Unusual picture German and British officers at funeral

[arantxa]

Any ideas 

One looks like a pilot 

[arantxa]

Any ideas 

One looks like a pilot 

[Michelle Young]

This cemetery is close to me, where our officers are buried brought down when we bombed Cologne. 

[Michelle Young]

arantxa posted twice, so I’ve merged the threads. 

[Michelle Young]

The man with the wings on his tunic  looks like he is wearing the ribbon of the MC, and his collar badges look like Prince of Wales feathers. 

[FROGSMILE]

23 minutes ago, Michelle Young said:

The man with the wings on his tunic  looks like he is wearing the ribbon of the MC, and his collar badges look like Prince of Wales feathers. 

The officer on the right appears to be Black Watch, or perhaps Glasgow Highlanders HLI.  The fellow to the left with PoW collars perhaps from the Leinster Regiment (if he’s an infantry officer).

Edited 21 February , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[RaySearching]

Photo taken from a differant viewpoint IVM Collection

[AOK4]

Nothing unusual at all about this pic, it is quite common, see also

It is NOT the funeral of Albert Ball as has been said often before.

Jan

[arantxa]

better quality

 

[IPT]

I'd say Von Hindenburg was.

[RaySearching]

19 minutes ago, IPT said:

I'd say Von Hindenburg was.

Is that Ludendorff to the right of him  ?

[TullochArd]

2 hours ago, IPT said:

I'd say Von Hindenburg was.

Agreed.  The photo is taken at roughly the same time as IWM Q 79433 which is tagged "1917" and "Von Hindenburg and senior German officers at the funeral of a British officer a prisoner of war in Cologne." 

....... and as RaySearching points out it certainly looks like he's with Ludendorff .......... although no mention of him in the IWM text.

Edited 21 February , 2022 by TullochArd

[arantxa]

The IWM picture is fantastic !!!

Thanks 

[arantxa]

He must have been a very high ranking British officer 

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, arantxa said:

He must have been a very high ranking British officer 

Not necessarily, there was quite a lot of diplomacy and politicking going on at that time and all officers, regardless of rank, were perceived (rightly or wrongly) as ‘gentlemen’ and there was an affinity between German and British culture on that score.  A lot would also depend on how the officer met his end and the associated sympathy that that elicited.

With a better view now of the headdress badge of the officer with PoW feathers collar badges, it looks like the former insignia has a long scroll and might well be 10th (PWO) Royal Hussars.

Edited 21 February , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[arantxa]

But Hindenburg must have been a busy chap at the time 

[FROGSMILE]

45 minutes ago, arantxa said:

But Hindenburg must have been a busy chap at the time 

Yes indeed, but perhaps being diplomatic for a reason.  Had it been a very senior British officer then I think we’d have seen more than just a few Black Watch and cavalry officers.  But it’s all just speculation unless we can find out more.

Edited 21 February , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[IPT]

I wonder who W. C. Nevill was, who provided the IWM photo?  

[arantxa]

So I’m guessing the owner of the card was given the photo by the Germans maybe to send to uk 

it says on card cemetery close to where our officers brought down bombing cologne ….was cologne bombed a lot ..was there a famous incident …a famous pilot killed ? Or a famous German pilot ?

[arantxa]

This seems to answer it 

[FROGSMILE]

18 minutes ago, arantxa said:

This seems to answer it 

Yes indeed, the honouring of a gentleman. 

 

Edited 21 February , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[arantxa]

Thanks the picture completes the story 

[FROGSMILE]

2 minutes ago, arantxa said:

Thanks the picture completes the story 

It’s made me wonder whether he was sentient and perhaps well enough for some of the Germans to get to know him as he struggled to recover.  

[SiegeGunner]

Those two senior German officers are not Hindenburg and Ludendorff.  If I recall correctly, somewhere in one of the many threads about the photographs of this funeral, the taller man is identified as the Military Governor of Cologne.

[helpjpl]

II.—Germany.

“A British officer, of whom one can truly say that he had not been afraid to speak the truth about his treatment in Germany, and in the Cologne hospital, was carried to his last resting-place yesterday.

“It was Captain Wilfred Beckett Birt, of the East Surrey Regiment No. 31, who, on the occasion of the attack in September, 1915, had his thigh shattered and was taken prisoner. Since January, 1916, he had been nursed in the fortress hospital, No. 6, situated in the Empress Augusta School. His chivalrous character and his conscientious impartiality made him respected and popular with his French and English fellow sufferers and the German Hospital Staff. Gratefully he acknowledged what the surgical art of assistant-surgeon Dr. Meyer had done to lessen his sufferings, and the loving care the German nurses, male and female, had bestowed on him and his comrades.

“The great affection in which he was held by friend and foe alike showed itself in the mourning over his death, which took place a few days ago. His wound, a short time before, had shown improvement, but the heart was no longer equal to the terrible strain. Those of his comrades who were not confined to bed rallied round his coffin yesterday, which had been put upon a bier in the hospital garden surrounded by flowers and palms.

“The principal mourners were his countrymen, who were seated on benches at the foot of the coffin; around it were the French and Belgians, the German doctors and hospital staff. Large lighted candles stood at the head of the coffin, which was covered with wreaths decorated with the English, French, Belgian, and German colours.

“Garrison Pastor Hartmann, in a moving speech, which went straight to the heart of the hearers, spoke about the deceased as a chivalrous fighter for his native land, as a good Christian and a truly noble character. It was touching to hear the parting hymn sung by the sonorous voices of the British wounded, accompanied solemnly on the harmonium by a British performer. All escorted the coffin to the gates. Once outside, it was reverently lifted on to the funeral car, which German gunners escorted to the cemetery. Four British and one French officer, as well as the German doctors who could be spared, followed in motor cars.

“At the gates of the cemetery, Lieutenant-General Schach, Colonel Lindemann, as representative of the Governor of the fortress, Major Esser, Dr. Lamberts, the chief medical officer of the garrison, deputations of the Officers’ and Medical Corps, the Band of the Reserve Battalion Pioneer Regiment No. 25, awaited the cortège.

“Pastor Hartmann spoke again, and, in words which made a deep impression on all, closed with prayer and benediction. Dr. Rademacher, the Catholic priest of the garrison, then made a funeral oration in English, affecting all who heard it.

“In the name of the hospital staff, Dr. Meyer expressed his heartfelt sorrow to the British officers present, the band played the hymn, ‘How gently they rest, those who are with the Lord,’ and, profoundly touched, Englishmen and Frenchmen shook hands with the clergy and the German officers.

“Three handfuls of earth on to the coffin of one who had found eternal rest, and the mourners dispersed.” Kölnische Zeitung.

The Better Germany in War Time: Being Some Facts Towards Fellowship, Harold Picton, 1919, page 146:

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/24810/24810-h/24810-h.htm

 

EDIT

https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search/british-newspapers?date=1916-06-03&date_offsetdate=1916-06-03&lastname=birt&modifiedfacets=true&exactnames=true&exactkeywords=false

JP

Edited 22 February , 2022 by helpjpl