1008 replies to this topic

[squirrel]

So what else is in there then?

[Simon R]

.... that's not your dog, its a famous messenger dog... kindly return it you dog-napper/dog-knapper/dognapper... dog kidnapper.

[egbert]

and a nice harmonica, he surely used in the foxholes

Attached Files

•  Mundharmonika.JPG   38.97K   7 downloads

[squirrel]

Give us a tune on the harmonica and let us see what else is in there then - dog permitting, of course.

[ypres1418]

Give the dog a bone then we can all get on with whats inside the box!

What a find Egbert and thanks for sharing them with us.

Mandy

[spike10764]

This isn't fair. C'mon Egbert lets see some more....please, please !
otherwise we'll have to make them up.

150 We'll all be home by Christmas Cards

The Schlieffen plan

A captured copy of Plan XVII

[egbert]

ok,ok -a pocket watch

Attached Files

•  uhr1.JPG   17.94K   7 downloads

[egbert]

...

Attached Files

•  uhr2.JPG   23.5K   6 downloads

[egbert]

...

Attached Files

•  uhr3.JPG   37.22K   6 downloads

[sandyford]

Egbert

That watch is beautiful!

Can't wait to see what else.

Hoped that those of us still up could have a sneaky preview of tomorrow's wonders, as you have gone to bed already - but I think Chester is probably guarding the chest.

Now I understand his name.

Kate

[egbert]

I think Chester is probably guarding the chest.

Now I understand his name.

Kate

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[egbert]

Before I go on, I think I need to explain you some things:
All shown artifacts are truly from Granddad mostly from the sober “return” mail to Grandmother after he was killed; so they are genuine showpieces of a time long gone; I show these personal and family artifacts because they are historic and should be made known to you –the WW1 interested pals. I do not believe that this is an intrusion
into Granddads or Grandmothers privacy!
After the death of Granddad 1918, my Grandmother never married again until she died 1975ish; through all the years she kept her husband’s memorabilia like a treasure; she never had the chance to visit his grave, nor the place of death (which is known on 10 meter accuracy due to the exact hand drawn map of Granddad’s aide).
After 1975 the trunk was stored in my parental home; reflecting back it looks like a prevision, that I simply decided in younger years to take possession of Granddads belongings –with full consensus of my father; I remember selling a beautiful hand carved meerschaum pipe with Neptune’s head from the treasure, but other than that I kept all things together. Today these artifacts are an important part of my kind of family tradition and are sacrosanct.
I will not show the field letters, because it takes enormous time to translate them from Suetterlin German into today’s German script; right now I finished the 1914 and 1917 letters.
Anyway here are remarkable pieces of personal artifacts, some artifacts that definitely have been worn at time of death;
Granddad was killed  May 1st,1918 in front of Bois de Nieppe at 14:00 hrs; his direct opponent was the 1st  Bn DCLI and he was killed by a grenade exploding next to him and his aide – one or several splinters through the chest killed him instantly; his aide was submerged by tons of earth and comrades could dig him out alive, but severely injured…

[songbird]

Sobering and moving Egbert.

[Andrew P]

Thanks for sharing that with us Egbert.

Regards
Andrew

[Christina]

Thank you for sharing this with us Egbert, I do hope it all remains in your family and not like so many precious things, just sold on to a collector. I wish I had some little memento from my Grandparents, all I have are two photos.
Regards
Christina

[squirrel]

Thanks for sharing this with us.

[Jim Strawbridge]

Granddad was killed  May 1st,1918 in front of Bois de Nieppe at 14:00 hrs; his direct opponent was the 1st  Bn DCLI and he was killed by a grenade exploding next to him and his aide – one or several splinters through the chest killed him instantly; his aide was submerged by tons of earth and comrades could dig him out alive, but severely injured…

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

From Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry by Everard Wyrall

On the 27th April 1918 the 1st Batt. D.C.L.I. relieved the 12th Gloucesters and one company of the Bedfords in the front line, but the remainder of April was uneventful. May, also, with the exception of frequent heavy shell fire by the opposing guns, was comparatively quiet, although it must be pointed out that the word "comparative" is used merely to indicate the difference between periods of attack and non attack".

To read the regimental history the DCLI just kept their heads down during May. Unless the trenches were close enough to lob grenades at each other (and who would want to be in either trench if this were the case) I can only think that Grand-dad must have been unfortunate to be the victim of a harrying attack from some one with grenades in a shell hole. But they must have been taking a chance at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Or could these grenades have been fired from a rifle?

[egbert]

Thank you Jim for sharing this information: G'dad was killed by a grenade fired from a gun; his aide later wrote back to home " he sit on top of his foxhole while writing a field letter to his wife,,,and that death came unexpected...etc; the letter from 1 May 1918 is in my possession;
and all other friends: thank you for sharing your excitement and encouragement to post the full contents -as I said piece by piece; got to go to work now and=
stand by for more secrets

[ianw]

I can't see that the explosion of a rifle grenade could have produced the tons of earth that buried the aide. Is this a translation issue with the word "grenade" maybe meaning shell ?

[egbert]

I can't see that the explosion of a rifle grenade could have produced the tons of earth that buried the aide. Is this a translation issue with the word "grenade" maybe meaning shell ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry for my translation mistake:  a shell is called a "Granate" in German language; it is meant "a shell from a gun' then

[egbert]

and a beautiful "Meerschaum"(sepiolite)- pipe

Attached Files

•  Pfeife.JPG   76.98K   5 downloads

[egbert]

as you can see, the original amber mouth piece is broken due to enemy action; I had the amber replaced by artificial amber

Attached Files

•  Pfeife1.JPG   74.51K   1 downloads

[Dragon]

Hello Egbert

I can't imagine that I'm the only person following this thread who finds the gradual revelation of these beautiful, personal possessions very powerful and emotionally painful, almost unbearable. You're sharing with us objects which convey something of your grandad's personality: the private, intimate things which mattered so much to him while he was so far from home.

I imagine that your grandmother's heart broke when she opened the box.

Thank you.

Gwyn

[egbert]

Thank You!

This pipe was last smoked by myself when I was appr.14 years old; before that it is proven last smoked by Granddad at point 2 (arrow 2) when he wrote home in his second last field letter dated 26 April 1918 "...this morning some of my men wounded....we had to bear 3 times drum fire last night at 22:00hrs, 01:00hrs, 05:00 for 30 minutes each....1 man dead, 2 NCOs and 5 men wounded out of my 50...smoked my pipe in the piggery...now again unbelievable shelling....(Remark by Grandson egbert: see also my signature below)....study (read), what happens next to the forest n/w of Merville, here I am....
So far the actual hint that the pipe was indeed smoked in the piggery of the depicted ferme; arrow 1 points to his provisional grave

Attached Files

•  untitled.JPG   44.8K   6 downloads