unteroffizier question.

[Cristiano de S.O Campos]

Hi


I see in that photo that have a lot of unteroffizier,because these mens wearig one chevron
in the arm.

http://www.military-photos.com/BX_ALLB.jpg

The doubt begins is these other photo, that have one Seebataillone NCO,Ludwig Büch
wearing one chevron, like unteroffizier, but wearing one button in each side of collar, like gefreiter.

I found in http://www.tsingtau.info
and put here http://img140.imageshack.us/my.php?image=buech18dd.jpg
because i´m try but can´t attach these photo in my message.


Cheers

Cristiano

[Chris Dale]

Hi Cristiano,
Yes, that's a mystery for me too. The Schutztruppe use the rank chevrons in numbers 1-4 to display rank in regualr style (see NCO rank insignia section at http://www.germancolonialuniforms.co.uk). But the Seebatallion and East Asian Expeditionary force use collar lace and buttons to display rank even on tropical uniforms. Very few of them seem to wear a chevron on the arm as well. But the few photos I have seen of Seebatallion or East Asian forces wearing a chevron do not match the rank as you say. There's another example on my website in the section on uniforms from the Imperial war museum, the East Asian kahki uniform there has a collar button and lace as for a Sergeant but also with one chevron on the arm. I think these chevrons mean somethig else...but I'm not sure what.
Sorry that's not much of an answer only a confirmation that this is a real mystery! Anybody else?
Cheers
Chris

[Cristiano de S.O Campos]

Hi Chris

Yes, these question about chevrons is very strange

look the photo
Rückseite: "Tokio, 17. V. 1915"
(Pfeilspitze deutet auf Paul Scoppwer)

Have seebataillone prisoner wearing chevrons, more one chevron in arm, like schutztruppe NCO.
Scoppwer was pointed by a arrow, and below have two these nco with chevrons.
http://www.tsingtau.info/index.html?nam ... oppwer.htm



Cheers

Cristiano.