Old metal mark: w. bilgmann, u-boot 83 An extremely rare and valuable historical military antique (militaria) originating from the period of the First World War. German military identification plate/insignia of a submarine crew member who belonged to the German Imperial Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) Inscribed: • W. BILGMANN: Name and surname of the crew member to whom the plate belonged. According to preserved German military archives, W. Bilgmann was a real historical figure. • MASCH. MT. (Maschinenmaat): This is his military rank on the ship/submarine. It stands for mechanical non-commissioned officer (mechanical engineer). His job was to manage and maintain the diesel and electric motors inside the submarine. • U-BOOT 83 (or more precisely UB 83): Denotes the submarine on which he served. It is the submarine UB-83, which belonged to the type UB III (coastal torpedo submarine). • V. F. (V. Flottille): Indicates that the submarine was part of the 5th Submarine Flotilla of the Imperial German Navy. The submarine UB-83 had a short and tragic war history: • It was commissioned in July 1917. • During its operational life, it sank several allied merchant ships. • The end of the submarine: On September 10, 1918 (just two months before the end of the war), the submarine UB-83 was spotted and attacked by the British destroyer HMS Ophelia in the North Sea, near the Orkney Islands. The submarine was sunk by depth charges. • Crew: All crew members, including the engineer officer W. Bilgmann, lost their lives in that attack.