Hammelburg Lager

[high wood]

This photograph dated March 1916 was sent to England from Hammelburg PoW camp to a Mr Alexander Nurse, of 47 Gurney Road, Stratford, London E 15.

It may have a French connection as it came from a collection of cards sent to the Nurse family, some of which were sent by a Frenchman and his children, before and during the Great War. My German is non existent, but I guess that the caption reads something like, burying a French prisoner of war.

There is a message in English which reads, Many thanks for your card, Yours sincerely, ? Bailly. Underneath this is possibly written: ?Bailly 4th Kle Raports ???????????.

Is anyone able to decipher the message?

[egbert]

Bailly (or whatever was his correct name)

4 kie = 4.kompanie

and something like "Kaserne(n) Dolmetscher" =engl.: post/barracks translator

[high wood]

Egbert,

thank you for that. Would a Frenchman be employed as a translator in a prisoner of war camp as he might be less likely to give an accurate translation than a French speaking German? I cannot imagine why a German would have been writing to an Englishman in 1916. It is interesting to note that the number 7 in the address is written in the continental style.

Can you please translate the front of the card for me?

Simon.

[IPT]

"Begrabnis" is funeral.

"kriegsgefangenen" is prisoners of war.

[SiegeGunner]

The photo caption reads "Funeral of a French POW".

[high wood]

Thank you.

here is the back of a postcard sent from Paris. The hand writing is very similar.

[centurion]

Egbert,

thank you for that. Would a Frenchman be employed as a translator in a prisoner of war camp as he might be less likely to give an accurate translation than a French speaking German?

He might have been from Alsace Lorraine perhaps - so during the war he was 'officially' a German and after the war he was a Frenchman?

[egbert]

A foreign national PoW translator was quite normal. This is true for PoWs with allied powers or German/Austrian or Russian or or or. I have just read 3 books on PoWs in Russia and translator PoWs were always wanted by the camp authorities

[SiegeGunner]

The postcard from Paris is signed Georges Rocher (or possibly Royer).

[JoMH]

Dear Friends,

I have received your cards, and thank you very much. I have passed the medical examination to be a soldier, and without doubt I am going to leave here for the army in a fortnight.

Aided by the Allies we must defend ourselves against the Germans wanting to enslave all of Europe; we have reached the abyss, and the victorious day we hope/strive for will come.

Please give my respects to your parents and ??sister?? . Cordially, Georges R

Not quite sure about the bit about the 'abyss and 'victorious day'... can't read the word before l'abime which means abyss.

[SiegeGunner]

Looks like "il court à l'abîme".

The last bit is "and the day will come when, victorious, we savour the hard-won peace".

[JoMH]

Perhaps - 'but they have rushed to the abyss...' ?

And I missed the word 'paix' - which didn't make for a good reading.

[high wood]

The postcard from Paris is signed Georges Rocher (or possibly Royer).

It does indeed read, Georges Royer. I am not sure how he first came into contact with the Nurse family of Stratford. The father of the family was George Edward Nurse, who by trade, was a french polisher. I am sure that this is incidental. Georges Royer seems to have had at least two children, Suzanne and Germain who came to England at least once as they are mentioned in a postcard sent by Mrs Nurse's nephew, Robert Alexander of the Berkshire Yeomanry and MGC.

The two Nurse boys, Alexander Joseph and George Alexander both served in the Great War, Alexander Joseph in the 69th (East Anglian) Division Cyclist Corps whilst George Alexander served with the Army Service Corps.

[Keith Reading]

My great uncle was at this camp, from what I can remember my grandmother and great aunt said there were very few English speakers when he arrived. I have a group photo and it looks like some of the PoW’s are wearing kepi’s not sure what regiment’s though. My great uncle seated front right was in the Northumberland fusiliers, and I have identified two others in the photo from other photo I have from Royal Lancaster and Rifle Bgde