Mounted German regimental shoulder straps : Lieutenant General Sir John 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 114th Infantry Regiment. Field grey strap with green piping and a red cypher consisting of an appliquéd felt crown above the chain stitched monogram 'FR' above the Roman numeral ‘III’. Above the strap is handwritten ‘1st Grenadiers [sic] / 1st DIV / 26 March 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 2nd Grenadier Infantry Regiment. Field grey strap with white piping and a red cypher consisting of an appliquéd felt crown above the chain stitched monogram 'FWR' above the Roman numeral ‘IV’. Above the strap is handwritten ‘2nd Grenadiers / 109 DIV / 8/9 Aug. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 94th Infantry Regiment. Field grey strap with white piping and a red cypher consisting of an appliquéd felt crown above the chain stitched monogram 'WE'. Above the strap is handwritten ‘11th Grenadiers / 117 DIV. / 8/9 Aug. 1918’. ‘11th Grenadiers’ has been scribbled over in pencil and corrected with the text ‘I.R. 94’ [ie 94th Regiment (Wilhem-Ernst), 38 Division].

Shoulder strap for the 2nd Guard Grenadier Infantry Regiment. Field grey strap with red piping and a red cypher consisting of an appliquéd felt crown above a monogram ‘A’ made of red cord. Above the strap is handwritten ‘2 Garde – Grenads [sic]/ 1st GUARD DIV / 1 Sept. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 11th Grenadier Regiment. Field grey strap with yellow piping and a red cypher consisting of an appliquéd felt crown above the chain stitched monogram 'FR' above the Roman numeral ‘III’. Above the strap is handwritten ‘Garde-Grens / 2nd GUARD DIV [sic] / 8/9 AUG. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 120th Infantry Regiment. Field grey strap with white piping and a red cypher for 120th Regiment, consisting of a chain stitched crown above the monogram 'WR'. Above the strap is handwritten ‘123 (Gren.) Regt. [sic] / 27 Div. / 8/9 AUG. 1918’.

Shoulder board for an officer of the 4th Guard Grenadier Infantry Regiment. Grey cotton cord board with blue wool cloth piping with a metal (possibly kriegsmetall) cypher consisting of a crown over the monogram ‘A’ attached. The grey cotton cord is interwoven with white and black threads. Above the board is handwritten ‘4 Garde-Grens / 1st GUARDS DIV. / 31 Aug. 1918 / Officer’.

Shoulder board for an officer of the 2nd Grenadier Regiment. Silver braid board, with white wool cloth piping, welt buttonhole at neck end and silvered metal cypher, consisting of a crown above the monogram 'FWR’ above the Roman numeral ‘IV’, and a single rank pip (denoting the rank of Oberleutnant [lieutenant]). The silver braid is interwoven with black threads. Above the board is handwritten ‘2nd Grenadiers / König Friedrich Wilhelm / 109 DIV. / 8 Aug. 1918 / Officer’.

Shoulder board for a German officer. Grey cotton cord board edged with white and blue wool cloth piping. The board has a metal (possibly kriegsmetall) cypher consisting of a crown over the monogram ‘AR’ (possibly the cypher of King Albert Von Sachsen) attached. The grey cotton cord is interwoven with white and black threads. Above the board is handwritten ‘123 Grenadiers / (Konig Alexander) / 27 DIV. / 8/9 Aug. 1918’.

Shoulder board for an officer of the 11th Grenadiers Regiment. Grey cotton cord board with yellow wool cloth piping with metal (possibly kriegsmetall) cypher consisting of a crown over the monogram ‘FR’ and the Roman numeral ‘III’. The grey cotton cord is interwoven with white and black threads. Above the board is handwritten ‘Garde-Grenadiers [sic] / (Konig Friedrich) / 109th DIV. [sic]/ 8/9Aug. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 1st Guard Grenadier Infantry Regiment. Field grey strap with white piping and a red cypher consisting of an appliquéd felt crown above a monogram ‘A’ over the Roman numeral ‘I’, made of red cord. Above the strap is handwritten ‘1st Garde – Grens / 2nd GUARD DIV / 29 Aug. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 1st Guard Grenadier Infantry Regiment. Field grey strap with white piping and a red cypher consisting of an appliquéd felt crown above a monogram ‘A’ over the Roman numeral ‘I’, made of red cord. Above the strap is handwritten ‘Garde – Grens 1 / 1st GUARD DIV / 31 Aug. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 11th Grenadier Regiment. Field grey strap with yellow piping and a red cypher consisting of an appliquéd felt crown above the chain stitched monogram 'FR' above the Roman numeral ‘III’. Above the strap is handwritten ‘11th Grenadiers / 117 DIV. / 29 AUG 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 4th Guard Grenadier Infantry Regiment. Field grey strap with blue piping and a red cypher consisting of an appliquéd felt crown above a monogram ‘A’ made of red cord. Above the strap is handwritten ‘4th Garde-Gren. / 1st GUARD DIV. / 31 AUG. 1918’.

Shoulder board for an officer of a W¿rttemberg regiment. Grey cotton cord board with white wool cloth piping. The grey cotton cord is interwoven with red and black threads. Above the board is handwritten ‘WURTEMBOURG / INFANTRY / OFFICER’.

Shoulder strap for the 1st Telephone Detachment. Field grey strap with chain stitched red letter ‘T’ over the number ‘1’. Above the strap is handwritten ‘1st Telephone Det. / ARMY TROOPS / 27 July 1918’.



Left to right row 2:

Shoulder strap for the 4th Bavarian Infantry Regiment. Field grey strap with white piping and chain stitched red number ‘4’. Above the strap is handwritten ‘4th Bav Reg. / 14th BAV.DIV. / 1 Sept. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 7th Bavarian Infantry Regiment. Field grey strap with chain stitched red number ‘7’. Above the strap is handwritten ‘7th Bav. Regt. / 5th BAV. DIV / 5 Sept. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 7th Bavarian Infantry Regiment. Field grey strap with chain stitched red number ‘7’. Above the strap is handwritten ‘7th Bav. Regt. / 5 BAV. DIV. / 8/9 AUG. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 8th Bavarian Infantry Regiment. Field grey strap with white piping and chain stitched red number ‘8’. Above the strap is handwritten ‘8 Bav. Regt. / 14 BAV. DIV / 1 Sept. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 21st Bavarian Infantry Regiment. Field grey strap with white piping and chain stitched red number ‘21’. Above the strap is handwritten ‘21 Bav. Regt. / 5 BAV. DIV. / 5 Sept. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 25th Bavarian Infantry Regiment. Field grey strap with white piping and chain stitched red number ‘25’. Above the strap is handwritten ‘25 Bav. Regt. / 14 BAV. DIV. / 31 Aug. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 472nd Infantry Regiment. Field grey strap with white piping and chain stitched faded red number ‘472’. Above the strap is handwritten ‘472 Regt / SAXONS / 241 DIV. / 2/3 Sept. 1918’.

Green shoulder strap with red piping. Above the strap is handwritten ‘Telephone and / Wireless / Troops / 27 Sept. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 1st Telephone Detachment. Field grey strap with chain stitched red letter ‘T’ over the number ‘1’. Above the strap is handwritten ‘Telephon – Abteilung. / 1st Army / 8 Aug. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 2nd Telephone Detachment. Field grey strap with chain stitched red letter ‘T’ over the number ‘2’. ‘Telephon – Abteilung / 2nd Army / 8 AUG. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 3rd Telephone Detachment. Field grey strap with chain stitched red letter ‘T’ over the number ‘3’. ‘Telephon – Abteilung / 3rd ARMY / 8 Aug. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 4th Telephone Detachment. Field grey strap with chain stitched red letter ‘T’ over the number ‘4’. ‘Telephon – Abteilung / 4th ARMY / 8 Aug. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 5th Telephone Detachment. Field grey strap with chain stitched red letter ‘T’ over the number ‘5’. ‘Telephon – Abteilung / 5th ARMY / 8 Aug. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 6th Telephone Detachment. Field grey strap with chain stitched red letter ‘T’ over the number ‘6’. ‘Telephon – Abteilung / 6th Army / (attached to Bavarians) / 8 Aug. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 8th Telephone Detachment. Field grey strap with chain stitched red letter ‘T’ over the number ‘8’. ‘Telephon – Abteilung / 8th ARMY / 8 AUG. 1918’.

Shoulder strap for the 20th Telephone Detachment. Field grey strap with chain stitched red letter ‘T’ over the number ‘20’. ‘Telephon – Abteilung No. 20 / attached to 4th Army / 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.