner of the books.
About the watch it has the initials GK but also the name Gustaf Seidler and the year 1910. There could be many possibilities here like for example that it was a friend's watch who died in the war and Franz took it. Or someone else gave it to him as a gift. I really can't be sure.
Now about Verdun, i was suspicious from the beginning as it seems to be written with a ball point pen whilst in WWI era they were using with fountain pens. Unfortunately i don't speak German, especially not Sudetlin and i can't make out the handwriting in order to search for specific stuff. Probably it was an addition from a collector or a dealer to raise the value. Also the Ehrenkreuz is for the Kriegsteilnehmer class whilst the button hole and ribbon bar for the Frontkämpfer. So there has been a replacement of the award there and a wrong one too.
About the badge i looked underneath the white paper and there is no backing plate. It's just the green woolen cloth. I haven't seen another example so i don't know how it should be. Maybe another member can post one to compare.