JWK Posted 22 March , 2015 Author Share Posted 22 March , 2015 Martin, Back in 1915 the German army constructed the Dodendraad along the Belgian/Dutch border : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_of_Death (to prevent the Belgians from fleeing their country - history repeated itself some 50 years later with the Iron Curtain..... ) so they were familiar with the procedure. Whether or not it was commonplace across the whole front (or whether or not it was in operation at all) I don't know unfortunately. Somebody more versed in WW1 history might know the answer. Here's the part of letter where he writes about the Starkstromleitung ( High Voltage line): JW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ph0ebus Posted 23 March , 2015 Share Posted 23 March , 2015 I have to say, Fritz' penmanship is extraordinary. I wish all handwritten German was that easy to read! Very fine thing you are doing...well done! -Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 23 March , 2015 Share Posted 23 March , 2015 Martin, Back in 1915 the German army constructed the Dodendraad along the Belgian/Dutch border : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_of_Death (to prevent the Belgians from fleeing their country - history repeated itself some 50 years later with the Iron Curtain..... ) so they were familiar with the procedure. Whether or not it was commonplace across the whole front (or whether or not it was in operation at all) I don't know unfortunately. Somebody more versed in WW1 history might know the answer. Here's the part of letter where he writes about the Starkstromleitung ( High Voltage line): Starkstromleitung.jpg JW If Fritz only knew that 100 years later in the Turkish town of Wuppertal, once his hometown, copper wire would have a half-life of 5 minutes until sold to scrap dealers..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 23 March , 2015 Share Posted 23 March , 2015 Site of the old ice factory. Mrs Limbach und cousin Paul Bonert continued running the factory after the war. 1966 saw the ultimate closure of the ice factory. Hünefeldstr1-19.jpg Price list THEN: eiswerkpreis.jpg Jan That is all new information for me. Egbert. it is a fact of life that certain individuals will always "weigh in" the stolen metals, we have metal theft everywhere. However I am glad to see that the Barmen overhead railway is still in good health ( as mentioned in the latest Fritz letter ) Looking at your Hunefeldstras above the rail runs right by the Limbach's old business building. I wonder if the eiswerk is the building in the picture below. http://www.panoramio.com/photo/73361412?source=wapi&referrer=kh.google.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 23 March , 2015 Author Share Posted 23 March , 2015 Martin, I think that's the building across the river from the former Eiswerke : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 25 March , 2015 Author Share Posted 25 March , 2015 I have spotted this on sale on a popular internet site. I know it has featured on this thread. Ebay.jpg http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ORIGINAL-period-GERMAN-WW1-PHOTOGRAPH-large-group-having-a-beer-/361239234993?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item541b8949b1 Indeed, it's in post #167 on page 7, posted by hainaut with the caption "Soldats dans le jardin du chateau" (Soldiers in the garden of the Chateau [de la Sucrerie, at Douvrin]". Received the card today in the post and on the back is written, in an impossible hand, "Mittagessen bei der Pfingstfeier" which translates loosely as "Lunch on Whitsunday". If this indeed is in the garden of the Chateau de la Sucrerie at Douvrin then we can date this picture to 23rd May 1915. Crystal clear picture, you can almost count the wrinkles on each man's face, but no Fritz Limbach in it I'm afraid. He also doesn't mention anything special happening during those days in his letters, and if he wás there he would most certainly have written about it. Most, if not all, of the men in the picture are Iron Cross II wearers, so this must have been a little treat for them. Not strictly Fritz Limbach related, but all these guys are of his Regiment, and the picture was taken in the village he was in at the time, so he must have known at least a few of them personally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bierast Posted 25 March , 2015 Share Posted 25 March , 2015 Just reading through the latest blog page I see that Fritz and is chums were preparing reserve trenches. They also included High voltage wire too.!! This is the first time I have heard mention of such activity - were they making electrified perimeter defences ? Electricified barbed wire was tried in lots of parts of the Western Front in 1915 (seemingly as an afterthought after installing generators for lighting and pumping systems), and is occasionally mentioned as late as 1916. It fell into disuse in most places for obvious reasons of practicality - besides its vulnerability to artillery fire, it also created complications for forward patrols (necessitating special prearranged signals for turning it on and off). On very quiet fronts it may have persisted longer, but was probably left permanently switched off to save all the hassle associated with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 25 March , 2015 Share Posted 25 March , 2015 Andi - Just noticed that you had updated the thread, good to know Thanks.Jan-1) - You are right with the eiswerke, now I see the chimney.2) - Do you think that the chap with the beard in the Garden picture is still a possible match for the man with the beard in the Komando group with Fritz ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 25 March , 2015 Author Share Posted 25 March , 2015 Andi, thanks for that. That explains a lot. Makes sense now. Martin 1) especially the top of the chimney 2) No, Now that I have a crystal clear picture of the guy at lunch I don't think they're the same guy. But they could be brothers or cousins. Or not related at all, also a possibility. Just happen to look sort of the same from a distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 26 March , 2015 Share Posted 26 March , 2015 We have talked before about the quality of WW1 photography - and it is top quality. I agree they are not the same person. Have you any idea what rank is indicated by the collar stripe on "the guy at Lunch" ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margogogo Posted 27 March , 2015 Share Posted 27 March , 2015 Fantastic story. very interesting read. thank you for sharing it. x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bierast Posted 27 March , 2015 Share Posted 27 March , 2015 Have you any idea what rank is indicated by the collar stripe on "the guy at Lunch" ? He's an Unteroffizier (and the fellow from the other photo who was compared to him above is a Gefreiter). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 27 March , 2015 Share Posted 27 March , 2015 Thanks Andi - Whilst you are here could you have a look at this little little group. I assumed that the number 2's were of unteroffizer rank - but their collar marks are different to to the guy in #234 above 2 of them have unusual badges on their left chest area. I am not sure who number 1 is but he has a high neck collar and white belt. There is a similar rank on page 5 of this thread post #105 but he does not have a white belt. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bierast Posted 27 March , 2015 Share Posted 27 March , 2015 The vertical collar stripe was worn as rank insignia on the greatcoat. Your men marked with '2' are also Unteroffiziere, except the one on the left who also has large buttons on the side of his collar - this combination marks him as at least a Sergent, possibly a Vizefeldwebel or Feldwebel (it's impossible to tell as the man in front obscures his sleeve and sword knot). The gentleman marked with a '1' is a junior officer, probably a Leutnant (I see no 'pips' on his shoulder boards). Hence he has a much nicer tailored tunic (which he has of course paid for out of his own pocket), a Pickelhaube with a fashionably tall spike and an officer's brocade belt (these fell into disuse in the field fairly early on as they were too conspicuous). The 'unusual badges on their left chest area' are (probably pre-war - long service awards and the like) medal ribbons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 27 March , 2015 Share Posted 27 March , 2015 Great picture Martin. Do you have a location and/or date for it - the left and middle lads in the front row look about 15 but no doubt they were older! Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 27 March , 2015 Share Posted 27 March , 2015 Andi - That is great thanks very much - It stands to reason that the white belt was a bad idea in the front line - He would be the first person in the snipers sights. Neil - Not much on this photo as yet but JW has the regimental history so I am sure he will do some work on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 3 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 3 April , 2015 The photograph arrived today. Don't have a date for it, the message on the back does not provide any clues, but the location is most probably a courtyard in the Hacketäuer kaserne in Mülheim am Rhein (near Cologne). Same buildingstyle in both pictures: (from http://http://www.bilderbuch-koeln.de/Fotos/mülheim_hacketäuer_kaserne_historisch_130273 ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 3 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 3 April , 2015 A closeup of the officer : the Musiker : and I'm, sure the expert can deduce an approximate date or year from this close up : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 9 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 9 April , 2015 Another groupphoto arrived today: mid 1915, in the Hacketäuer barracks in Mülheim-am-Rhein. Seem like they've donned their Sunday best for the picture. Dark blue uniforms, yellow shouldertitles, red lettering : must have been a colourful sight. No cuffs, Brandenburg or otherwise, though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 9 April , 2015 Share Posted 9 April , 2015 Great pictures. I think they look far smarter in their marching gear. today I have noticed that a different search box is available on the verlustlisten. an option to search by regiment. It only works for the early war enteries due to the fact that they did not record them mid war. I wonder how many of the lads above are on the search below. enter IR 16 in the bottom box ( you need a space between IR and 16 ) http://des.genealogy.net/eingabe-verlustlisten/search/index Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 16 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 16 April , 2015 Another Korporalschaft, this one from Autumn 1914, showing off their balancing skills : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 17 April , 2015 Share Posted 17 April , 2015 For more Hackethäuer-Kaserne infos please have a look here http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=52375&view=findpost&p=449720&hl=%2Bk%F6ln+%2Bm%FClheim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 17 April , 2015 Share Posted 17 April , 2015 Flippin Heck Egbert - you have kept that 2006 thread well hidden from us. What a truly interesting historical and completely relevant link that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Feledziak Posted 20 April , 2015 Share Posted 20 April , 2015 Reading about the latest letter on the blog - Fritz gives mention to receiving a letter from Erich Bonert. I just had a look and turned up this record. It is for an Erich Bonert from Barmen, but he appears to be in the Navy - Most interesting if it is the Erich as referred to. Is this the same Cousin Eric killed in May 1915 and would this be the report. Even if it is not him what does this type of entry is it. ? http://des.genealogy.net/search/show/1185304 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 20 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 20 April , 2015 Yes, that's Erich. * 18-01-1895 - † 09-05-1915 Erich was Fritz's cousin, son of Ernst Hugo Bonert and Helene Limbach. Younger brother of Paul (who later would lead the Eiswerk together with Fritz's mother - Fritz's father died in 1919) I have a lenghty letter to Erich's parents detailing the circumstances of his death, I'll post that later. He was killed during a daylight attack (at 2 in the afternoon!) somewhere east of Nieuwpoort, at first buried in a cemetary "20 minutes by light railway from Ostend", now buried in the Kameradengrab at Langemark. And how he became a "Seesoldat" I have no idea. He was from Barmen which is not quite near the sea, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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