Swiss Infantry.
This first photograph from about 1910 shows a pair of Swiss soldiers from Battalions No. 76 and 77, as indicated by the numbers on their shakos. Click here for a close up view, and here for a look at one of the shakos.
This second photograph from about 1911 (I think that is what is written on the signboard) is of the ammunition supply section of the Battalion No. 46, in the town of Chur. Two non-commissioned officers in soft caps stand front and center with their men next to a guard shack and a train car. Note the different ammunition pouches worn by the men.
Swiss Infantry, 1915.
Switzerland mobilized her army to safeguard her neutrality in World War One. This photo shows some of these mobilized men in 1915. The board in the foreground says: “Border Occupation--1914-1915--Meudon.” The back of the card reads: Vervières, 31 January 1915. Dear All(?), My best thanks for the things that I received in good condition. Here I’m sending a photograph of our border in Meudon. We’re screwing up our faces because the sun is blinding us. On Tuesday it’s back to Gramelan(?). Maybe we can be home at the end of this month or in the beginning of March, but that’s still not sure. I’m still in good health. Greetings from Ernst."
Page by Mark Conrad, 2005, 2008.
