Description
Today we are offering a very interesting uniform group for an enlisted man from Königin Augusta Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr 4. The Regiment was raised in 1860. It was garrisoned in Berlin and was a part of the Gardekorps. What makes the group so attractive, aside from its completeness, is that it is identified. We even have the man’s photograph. Let us turn to this fabulous group.
*Tunic. It is a fine example of a pre WW I, dark-blue tunic. A thin red trim line runs down the tunic’s center, near where the buttons are attached. Eight gilt buttons adorn the tunic’s center. The red collar sports two sets of embroidered white kragenspiegel. The sleeves are red, with three white kragenspiegel on each sleeve. A gold-toned button is attached to each of the kragenspiegel, in turn. The shoulder straps are a lighter shade of blue. Embroidered on each strap is a crown and Königin Augusta’s cypher. The straps are sewn-in on one side. Each has an unnumbered, gold-toned button on the other side. The tunic’s reverse features red trim and six more gold-toned buttons. Inside the tunic we see it was NOT a depot-issued tunic. It was privately purchased, and sports the classic, black-silk liner. While it is a fine tunic, some scattered moth nips appear on its lower right front. This is chronicled in the photographs which accompany the description.
*Trousers. Included are the white dress trousers that are indicative of Garde-Grenadier, Garde-Fusilier, and Garde-Fuß Regiments. These trousers are made of cotton. They have two side pockets. The front has a button arrangement (a total of four buttons) to secure the trousers. They are in excellent condition and very clean.
*Documents and Misc. Information. This group once belonged to Ernst Wald. He was born in 1896. Included in these items are his Soldbuch, which has a photo of him in this uniform pasted in the front cover. In the early pages we see numerous unit stamps for Königin Augusta Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr 4. Later in the war, we see that he was transferred into the Ersatz Bataillon of 2. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß. At some point he must have been wounded, as we see stampings for the military hospital in Berlin. Also included is an Ausweis, which is for time spent in Turkey, before he was wounded and sent home to Berlin. The Ausweis is in both German and Turkish. [At this point Wald had been promoted to Vizefeldwebel]. In addition to these is another military document from 1937, which chronicles his service in WW I. The final addition to this portion of the group is a booklet that chronicles Königin Augusta Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr 4’s history. The booklet shows the Regiment’s service in the 1864 Danish-Prussian War, the 1866 Austro-Prussian War, and the 1870/71 Franco-Prussian War. The traditions of the Regiment, etc., are also listed. It is a fine group of items.
Overall, this is a captivating group of a tunic, trousers and documents. The trousers are especially interesting and seldom-seen.
