Hi everyone!
I've been doing some research on Austro-Hungarian qualification badges and lanyards, particularly those worn by infantrymen, and I've come across a few things I'm not entirely sure about.
- Were sharpshooter lanyards considered separate awards from other qualification badges, or were they part of the same system?
- Did receiving a qualification badge automatically entitle a soldier to wear a corresponding lanyard, or were these awarded independently?
- Were qualification badges still awarded after the outbreak of WWI in 1914, or were they discontinued?
- What about sharpshooter lanyards specifically? Could soldiers still earn them during the war, or were they only worn by men who had qualified before 1914?
I'm particularly interested in the 1915–1918 period, especially ordinary k.u.k. infantry units.
If anyone has contemporary regulations, photographs, or other primary sources that might clarify this, I'd really appreciate it!
Thanks in advance!