mebu Posted 2 March , 2010 Share Posted 2 March , 2010 Just found this photo of a nameplate on a German bunker on the Somme that I took some time ago... anyone any ideas on full name? Regards Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wade Posted 2 March , 2010 Share Posted 2 March , 2010 Just found this photo of a nameplate on a German bunker on the Somme that I took some time ago... anyone any ideas on full name? Regards Peter I look at the bottom word and all I can see is gabriella. Probably jinxed it for everyone else now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 2 March , 2010 Share Posted 2 March , 2010 It's tempting to see the top line as 'Holland', but I think it's actually an incomplete word (letters missing at the beginning) '.. llollind' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wade Posted 2 March , 2010 Share Posted 2 March , 2010 It's tempting to see the top line as 'Holland', but I think it's actually an incomplete word (letters missing at the beginning) '.. llollind' It's certainly tempting to see the two upright parts as a H because there's a little connecting piece about two thirds of the way up, at the same height (and shape) as in the letter n. In fact, the more I look at it, I think your first idea was correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mebu Posted 3 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 3 March , 2010 Thanks for the ideas....I think the first word is Holland, but if the O had an umlaut it changes the word to "hell place" I believe, but still cannot work out word below. "Gabriella" is possible....at least if it were Barbara it would make sense ( barbara is patron saint of gunners....) Regards Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Sheldon Posted 3 March , 2010 Share Posted 3 March , 2010 At Dien Bien Phu (where many Germans fought with the French Foreign Legion) there was a 'Gefechtsstand Gabrielle' (Command post 'G') If in 1954, why not 40 years earlier? have another look at what might have scabbed off. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 3 March , 2010 Share Posted 3 March , 2010 It's a Latin font, Jack - how can the top word be 'Gefechtsstand' ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Sheldon Posted 3 March , 2010 Share Posted 3 March , 2010 Good point. However, I was trying to think laterally and come up with something feasible that might have preceded a name that is sometimes used instead of 'Gustav' in the old phonetic alphabet and it did occur to me that the first word might end '...stand'. The rest is in the realms of speculation I would allow, but whatever the answer, it has to be contextually likely. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris mccarthy Posted 4 March , 2010 Share Posted 4 March , 2010 Can you remeber where the bunker is? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 4 March , 2010 Share Posted 4 March , 2010 I concur, a possible way to identify this f§$%ing inscription is to tackle the problem from -where is the bunker located -when was it built -which unit possibly built it and from there try to investigate into the idioms used in state where the unit origins from Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mebu Posted 6 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 6 March , 2010 Egbert, I wish I knew who built it. It is in Adinfer Wood, built prior to summer 1916, a well built construction, seems to be an important place as much larger than generally found in this area of the Somme. I don't know of German organisation here. Any info will be welcome, Regards Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 6 March , 2010 Share Posted 6 March , 2010 Not much more information, but it's also been the subject of a thread on the WFA forum - http://frontforum.westernfrontassociation....?f=43&t=527 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 7 March , 2010 Share Posted 7 March , 2010 That brings it to perspective Mick. I suggest the inscription is much longer than anticipated. The so called "H" could be just 2 "l", following other letters. So for all visible letters there should be much more preceding and following letters than best guessed so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 7 March , 2010 Share Posted 7 March , 2010 It is sad to see that the inscription has further deteriorated since the first photo was taken. We seem to have only two lines of lettering, which is evidently a name rather than the identity of whoever built the structure. ??LLOLLIND GABRIELLA ? I don't think there are any further letters missing after the D on the first line as it aligns with the A of what appears to be a complete word on the second line. Mystifying, and rather too many double Ls, I feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mebu Posted 7 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 7 March , 2010 Thanks for the replies and ideas lads, it looks like we'll never know. Sad to see the inscription deteriorating, someone went to some effort to make it. Hedley in the WFA forum link above says it was a light signal station. I don't know if it was a blinkstellung but I'm not sure if it was disguised as an agricultural building as stated. A close examination of the walls inside will show a British inscription painted on by 12 Field Company RE Regards Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apwright Posted 7 March , 2010 Share Posted 7 March , 2010 I reckon there's too much space between the "LL" and final "A" for the word to be ..IELLA. Also on close inspection it looks like two letters have been obliterated at the end of the line, and the last looks very much like an S, so maybe ...IELHAUS. Perhaps something like: Holland's Movie House, where Holland (or whatever it is ) could be the name of an officer/NCO. Where you go to watch the "light show"?? Just a guess, though! Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 7 March , 2010 Share Posted 7 March , 2010 Adrian, you are genius. I am very sure that it is Lichtspielhaus. The playing with this word perfectly matches the soldier's irony. Lichtspielhaus I buy and the word's meaning is absolutely fitting!!!!!! (I do not buy 100% 'Hollands' though; would be great to understand which unit it built and investigate in some of their key officer names). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mebu Posted 8 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 8 March , 2010 Adrian, I think that Lichtspielaus is the best idea yet and looks quite feasible. If Holland (with umlaut, from Holle) refers to a hellish or infernal place, I think this would make sense as either being in a hellish place making light, or a place for watching hellish sights. Hmm Thanks for the suggestion Regards Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 8 March , 2010 Share Posted 8 March , 2010 Peter, forgive me but: its "Lichtspielhaus" and Holland is a surname in Germany as well as the country designation for the Netherlands in Germany -no Umlaute at all. The whole discussion has nothing to do with 'Hölle' what you probably meant. I am still stunned by Adrian's finding- well done!!!!! Always think out of the box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 8 March , 2010 Share Posted 8 March , 2010 Brilliant work, Adrian ! Now I wonder if we can find any sources that confirm it and/or tell us about the unit concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 8 March , 2010 Share Posted 8 March , 2010 P.S. post #13 shows in bottom part the 'Signalröhre" (signal-tube) through which the light impulses were sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 8 March , 2010 Share Posted 8 March , 2010 Surely a coincidence, but this recent film deals with a phenomenon apparently known to artists for centuries - http://www.dutchlight.nl/www/html/eng/film/home.htm What did the Germans call Adinfer Wood, Egbert ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mebu Posted 8 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 8 March , 2010 Egbert, yes I cannot disagree, my German is not that good. And I must learn to do umlauts from the keyboard. Regards Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 8 March , 2010 Share Posted 8 March , 2010 What did the Germans call Adinfer Wood, Egbert ? Adinfer Wald / Wald von Adinfer (confirmed by E.Jünger in Stahlgewittern) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdajd Posted 8 March , 2010 Share Posted 8 March , 2010 Just a question. Does anyone have a theory on why the l in Holland seems to be a different font then the middle l in Lichtspielhaus? The one on Holland does not have any serifs whereas the one in Lichtspielhaus does. Could one be a Roman numeral? Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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