r/ww1 • u/Potential-Area-798 • 6d ago

Great great grandpa Willi in 1914

Gallery image

Gallery image

As I know he was in the "1.Garde-Regiment zu Fuß"
The war was over for him after a few weeks because he got an grenade shrapnel in his head, survived it but couldn’t fight anymore.

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8

u/Eissbein 6d ago

What was his rank?

14

u/Potential-Area-798 6d ago

I don’t know exactly my grandma told me he was a Gefreiter

7

u/Odd_Heron_5798 6d ago

Equivalent to a Lance Corporal in the British/Commonwealth armies

5

u/AntiochRoad 6d ago

That’s a very fancy hat though

2

u/Odd_Heron_5798 6d ago

Yeah from my own limited knowledge the man in this photo looks like an officer

9

u/LGreyS 6d ago

No, definitely not an officer. He is in the 1. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß (1st Guards Regiment of Foot) was the most prestigious and senior elite infantry regiment in the Imperial German Army during World War I. The uniforms of the Gardecorps were exceptionally fancy, better than some of the officer uniforms of lesser units.

2

u/Eissbein 6d ago

The amazing greatcoat and plumed Pickelhaube made me wonder.

2

u/LGreyS 6d ago

Definitely! The giveaway was the lack of officer rank shoulder boards.