I came across this photo from my father and am asking for help identifying where it could be from.  Pretty sure one of the men in the photo is a relative.  Not sure of the date of the photo or if it is from WWI or before.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

They look Austrian.

I have traced the male lineage to Baden back to the 1700's.  Grandmother is from Ankum.  If it is Austrian it must be from the women side of the family depending on when the photo was taken.

Yes, these are circa WWI Austrian mounted troopers.  

 

The numbers on the back are kinda confusing, we see 99-1902 and then 14-18, They all appear to be Senior Ranking Non Commissioned Officers wearing the Pike Grey Uniforms of 1910, so perhaps photo taken circa 1915 or so? but anyway, they may or may not be of a Cavalry Unit, the KuK Cavalry Wore very distinctive Uniforms in the beginning of the war, but I think as the war wore on just started to wear the standard uniforms, if not Cavalry they may be of any unit, as Senior NCOs carried swords, though not at the front, officers too, withdraw from front line use as early as September 1914

Since 1866 the draft service in the Austrian Army lasted 3 years Linie (aktiv) plus 9 years Reserve/Landsturm. I assume that one of the depicted soldiers (or his relatives) noticed his service times on the back. 1899 - 1902 (draft service), 1914 - 1918 service during WW I. Unfortunately I can´t decipher the letters on the right yet. Could it be "aktiv"?

I might be ion a wild goose chase but is there any way to search military records for WWI for the austrian army? 

Do you have his name and home town?

Just now, Blackcat1982 said:

Do you have his name and home town?

That is where it gets tricky. 

Great Grandfather came over in 1842 and if it is a relative of his the last name would be Dafferner from Zeutern, Bruchsal, Baden, Deutschland
Grandmother came over in 1911 and it could be one of her siblings.  last name Thesing or Thesnig from Ankum, Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany.

You are either really old or somebody in your family line had a kid when he was in his 60's.  A great grandfather even born in 1842 would require some seriously late child rearing right along.....

-Ski

I have never really done the math before, I am 56 and my mother was 46 when I was born.  Father and mother where both born in 1918.  Grandfather was born in 1882 and his father was born in 1842 and came over from germany when he was 3 in 1845.

1 hour ago, Onetouchdesign said:

last name Thesing or Thesnig ...

I`m quite sure it´s Thesing.

I agree, I did more research and I think it was a dislexia error when she came over from Europe.  The ship logs look like it is Thesnig but her mothers name in the log is Thesing.

3 hours ago, Onetouchdesign said:

That is where it gets tricky. 

Great Grandfather came over in 1842 and if it is a relative of his the last name would be Dafferner from Zeutern, Bruchsal, Baden, Deutschland
Grandmother came over in 1911 and it could be one of her siblings.  last name Thesing or Thesnig from Ankum, Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany.

I have this for you;

On 15th January 1917 one Eduard Dafferner who was born on 2nd May 1878 and was a soldier in Infanterie Regiment 185 was posted as missing. This was later amended as he had been taken prisoner by the British and spent the rest of the war as their "guest". Eduard was from Zeutern, Bruchsal.

 

 

That is so cool. I cannot thank you enough for passing that information to me.   I would guess that Edward is related somehow.  May be the son of one of my great grandfathers brothers.  it is a good starting point for more research.

Thank you

Hope it helps put another small piece of your puzzle together.

It definitely will, I am looking for the connection to Eduard in my tree and it looking like he is a cousin

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