egbert Posted 19 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 19 November , 2005 Ah there it is. I knew it- they took care of their buddies, because they knew that hard and difficult times will come for the surviving dependants: My dear Mrs. S.……..! Please accept my sincere condolences at the occasion of your husband’s death, our good comrade. We will all hold him in high esteem. Also I inform you that I am in possession of the following cash from your husband: 50,00 Mark given to me for safeguarding 20,17 Mark taken from corpse, 33,33 Mark last salary 103,50 Summary {will be sent to you with next mail. Accept my deepest sympathy. Signature Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 19 November , 2005 Share Posted 19 November , 2005 A good friend then! That's a relief. It would have been too horrible had he been robbed as he lay there dead. Nice to think his mate took care of the money for his family. Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandsonMichael Posted 19 November , 2005 Share Posted 19 November , 2005 Egbert, I salute you! This idiot only just now decided to have a look inside this thread. Astounding. You are a very nice guy and writing - showing - making history. Vielen Dank, Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 19 November , 2005 Share Posted 19 November , 2005 Check in at 11pm promptly, everyone. Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 19 November , 2005 Share Posted 19 November , 2005 Two minutes to go... Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 19 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 19 November , 2005 On special request from Lindsey and Marina who pressed hard in the chat room. Wow- what's that? The first few items appear from wallet. There is always reliance on good friends - it was sent with the proper belongings: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 19 November , 2005 Share Posted 19 November , 2005 You mean Grandmother never spent the money? Imagine keeping it! Are those bullets in the foreground? marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 19 November , 2005 Share Posted 19 November , 2005 There's an exhibit in my local museum. A brown leather purse containing four pence and an old bus ticket. A man had kept it all his life - all that wa sleft of his family after the Clydebak Blitz. Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 19 November , 2005 Share Posted 19 November , 2005 Egbert. This is a fantastic and very moving thread. It is amazing that your grandmother kept this money seeing how short money was for her after the death of your grandfather. Presumably 103 marks would have been quite a substantial sum in those days before the devaluation problems in Germany after the war. Best wishes. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 20 November , 2005 Share Posted 20 November , 2005 Egbert, Is that another key as well? Have I missed something? Susan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike10764 Posted 20 November , 2005 Share Posted 20 November , 2005 Egbert, Is that another key as well? Have I missed something? Susan. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Do you know what the keys for Egbert ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 20 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 20 November , 2005 I have no clue with respect to the key; I have no locks he might fit; Her is a close up of the bills: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 20 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 20 November , 2005 inflation money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 20 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 20 November , 2005 the 2 larger coins are dated 1913 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 20 November , 2005 Share Posted 20 November , 2005 Egbert, What does the date on the first 20 mark and second (inflation money) 20 mark note(s) mean? It is very interesting. Oh, and PLEASE don't close the trunk early.......... we will all have "withdrawal" symptoms. (I will anyway). Susan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 20 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 20 November , 2005 Egbert, What does the date on the first 20 mark and second (inflation money) 20 mark note(s) mean? It is very interesting. Susan. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Good question and a very comprehensive answer if you click here That explains the date as well; don't you dare to reprint= they are nothing worth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 20 November , 2005 Share Posted 20 November , 2005 Thanks Egbert. that was an eye opener. How interesting. So, your Grandmother could not have spent much even if she had had the chance. There probably was not enough items to be bought. Perhaps she may have had extreme difficulty in exchanging these back for currency. Whatever the circumstances, it must have been very hard for her. I know that she had to survive, but maybe she found it difficult to part with these precious items, no matter what the cost. Susan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 20 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 20 November , 2005 Now, I/we understand that the depicted money is not actually the money which was stored in Granddads wallet when kia. A money transfer was pretty easy, safe and reliable in those times with the postal system. As we all know now, Feldwebel Woellerth sent the 103 Mark to Grandmother from France. How it works? Simple: Feldwebel W. went to his regimental post officer/official in Infanterieregiment 49 which operates a so called Feldpostamt. He deposited the sum at the post office - that was it. The postal system either telegraphed the recipient post office (Gnesen, Grandmothers hometown) the amount payable to Grandmother, or sent a postal note to the Gnesen Hauptpostamt (main post office). Grandmother would than receive the money in cash from the daily mailman run. Could be done within 1 day! Here is the actual postal slip (sorry for the low quality, stamp and signature not visible) from Feldwebel W. on which the regimental post office documented that the sum was properly deposited. He deposited on 14.5.1918 when the regiment was relieved from trenches and transported to quarters south of Lille: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 20 November , 2005 Share Posted 20 November , 2005 Very efficient method of transfer. Ypu're joking about closing the trunk, I trust? You could aim for 20,000... Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 20 November , 2005 Share Posted 20 November , 2005 just facinating. I agree with Marina, you could go for the 20,000 mark........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 20 November , 2005 Share Posted 20 November , 2005 Perhaps you don't have enough ambition, Egbert? Giving up too soon? Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunners dream Posted 20 November , 2005 Share Posted 20 November , 2005 Egbert, Never mind the numbers, you could keep me returning for the final part of 2005 and all of 2006 if you keep going like you have done! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 20 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 20 November , 2005 Be Aware: 72 to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 21 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 21 November , 2005 10,000 views ! THANK YOU for making this trunk story so successful! Granddad will be very much pleased!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludovica Posted 21 November , 2005 Share Posted 21 November , 2005 Just adding my agreement that this is a remarkable thread. Thank you Egbert! What a wonderful TV programme it would make! Your Grandfather seems almost close enough to reach out and touch.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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