CarylW Posted 13 January , 2011 Share Posted 13 January , 2011 Another mystery photo. A postcard photo of a military camp but where would this be and what nationality? Looks to be Great War period? The card is unused, with 'Carte Postale-Postkarte' and 'Communication-Mitteilungen-Correspondance' 'Address- Adresse' A bit of research reveals that the above cards were used in Germany but also Turkey and 'Mitteilungen' just means 'messages' where that part should be written There is a large bell up a pole that has some decorative ironwork in the middle of the gun carriages. Large number of tents visible in the background Caryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 13 January , 2011 Share Posted 13 January , 2011 A permanent or long term base. Artillery of some sort. Lots of bricks available, cheap enough to be used as edging. Lots of ordinary trees around. UK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarylW Posted 13 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 13 January , 2011 Thanks for your thoughts Tom. It's probably impossible to identify this one Caryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willy Posted 13 January , 2011 Share Posted 13 January , 2011 Well, don't think it's a bell, enlarged it looks like a gas/electric light, as to where, best guess uk or northern france, large squarish building on horizon, possibly a chateau, also could be american base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 13 January , 2011 Share Posted 13 January , 2011 the middle of the gun carriages. Large number of tents visible in the background Not gun carriages I think - limbered wagons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willy Posted 13 January , 2011 Share Posted 13 January , 2011 Not gun carriages I think - limbered wagons certainly not gun carriages, i agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarylW Posted 13 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 13 January , 2011 Well, don't think it's a bell, enlarged it looks like a gas/electric light, as to where, best guess uk or northern france, large squarish building on horizon, possibly a chateau, also could be american base. Yes it does look like a gas lamp now that you mention it (a bell shaped one) Not gun carriages I think - limbered wagons Oh yes, I see now. Thanks Caryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piorun Posted 13 January , 2011 Share Posted 13 January , 2011 The other vertical pole on the right is another lamp standard. They have large glass globes beneath the bell-shaped shade. Given the height of the poles above the lamps, it's likely that they are electric, rather than gas. The large square building with tower does not fit the traditional roof outline of a French chateau. How about Windsor Castle or some such similar edifice? Antony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willy Posted 13 January , 2011 Share Posted 13 January , 2011 The other vertical pole on the right is another lamp standard. They have large glass globes beneath the bell-shaped shade. Given the height of the poles above the lamps, it's likely that they are electric, rather than gas. The large square building with tower does not fit the traditional roof outline of a French chateau. How about Windsor Castle or some such similar edifice? Antony if thats windsor, then it's the playing fields of eton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 13 January , 2011 Share Posted 13 January , 2011 I'm not sure that the terrain looks right for Windsor. The ornateness of the lamp bracket - cast iron? - indicates to me a campsite that was used regularly and that might been around for some time prior to the GW; a site built during WWI may well have had lighting installed, but would it have had such ornate lamp fittings? A possibility that immediately came to mind was Bisley Camp which came into existence c.1890 with the annual NRA shoots held there, so, although parts of the camp were of a temporary nature being put up and taken down each year, permanent lighting installations are (as would other parts of the infrastructure) likely to have been in situ. During WW1 & WWII Bisley was handed over to the War Department and used for military training in conjunction with other sites, both permanent and temporary, in the adjacent Pirbright, Deepcut, Blackdown & Mytchett areas as part of the Aldershot Command. It's highly likely that there may have been other camp sites elsewhere in the country used regularly for training, annual & weekend camps, manouevres, etc that would also have justified permanent lighting installations, so without any obvious aid to identification, realistically, the photo could be of anywhere. NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willy Posted 14 January , 2011 Share Posted 14 January , 2011 Having enhanced and enlarged the structure on the horizon, i will stick my neck out and say windsor castle from eton or downey common. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piorun Posted 14 January , 2011 Share Posted 14 January , 2011 Just a thought; "the ornateness of the lamp bracket" may not be a telling clue. Lamp brackets would be standard manufacture for all sorts of uses and locations. The poles (standards), however,look temporary and wooden to me and the extra height is to string the wires above the passing vehicles. If the fixtures were permanent, then it's likely that the standards would have been custom made for purpose. I'm not familiar with views around Windsor Castle but the tower just seemed to ring a bell (no pun). Antony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 14 January , 2011 Admin Share Posted 14 January , 2011 I'm a little puzzled as to why a German postcard should show pictures of limbered wagons in Windsor/Eton - perhaps a spy... Seriously, wouldn't the boxes be a clue if they were blown up...oh there I go again...sorry u know what I mean better stop now or it'll be me you meant in Skindles! - but the one in the left foreground seems to have writing on it but I can't blow it up big enough wild guess ? C (?)2 0R L Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 14 January , 2011 Share Posted 14 January , 2011 I'm a little puzzled as to why a German postcard should show pictures of limbered wagons in Windsor/Eton - perhaps a spy... Ken The card also includes French wording so maybe it's from occupied territory (or maybe the language isn't relevant to the location ?) The white bricks suggest it's not an overnight park ! Perhaps a parade ground somewhere; wherever it is the trees look deciduous and the land flat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willy Posted 14 January , 2011 Share Posted 14 January , 2011 The card also includes French wording so maybe it's from occupied territory (or maybe the language isn't relevant to the location ?) The white bricks suggest it's not an overnight park ! Perhaps a parade ground somewhere; wherever it is the trees look deciduous and the land flat. Could even be post war, i'm sure it's windsor in the background as i have said before, regarding the wording, it would have been designed to appeal to a wider market perhaps than just the uk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMU Posted 14 January , 2011 Share Posted 14 January , 2011 How about Bramshott. Used for both WW1 and WW2 Canadian bases. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willy Posted 14 January , 2011 Share Posted 14 January , 2011 How about Bramshott. Used for both WW1 and WW2 Canadian bases. Steve So what is the building on the horizon then if it's Bramshott?, i must admit that as i said in a previous post, has american/canadian feel about those white bricks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 14 January , 2011 Share Posted 14 January , 2011 I'm a little puzzled as to why a German postcard should show pictures of limbered wagons in Windsor/Eton How do you know its German? The dual language wording could suggest a Swiss or Belgian source. (Given the proclivity of post card makers to take a stock photo of location A and pass it off as location B I'm not sure that it is much of a guide to anything). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willy Posted 14 January , 2011 Share Posted 14 January , 2011 How do you know its German? The dual language wording could suggest a Swiss or Belgian source. (Given the proclivity of post card makers to take a stock photo of location A and pass it off as location B I'm not sure that it is much of a guide to anything). Correct see post 15. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grantowi Posted 14 January , 2011 Share Posted 14 January , 2011 If the dangly thing was a lamp, wouldn't it be set at the top of the pole to light a larger area ? This seems to be at around head height judging by the height of the wheels My vote goes with the bell theory, you can see what looks like a handle just below it. Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarylW Posted 14 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 14 January , 2011 How do you know its German? The dual language wording could suggest a Swiss or Belgian source. (Given the proclivity of post card makers to take a stock photo of location A and pass it off as location B I'm not sure that it is much of a guide to anything). Probably because of my misleading first post suggesting it could be German, but further research reveals that 'Carte Postale - Postkart' postacrds were indeed also sold in Switzerland, Luxembourg and probably a lot of other countries across Europe, so it could be from anywhere I have a box-load of these 'Mystery photos'! Only kidding, probably a couple more unidentified ones in my collection but I'll leave it at that for now. Thanks again for all thoughts - appreciated Caryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 14 January , 2011 Admin Share Posted 14 January , 2011 How do you know its German? The dual language wording could suggest a Swiss or Belgian source. (Given the proclivity of post card makers to take a stock photo of location A and pass it off as location B I'm not sure that it is much of a guide to anything). I was merely going by the comment of the OP at post 1 who said, 'A bit of research reveals that the above cards were used in Germany but also Turkey''. I fully accept the proclivity of post card makers - it's an interesting puzzle now - but I'm not sure it's one I'd plucked off the rack then Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willy Posted 14 January , 2011 Share Posted 14 January , 2011 If the dangly thing was a lamp, wouldn't it be set at the top of the pole to light a larger area ? This seems to be at around head height judging by the height of the wheels My vote goes with the bell theory, you can see what looks like a handle just below it. Grant When enhanced and enlarged, there is quite clearly a glass globe fitted to the bottom of the "bell", it's a light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piorun Posted 16 January , 2011 Share Posted 16 January , 2011 If the dangly thing was a lamp, wouldn't it be set at the top of the pole to light a larger area ? This seems to be at around head height judging by the height of the wheels My vote goes with the bell theory, you can see what looks like a handle just below it. Grant With respect, I believe that it's either an electric or a gas lamp (why would you have another bell a few yards along to the right?). The height is fairly standard for gas lamps of the time (you needed to be able to reach them to open the flow prior to touching them with the paraffin pole), therefore electric lights were often just strung at the same height. On the other hand, the extra length of the pole is, possibly, as I've suggested, for stringing electric wire. Either way, it's obvious that the lamps were being used to light a 'road'-way rather than a large area and the extra height gained by putting them further up that relatively flimsy pole would not have resulted in any much greater field of illumination than that from a single lamp of that era. Antony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grantowi Posted 16 January , 2011 Share Posted 16 January , 2011 Is there a Bell / Light on the pole to the right ? It looks like it's been hit and is leaning to the left and has a limber parked directly under it - suggesting it's not a "roadway", nor is the ground under the dangly thing disturbed, again suggesting that it's not an area regulary used as a "roadway / path" All gas lamps that I have seen have been set well out of arms reach and required a chap with a long pole to open the valve and ingnite the gas. Were generators freely available in WW1 ? Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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