susanhemmings Posted 21 November , 2005 Share Posted 21 November , 2005 What a wonderful TV programme it would make! Your Grandfather seems almost close enough to reach out and touch.... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Wholeheartedly agree. What will we do now - I can feel the withdrawal coming on...................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 21 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 21 November , 2005 total contents of wallet; will come back later with further enlightment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon R Posted 21 November , 2005 Share Posted 21 November , 2005 This is fascinating and great fun, thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyHollinger Posted 21 November , 2005 Share Posted 21 November , 2005 Just as an aside ... working on your Grand-dad's picture has been one of the most memorable moments of my life. You will never understand what it meant during that time and those interchanges ... a wonderful, human moment. It still brings tears to my eyes ... seeing him come alive - or at least his pixels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 21 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 21 November , 2005 Just as an aside ... working on your Grand-dad's picture has been one of the most memorable moments of my life. You will never understand what it meant during that time and those interchanges ... a wonderful, human moment. It still brings tears to my eyes ... seeing him come alive - or at least his pixels. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> dam* right Andy!!!! When i saw the results I had tears in my eyes; I mentioned the link to this story posted within this forum earlier. The ghost of 'Bois de Nieppe" is still with us and opens his trunk and shows us his belongings...... Thank you for remembering the photo coming from the mist; it is not pixelclear despite all efforts, but "HE" wants to convey us by that, that everything in life is fading.....just don't forget their sacrifices and suffering wherever they came from.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 21 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 21 November , 2005 This is a close up of his hunters licence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 21 November , 2005 Share Posted 21 November , 2005 Egbert asked that I might post the following info, which came about from his mention of the Polish element in his grandad's regiment. I know some of you know of the book, but anyway for general interest: Book: Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-one Divisions of the German Army which participated in the War (1914-1918) – it is a compilation of intelligence records of the American Expeditionary Forces GHQ at Chaumont, France 1919. (I had only made note of the opposing divisions that were around the area and time that my grandfather was serving. Here I just note those mentioning the Polish influence). 4th Division Men of this division were mainly from Pomerania, and later in the war, replacements were transferred from lesser units from the same district, since it being impossible to maintain quality, nonetheless it seems there was a need to maintain its nationality. 1918 evaluation – 4th Div was a very good division, but by 1918 its morale was mediocre, due to young recruits. 11th Res Div Recruiting was from Silesia, but included drafts from other areas to counterbalance the Polish element. 1918 evaluation – rated as a second-class division. Fought a great deal during 1918, especially since June and lost heavily. Its record had not been brilliant. 12th Div Men recruited from Upper Silesia, which district often supplied men to other less populated or temporarily below strength areas, which in turn diluted the Polish element in this and other Silesian regiments. The division was rated as second-class. It was actively engaged in spring (1918) offensive and did well. After the middle of July it was almost constantly engaged in hard defensive fighting. 81st Res Div The division was rated as third-class and its service in Flanders was of mediocre character. Two of its regiments were originally Pomeranian, and one in theory recruited in Silesia which contributed to the mixed character of its personnel. The third regiment was a Brandenburg unit. The above maybe of interest but, if studying the German Army, this is a good reference book for starters. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 21 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 21 November , 2005 susan asked me yesterday more about the money. I removed it again from inside the wallet and found in a niche pocket, way down in a crease, something I have never seen before: a quill! Is this the original quill Granddad wrote all his letters home with? Amazing, and thanks susan to have me checked...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 21 November , 2005 Share Posted 21 November , 2005 Must have been the one he wrote with Egbert - nice! Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 22 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 22 November , 2005 These are the 2 bullets found inside the wallet. Why should he keep these simple, ordinary bullets, considering he was "surrounded" by thousands of bullets day by day? May these be connected to his injury from 14 November 1914 near Gheluvelt and kept as a talisman? Now I need your help! Any ammunition experts who could help identify these 2 bullets? The larger one is hollow, the small one solid. Are these British, French, German? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 22 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 22 November , 2005 detail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 22 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 22 November , 2005 another view Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 22 November , 2005 Share Posted 22 November , 2005 I think they must be what you suggest - bullets forma wpund? Or ones that lodged in his pack or something like that? Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 22 November , 2005 Share Posted 22 November , 2005 Is the larger bullet in fact the remains of the bullet's copper jacket? Is perhaps the solid piece part of the inner core? Just an idea. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mutley Posted 22 November , 2005 Share Posted 22 November , 2005 What an amazing thread, I have just read it from the first post and couldn't stop!! Thanks for sharing this with us. Mutley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 22 November , 2005 Share Posted 22 November , 2005 Egert, I am SO PLEASED that you are still sharing with us. and the quill !! Tremendous. As Marina says perhaps they did lodge in his pack. They certainly meant something to him, what a find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD60 Posted 23 November , 2005 Share Posted 23 November , 2005 Thanx for ALL the comments! As I said earlier; he was wounded near Gheluvelt 14 November 1914; 91 years ago by today, he should have been back in Germany for treatment. This picture shows him later in a hospital, ca end of 1914. Interesting to see the pocket watch chain under his tunic as already shown in thread no 162 <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Looking to the photo, is there a small chain on his left ear ? regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 23 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 23 November , 2005 Is the larger bullet in fact the remains of the bullet's copper jacket? Is perhaps the solid piece part of the inner core? Just an idea. Ian <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ian I would never thought about that. So a minute ago I took the wallet from the box, opened the wallet, looked for the 2 bullets and.....Ian i am not believing in superstitious stuff, but this is really weird (seriously no PR gag or joke), look very closely by yourself what I saw - again I did not touch any of the ammo parts: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 23 November , 2005 Share Posted 23 November , 2005 well spotted Ian! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 23 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 23 November , 2005 TD 60: I know what you mean!!! I have a 90mB version of the photo and zoomed in. but I cannot see what you and I want to see..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 23 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 23 November , 2005 Thanx for your posts, sure the trunk is still open. Now- come on, where are the ammunition guys here! Lurking in the wrong thread. Somebody must know what bullet this is: French or British, calibre? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 23 November , 2005 Share Posted 23 November , 2005 Ian I would never thought about that. So a minute ago I took the wallet from the box, opened the wallet, looked for the 2 bullets and.....Ian i am not believing in superstitious stuff, but this is really weird (seriously no PR gag or joke), look very closely by yourself what I saw - again I did not touch any of the ammo parts: <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Egbert, They obviously wanted to be reunited! But, yes, this is indeed getting weird. (For those reading the thread, Egbert and I just discovered various mutual hobby interests and connections of geographic proximity. Now all we need is a spooky experience or two in Mametz Wood, as per other threads, and I'll start getting superstitious....) Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 23 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 23 November , 2005 Nobody with ammunition expertise here -you're kidding! Another revelation! Very obviously from Grandmother but closely connected to Granddad. It's a little box in the trunk and comes with an accompanying note from Grandmother " My dear sons, these, my wedding myrtles, please lay in my coffin". The contents are dried remnants from the actual wedding myrtles and nobody put them in her coffin, probably because the box was forgotten: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 23 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 23 November , 2005 These are the actual wedding myrtles 1912: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ackimzey Posted 23 November , 2005 Share Posted 23 November , 2005 What a handsome couple. Thanks for sharing. Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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