515 replies to this topic

[StAubyns]

This morning I happily handed over the money to purchase a 50% share in what I beleive to be 2 photograph albums that once belonged to two different German Army Officers of the WW1. Hopefully, there is possibly enough information to perhaps go some way to identifying the individuals concerned. The smaller of the 2 albums looks like this

 Album 1 cover copy.jpg   46.9K   0 downloads

regards

Geoff

All of the photographs that I will upload to this thread are with the permission of my mate, Brian Kay, who realised what he was being offered and kindly agreed to share the purchase.

[StAubyns]

The second album looks like this

 Album 2 cover copy.jpg   19.9K   5 downloads

and a random page looks like this

 ww1 page copy.jpg   39.54K   10 downloads

Geoff

[daveuk6]

Wow thay look very good would love to see more
dave

[roel22]

Any chance of posting some close-ups? If I zoom in on the pictures the result is too grainy.
regards
Roel

[roel22]

By the way: quite strange the photo-album of a German officer has an English title ('photographs')

[StAubyns]

I thought this album title strange, it also looks rather modern but the contents are certainly OK

This is Page1 Photo 2



This Page 1 Photo 1



Geoff


Basse is in Lower Saxony

[StAubyns]

This is Page 2 photo 1



This is Page 2 photo 2



Geoff

[ckbeans]

These photographs and the resulting quest could become addictive.

ckbeans

[StAubyns]

This is the only photograph on Page 3



Does any one recognise the uniforms or could the regiment be identified from this photograph?

Does Batterie mean Artillery?

Geoff

[StAubyns]

These photographs are from Page 4 and we now have names

Page 4 Photo 1




Page 4 Photo 2





Geoff

Annoeullin is midway between lens and loos

[roel22]

The name Bunnermann doesn't ring a bell at the Volksbund-site, so no connection there to a regiment...

[StAubyns]

roel22

How about Oberst Schmidt? or is that to common a name?

Geoff

[roel22]

If he is listed, his name should be between 28.578 Schmidts the Volksbund has in their files.
Many of them don't have any info about their rank as well.
So no chance, really.

[StAubyns]

These next 2 images are a departure from the previous pages

Page 5 Photo 1



Page 5 Photo 2



Geoff

[StAubyns]

Back to group photographs

Page 6 Photo 1



Page 6 Photo 2



Geoff

[StAubyns]

Photographs of the Corps Commander V Francois?

Page 7 Photo 1



Page 7 Photo 2



Geoff

[marina]

These are marvellous photos.
Marina

[StAubyns]

There are 4 photographs on the next page

Page 8 Photo 1



Page 8 Photo 2




Geoff

[StAubyns]

Page 8 photo 3



Page 8 Photo 4




Geoff

[bob lembke]

Certainly artillery, references not only to "Batterie" but also to "Abt." In the German Army the artillery battalion was not called "Bataillon", but "Abteilung", which more generally means "detachment".

The most curious caption was on page 8, "The very unloved regimental commander".

A bunker/observation post was called the Westhalian Bunker; perhaps that is where the unit was from.
  
Certainly the corps commander von Francois, who opened the war by deciding, on his own, with his corps of two divisions, to invade Russia when ordered to fall back; it may have contributed to the CO on the Eastern Front having something like a mental breakdown, leading to Hundenburg and Ludendorff being rushed in to take over. Exl. von Francois" means, in translation, "His Excellency von Francois".

Bob Lembke

[healdav]

Strange that one photo should say that it was taken in Mousson as the Germans never took Mousson (although they did hold the Signal de Xon briefly in 1915).

[egbert]

Excelleny Geoff, thank you! Please go on....

[Malte Znaniecki]

Brilliant photographs ! Thanks for sharing them with us.
Malte

[StAubyns]

Thanks for some very interesting observations Bob & healdav. Perhaps you could do a full translation of Page 6 photo 2?

Egbert & Malte , I will keep going!

I think I have an explanation for the actual album. On close scrutiny the photographs are attached to a piece of card with the comments on. It could be that they have been cut out of the original album and refixed in this one.

On to Page 9 photo 1



Page 9 photo 2


Geoff

[StAubyns]

Page 9 photo 3



The next 2 seem to be a bit of comedy

Page 9 photo 4



Page 9 photo 5



I dont understand why photo 5 is so large - it was'nt deliberate!

Geoff