Garrison Magdeburg, circa 1900. The schellenbaum cloth made of red silk rep with gilded fringe trim and rich gold embroidery, edged at the top with red leather. On the obverse, the crowned soaring Prussian eagle above the silver bandeau with regimental designation “3. Magdeb. Infanterie-Regiment No. 66.”, on the reverse the crowned royal cipher “WR” within an oak leaf wreath. The schellenbaum cloth is complete with the sewn-in crossbar with gilded terminal finials, the original gilded suspension cord, with 4 gilded tassels with red filling on the sides. Dimensions of the banner cloth 30 x 32 cm. Light signs of age and use, the banner cloth on the reverse with some minor light tears in the red silk, in very fine overall condition.
3rd Magdeburg Infantry Regiment No. 66.
The regiment was established on May 5, 1860 (foundation day). Together with the 1st Magdeburg Infantry Regiment No. 26, it formed the 13th Infantry Brigade.
Initially, the staff and I. Battalion were stationed in Stendal, the II. Battalion in Burg, and the Fusilier Battalion in Neuhaldensleben. In early June 1860, the staff, I. and Fusilier Battalion moved to Magdeburg. The II. Battalion was located in Halle (Saale) from 1864, before the regiment took up garrison entirely in Magdeburg in 1865.
In the German War of 1864, it participated with the I. Army in the battles at Münchengrätz and Königgrätz as well as the engagement at Pressburg.
In the Franco-Prussian War, it fought as part of the IV. Army at Beaumont and Sedan. From September 19, 1870 to January 28, 1871, it was involved in the encirclement and siege of Paris.
World War I
After mobilization, the regiment was deployed as part of the 13th Infantry Brigade on the Western Front in the conquest of Liège, a few days later in the Battle of Mons. Subsequently, it was engaged in fighting on the Somme and on the Aisne. After that, it was involved in some positional warfare in Flanders. In 1916, it fought again on the Somme but remained engaged in positional warfare in Flanders. The following year, it participated in the Battle of Arras and spent the rest of the year again in Flanders. In 1918, it fought in the defensive battle between Oise and Aisne and was involved in positional warfare in the Champagne region before withdrawing under pressure from the Allied Meuse-Argonne Offensive. On November 12, 1918, the day after the ratification of the Armistice of Compiègne, it evacuated all occupied territories and headed toward home.
During the war, the regiment suffered casualties of 104 officers as well as 2,592 non-commissioned officers and enlisted men.
The regiment was demobilized from December 24, 1918 in the Magdeburg garrison until the end of February 1919 and finally dissolved.
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