Today on Gus’ Gear I present another Austrian uniform. This is a K.u.K Kriegsmarine uniform worn by Alfons Bartsch. He was born in 1890 and entered service as a seaman in 1910 serving through the Great War and working up in the ranks. This uniform was purchased from his grandson off of a German internet auction site and over a year’s time additional items were acquired.
The jumper shown here is interesting as it was at one time modified to be a child’s garment, the front was sewn together in a pleat and the sleeves were shortened by folding them into themselves mid sleeve and sewn to shorten them by about 6 inches. The insignia on the right sleeve is that of an engineer and is printed on cloth and sewn on. The collar is a separate button on example, the neck scarf and trousers are part of the grouping, the belt and pouches were added to represent the following photo. The K.u.K. Kriegsmarine Kappe with the S.M.S. Babenberg Talley is not a part of the Bartsch grouping. Unfortunately, another grandchild acquired it in the past and gave it to a theatrical group.
Lastly is a photo portrait that Herr Bartsch kept, it is an Oberst who was unknown to the grandson (he thought it was a portrait of Franz Josef.)
A number of photographs eventually came with the grouping, all of them well captioned. Herr Bartsch served on a number of ships, including the S.M.S. ERH. Franz Ferdinand, S.M.S. Kaiser Karl 6, serving in the Adriatic Sea. He was also present at the launching of the S.M.S. Viribus Unitis.
As an engineer, Alfons Bartsch would have used some tools in his work, the pliers are not marked and it is questionable that they were even used on board a ship, the construction seems to be appropriate for the time. The knife is also unmarked, and was referred to as his Bordmesser and fits the descriptions I have been able to find of known originals. Herr Bartsch did not seem to throw anything away.
Another navy jumper dated 1907 as well as a white cotton deck jacket.
This is a sewn on style sailor’s collar showing the K.u.K. Kriegsmarine acceptance stamps from 1911 as well as an inked on name of Bartsch.
Here are a few personal items belonging to Alfons Bartsch. A boatswain’s whistle on chain is at the top with a personal tie tac to the right. His personal watch (still works) on the lower left, a 1793 Thaler that he carried as a good luck charm on the lower right. The most significant part of this grouping is the Legitimationskapsel in the lower center with Herr Bartsch’s personal identification. He was born in 1890 and entered service in 1910.
This is a photo of Alfons Bartsch’s Kompany on graduation from training, I have not been able to identify him exactly, but through the process of elimination, I believe he is the one nearest the camera kneeling. They are armed with obsolete Steyr M1886 11mm rifles.