{"product_id":"original-imperial-german-pre-wwi-telegraphen-bataillon-nr-2-signals-unit-pilsner-glass-with-painted-shoulder-board-and-service-inscription","title":"Original Imperial German Pre-WWI Telegraphen-Bataillon Nr. 2 Signals Unit Pilsner Glass with Painted Shoulder Board and Service Inscription","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is an Imperial German military souvenir pilsner glass painted for a soldier of Telegraphen-Bataillon Nr. 2, one of the German Army’s early telegraph and communications formations. The front displays a red shoulder board with a vertical yellow lightning bundle and the Roman numeral II, together with a service remembrance inscription. Its hand painted decoration, recognizable unit insignia, and elegant tall form make it a visually appealing survivor from the formative period of German military communications.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe central decoration depicts the distinctive shoulder board worn by the Imperial German Telegraphentruppe before the introduction of the later field gray pattern. The red shoulder board carries a vertical yellow lightning bundle, representing electrical communication, with the Roman numeral: II\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis identifies Telegraphen-Bataillon Nr. 2. The telegraph troops had developed from the Pioneer branch and initially retained elements of Pioneer uniform tradition. Their specialized shoulder board emblem distinguished soldiers responsible for military telegraphy and other developing forms of battlefield communication.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbove the shoulder board is a painted scroll bearing the abbreviated inscription:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eZur Erinnerung a. m. Dienstzeit\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis expands to:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eZur Erinnerung an meine Dienstzeit\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt translates as:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn Memory of My Time in Service\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuch commemorative glasses were privately purchased by soldiers as reminders of their military service. Unlike regimental steins, which were often densely decorated with names, dates, garrison scenes, and unit rosters, this glass has a restrained design centered upon the wearer’s shoulder board and branch identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe glass measures approximately 7 ¼ inches tall and has a base diameter of approximately 2 ½ inches. Gold colored paint decorates the upper rim and provides an attractive contrast to the clear glass and colored shoulder board.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTelegraphen-Bataillon Nr. 2 formed part of the Imperial German Army’s rapidly expanding communications establishment. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, military commanders became increasingly dependent upon telegraph lines to transmit orders and reports between headquarters, divisions, artillery positions, railway stations, depots, and other important locations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTelegraph troops were responsible for establishing, operating, maintaining, and repairing communications networks under field conditions. Their duties included laying wire, connecting field telegraph stations, operating electrical equipment, tracing line failures, and restoring communications damaged by weather, movement, or enemy action. They required both military training and specialized technical knowledge at a time when electrical communications remained a relatively new field.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe branch continued to evolve as telephones and wireless equipment became increasingly important. Communications personnel supported command and control across rapidly expanding battlefields, where traditional mounted messengers and visual signals could no longer meet every operational requirement. During WWI, reliable communication became essential for coordinating artillery fire, troop movements, supply operations, and defensive positions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shoulder board represented on this glass is associated with the earlier Telegraphentruppe uniform system. Beginning in 1911, the branch adopted revised insignia featuring a red intertwined T and Arabic unit numerals on field gray shoulder boards. Older uniform pieces and insignia could continue to be worn, but the painted red board with yellow lightning emblem is most closely associated with the prewar period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithout a soldier’s name, service dates, or additional inscriptions, the glass cannot be connected to a particular company, garrison, campaign, or individual. The Roman numeral II and electrical lightning emblem nevertheless provide a clear association with Telegraphen-Bataillon Nr. 2 and give the piece excellent research and display interest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a charming Imperial German communications souvenir with strong surviving decoration, a clearly identifiable Telegraphen-Bataillon Nr. 2 shoulder board, gold painted rim, and traditional service remembrance inscription. It would display especially well in an Imperial German communications, Telegraphentruppe, Pioneer, unit souvenir, military glassware, or pre-WWI collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44676942102597,"sku":"ONAC25SD0767","price":125.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONAC25SD0767__02.jpg?v=1772119561","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-imperial-german-pre-wwi-telegraphen-bataillon-nr-2-signals-unit-pilsner-glass-with-painted-shoulder-board-and-service-inscription","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}