| Place | Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Chuignes |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | RELAWM15098.020 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Uniform |
| Physical description | Cotton, Wool |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Germany |
| Date made | c 1910-1918 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
German 81st Infantry Regiment (1 Kurhessisches) shoulder strap : Lieutenant General Sir John Monash, AIF
Description
Shoulder strap for the 81st Infantry Regiment. Field grey wool strap with white piping and red chain stitched number '81'. With the strap is a handwritten note, in indelible pencil on the back of a piece of a German postcard that reads: '81st Inf. Rgt. / 1st Bttn. / 21st Inf. Div. / captured by / Austr Corps / on the / 17/8/18'.
History / Summary
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.
This shoulder strap, from a member of the German 1st Battalion of the 81st Infantry Regiment (RIR), was captured by members of the AIF, possibly near Chuignes, and sent to the Australian Corps Headquarters, under the command of Lieutenant General Sir John Monash.
The 21st German Infantry Division, of which the 81st RIR was a part, relieved the 108th Infantry Division on 17 August near Chuignes.