Mounted German regimental shoulder straps : Lieutenant General Sir J Monash, Australian Corps Headquarters, 1918

Wooden board with a piece of white paper attached to the front. Attached to the board and paper with tacks are 32 German soldier’s shoulder straps and officer's shoulder boards removed or cut from uniforms. They are arranged in two rows of 16 straps/boards separated by a ruled horizontal line. The paper is also ruled vertically to frame each shoulder strap/board. Above each one is written information relating to the unit and date of acquisition, all in the same handwriting.

Left to right row 1:

Shoulder strap for the 7th Fussartillerie [Foot Artillery] Battalion. Yellow strap with field grey backing and chain stitched faded red number ‘7’ beneath appliquéd red felt crossed long grenades. Above the strap is handwritten ‘7th Foot / Artillery Regt. / 27 Sept./1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 76th Field Artillery Regiment. Red strap with field grey backing and chain stitched yellow number ‘76’ beneath appliquéd yellow felt flaming grenade. Above the strap is handwritten ‘76th Field Arty. / 108th DIV. / 11 June/1918’

Shoulder strap for the 221st Field Artillery Regiment. Red strap with field grey backing and chain stitched yellow number ‘221’ beneath appliquéd yellow felt flaming grenade. Above the strap is handwritten ‘221st Field Arty. / Regiment / 22 Aug./1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 1st Reserve Field Artillery Regiment. Red strap with field grey backing and chain stitched yellow number ‘1’ beneath appliquéd yellow felt flaming grenade. Above the strap is handwritten ‘1st Res. Field Arty. / 1st RES. DIV. / 18 Aug./1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 10th Fussartillerie [Foot Artillery] Battalion. Red strap with field grey backing and chain stitched yellow number ‘10’. Above the strap is handwritten ‘10th Foot Arty. / 5th BAV. DIV. 18 Sept./1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 19th Field Artillery Regiment. Red strap with field grey backing and chain stitched yellow number ‘19’ beneath appliquéd yellow felt flaming grenade. Above the strap is handwritten ‘19th Field Arty. / 21st DIV. / 2/3 Sept. /1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 27th Field Artillery Regiment. Red strap with field grey backing and chain stitched yellow number ‘27’ beneath appliquéd yellow felt flaming grenade. Above the strap is handwritten ‘27th Field Arty. / 21st DIV. / 2/3 Sept. /1918’.

Shoulder board for a German artillery officer. Grey cotton cord board with red wool cloth piping. The board has metal (possibly kriegsmetall) number ‘32’ beneath an metal flaming grenade. The grey cotton cord is interwoven with white and black threads. Above the board is handwritten ‘Officer / Infantry-Geschutz / Battery 32 / 22 Aug./1918’.

Shoulder board for an officer of the 10th Field Artillery Regiment. Silver braid board, with red wool cloth piping, welt buttonhole at neck end, and gilded metal number '10'. Above the board is handwritten ‘Officer / 10th Field Arty. / 5th BAV. DIV. / 18 Sept./1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 861st Field Artillery Regiment. Red strap with field grey backing and chain stitched yellow number ‘861’ beneath appliquéd yellow felt flaming grenade. Above the strap is handwritten ‘861 Field / Arty. Regt. / 8 Aug/1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 243rd Field Artillery Regiment. Red strap with field grey backing and chain stitched yellow number ‘243’ beneath appliquéd yellow felt flaming grenade. Above the strap is handwritten ‘243rd Field / Arty. Regt. / 8 Aug.1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 58th Field Artillery Regiment. Red strap with field grey backing and chain stitched yellow number ‘58’ beneath appliquéd yellow felt flaming grenade. Above the strap is handwritten ‘58th field / Arty. Regt. / 8 Aug./1918’.

Shoulder strap for an Artillery School of Gunnery. Red strap with field grey backing and a cypher made from yellow cord with a small appliquéd yellow felt flaming grenade beneath. Above the strap is handwritten ‘Artillery / Schiees-Schule / 9 Aug./1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 79th Field Artillery Regiment. Red strap with field grey backing and chain stitched yellow number ‘79’ beneath appliquéd yellow felt flaming grenade. Above the strap is handwritten ‘79th Field / Arty. Regt. / 8 Aug./1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 185th Field Artillery Regiment. Red strap with field grey backing and chain stitched yellow number ‘185’ beneath appliquéd yellow felt flaming grenade. Above the strap is handwritten ‘185th F.A. Regt. / 185 DIV. / 27 Sept./1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 1005th Fussartillerie [Foot Artillery]. Yellow shoulder strap with remains of field grey backing around edge and chain stitched faded red number ‘1005’ beneath appliquéd red felt crossed long grenades. The strap has been torn around the button hole. Above the strap is handwritten ‘1005 Foot Arty. / 15cm Bty / 8 Aug./1918’.


Left to right row 2:

Shoulder strap for the 266th Field Artillery Regiment. Field grey strap chain stitched red number ‘266’ beneath an appliquéd red felt flaming grenade. Above the strap is handwritten ‘266th Field / Arty. Regt. / 8 Aug./1918’

Shoulder strap for the 233rd Field Artillery Regiment. Field grey strap chain stitched red number ‘233’ beneath an appliquéd red felt flaming grenade. Above the strap is handwritten ‘233d Field / Arty. Regt. / 8 Aug./1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 37th Fussartillerie [Foot Artillery] Battalion. Yellow strap with field grey backing and chain stitched red number ‘37’ beneath appliquéd red felt crossed long grenades. Above the strap is handwritten ‘37th Foot / Arty. Regt. / 9/10 Aug./1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 24th Fussartillerie [Foot Artillery] Battalion. Yellow strap with field grey backing and chain stitched red number ‘24’ beneath appliquéd red felt crossed long grenades. Above the strap is handwritten ‘21st [sic] Foot / Arty. Regt. / 9/10 Aug./1918’

Shoulder strap for the 151st Fussartillerie [Foot Artillery] Battalion. Yellow strap with field grey backing and chain stitched red number ‘151’ beneath appliquéd red felt crossed long grenades. Above the strap is handwritten ‘151st Foot / Arty. Regt. / 9/10 Aug./1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 69th Field Artillery Regiment. Field grey strap with white piping and chain stitched red number ‘69’. Above the strap is handwritten ‘69th Field Arty. / Regiment / (Monument) / 3 May/1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 20th Fussartillerie [Foot Artillery] Battalion. Field grey strap chain stitched red number ‘20’. Above the strap is handwritten ‘20th Foot Arty. / Mobile Unit / (Near Morlancourt) / 1 April/1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 79th Field Artillery Regiment. Field grey strap chain stitched red number ‘79’ beneath an appliquéd red felt flaming grenade. Above the strap is handwritten ‘79th Arty. Regt. / 1st Battery / 18 July 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 41st Minen-Werfer [Trench Mortar] Company. Black strap with field grey backing and red piping. The shoulder strap has markings indicating the number ‘9’ was once embroidered on it. Above the strap is handwritten ‘Minen-Werfer / 41st Co 41st DIV. / 18 July 1918’.

Shoulder board for an officer of the 120th Minen-Werfer [Trench Mortar] Company. Grey cord Trench Mortar board edged with wool cloth piping over black wool cloth piping. The board has gilded metal letters 'MW' attached. Part of the ‘W’ is absent. The grey cotton cord is interwoven with white and black threads. Above the board is handwritten ‘Minen-Werfer / 120th Co. / Officer / 22.Aug./1918’.

Shoulder board for an officer of the 201st Minen-Werfer [Trench Mortar] Company. Grey cord Trench Mortar board edged with red wool cloth piping over black wool cloth piping. The board has metal (possibly kriegsmetall) number ‘201’ beneath the metal letters 'MW' attached. The grey cotton cord is interwoven with white and black threads. Above the board is handwritten ‘Minen-Werfer / 201st Co. / 43 RES. DIV / Officer’.

Shoulder strap for the 413rd Minen-Werfer [Trench Mortar] Company. Black strap with field grey backing and red piping. The shoulder strap has ‘MW / 413’ chain stitched in red thread. Above the strap is handwritten ‘Minen-Werfer / 413 Kompanie / 8 Aug. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 75th Machine Gun Detachment. Field grey strap with white piping and the number ‘75’ chain stitched in red thread. Above the strap is handwritten ‘Machine Gun / Sniper Detachment / No. 75 / 27 Sept. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 42nd Machine Gun Detachment. Field grey strap with the number ‘42’ chain stitched in faded red thread. Above the strap is handwritten ‘Machine-Gun / Scharf-Schutzen / Abteilung 42 / 18 Sept. 1918’.

Black shoulder strap with field grey backing and red piping. The shoulder strap has the letters ‘MG’ chain stitched in red thread. Above the strap is handwritten ‘Machine Gun / Marksman / all Regts.’.

Shoulder strap for the Railway troops. Field grey strap with the letter ‘E’ chain stitched in faded red thread. Above the strap is handwritten ‘Eisenbahn-Truppen / (Railway Troops) / 8 Aug./1918’.

Single shoulder straps were routinely removed from dead or captured Germans for intelligence purposes, so that the names of the units opposing the Allied forces could be established.

These shoulder straps were collected and sent to the Australian Corps Headquarters, under the command of Lieutenant General John Monash, in 1918. In a letter dated 21 August 1918 Monash recorded that during the recent advances, the Australians had captured almost 10,000 Germans from 75 different units of the German Army.

Monash arranged for his Intelligence Staff to mount and label 75 straps - one for each unit captured. He planned to send them home to Australia and thought that they could be exhibited to raise money for charity. However, the project appears to have expanded, as eventually six boards, of which this is one, were made with a total of 183 labelled soldier's shoulder straps and officer's shoulder boards.

They represent units captured by Australians from May to October 1918, but most were captured in August and September, with straps captured on 8 August, known as the 'Black Day of the German Army', being most strongly represented.