The Etatmässige Feldwebel (the equivalent to a Quartermaster Sergeant) was in charge of administration of the Regiment. The Etatmässige Feldwebel would be distinguished by two stripes of gold "tresse" tape on the cuff. Some would also wear the marksmanship cord on the shoulder if they had been awarded it. The Etatmässige Feldwebel would very rarely see any form of combat as their duties were administrative.

RIR Nr. 48 was a regiment in the 5th Brandenburgisches (Brandenburg) Division of the Prussian Army during the First World War. The 48th was a Reserve Infantry Regiment that served in Belgium at the outbreak of the war in 1914, then was relocated to the Eastern Front in December of 1914 where it would remain under the command of Field Marshal August von Mackensen of the 9th Army until the end of the War in the East. After the treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which ended the war with Russia, the 48th RIR was again relocated, this time to France, where they would spend the rest of the war.


a Quartermaster Sergeant of the 48th RIR (pictured center frame) sitting next to two officers of the 7th company