YMCA Bonn, British Army on the Rhine 1919…anyone recognise anyone ?

[SusanN]

On the left is my grandfather, a bi-lingual civilian who was working with the British Army on the Rhine as an interpreter and later for a short period as a secret agent helping the work of the Deputy Assistant Provost Marshal Captain Bruce of the Black Watch.

[FROGSMILE]

It’s a real snapshot in time Susan!  Unfortunately the photo doesn’t have sufficient resolution to be able to make out the cap badges, but the number of soldiers wearing the WW1 trio or duo of medal ribbons bespeaks the date annotated by the photo.  I was trying to work out what the building being used for the YMCA originally was.  The raised platform at the rear gives it resemblance to a civil courthouse.

Edited 18 July , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[JWK]

Looks like "YMCA Gross Bonn" was housed in the Metropol Theatre, Markt 24, Bonn:

 

https://calmview.bham.ac.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=XYMCA%2fK%2f8%2f1%2f358

https://calmview.bham.ac.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=XYMCA%2fK%2f8%2f1%2f359

https://calmview.bham.ac.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=XYMCA%2fK%2f8%2f1%2f360

[FROGSMILE]

Excellent JWK, so the raised platform was a theatre balcony for a superior view.  How appropriate.  I doubt that the theatre too is by a miracle still standing, it would be a great surprise if it survived two world wars!

Edited 18 July , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[JWK]

It was rebuilt in 1928 (Art Nouveau was "old stuff" by that time, Art Deco was all the rage) and still stands:

[FROGSMILE]

Wunderbar! 

[SusanN]

Thanks everyone, here is the dance at the officers mess Christmas 1919, 

[FROGSMILE]

I imagine that the officers’ mess was probably in a nice building in Bonn too.  There appear to be some French or Belgian officers present, but interestingly no Americans that I can see.  I wonder how many of the ladies were still there in the city in 1939, given that most of them seem likely to have been German.  One is a young girl seemingly sat on ‘Sammy’s’ (?) knee.

Edited 18 July , 2021 by FROGSMILE