Roxy Posted 2 December , 2005 Share Posted 2 December , 2005 egbert, I hope your government doesn't know that your granddad imported contraband into the U S of A!! Roxy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 2 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 2 December , 2005 Roxy my government is 7000 miles across Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J T Gray Posted 2 December , 2005 Share Posted 2 December , 2005 I've just realised, Egbert, showing someone else this thread, that the flowers with the lock of hair are cowslips (known as "peggles" in my bit of Britain - flowers of grassland, and just about my favourite spring flower. Don't know if that adds anything for you, but I'd love to know why I didn't twig before! ADrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 2 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 2 December , 2005 No kidding Adrian, nice one, thank you!! This is very interesting for me to know which actual flowers they are! In German language they are called "Schluesselblume" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zooloo Posted 2 December , 2005 Share Posted 2 December , 2005 (edited) According to Christian legend, St Peter dropped the keys to Heaven and where they landed Cowslips grew. In Norse mythology the plant was dedicated to Odin's wife, Frega, the goddess who held the keys to happiness and sexual love. You can make wine too. Use the yellow bit. Source: www.englishplants.co.uk/cowslip.html zoo Edited 2 December , 2005 by zooloo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 2 December , 2005 Share Posted 2 December , 2005 No kidding Adrian, nice one, thank you!! This is very interesting for me to know which actual flowers they are! In German language they are called "Schluesselblume" They grow profusely in Oppy Wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 3 December , 2005 Share Posted 3 December , 2005 Egbert, The little cigar case is beautiful. The colours are still so vivid. How lovely. I am envious of your Grandmother's needlework. I am useless at sewing. Thank you for continuing................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 3 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 3 December , 2005 The artifacts were sent home from Merville in 3 incremental parcels. Gottfried's best buddy, Feldwebel Woellerth, took care everything -even the personal stuff in the rear area- was sent back home. Well, personally I think the following artifact is the most moving and sobering one. What a heart-breaking piece of memory, especially for Grandmother. Touching, turning and holding all these years the large wallet, where the deadly shell splinter first impacted and than penetrated the body. Folks this is not about the general aspect of the devastating war - this is an individual fate to be told; watch this wallet of Gottfried it could be your NOK wallet representing each families desaster - friend and foe: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 3 December , 2005 Share Posted 3 December , 2005 It is a very touching memento, but then all his things are. Marina PS I s there anything in the wallet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 3 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 3 December , 2005 PS I s there anything in the wallet? I don't find the keys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 3 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 3 December , 2005 Ups, doesn't need a key Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 3 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 3 December , 2005 The family is virtually and for real torn apart forever: Granddad KIA, the picture inside the wallet so very symbolic depicts the actual state of the family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Holstein Posted 3 December , 2005 Share Posted 3 December , 2005 Egbert, I've come very late to this thread and have just spent about an hour and a half reading it all. I can't say anything that others haven't already said. It's an astonishing thread and brings your grandfather, his family and the tragedy of war right into the homes and hearts of every one of us. Thank you for sharing it with us and for bringing your grandfather to life again for us all. Christina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 3 December , 2005 Share Posted 3 December , 2005 Taken from the "Dictionary of American Family Names" Sandrock German: topographic name denoting either someone who lived in or owned a sandy place where rye was grown (Middle High German sand ‘sand’ + rocke ‘rye’) or where a weed known as sandrocke grew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 3 December , 2005 Share Posted 3 December , 2005 Gottfried's little golden ones - beautiful. I KNEW there would be somehting in that wallet! Gottfried would be SURE to have family photo! What is the little blue folder? And do you have the keys to open it? Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 4 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 4 December , 2005 Thank you all for commenting. Marina - the blue notebook! What is written on this one page? I can read mostly surnames, 3rd line says "2 messengers" I can only speculate: since my Grandfather carried this notebook at the moment when he was killed, it might be related to warfare. Maybe the names are those of his NCOs and/or experienced men "Gruppenfuehrer" and the numbering refers to availability of men in the various groups. You notice that some names are scratched out, maybe because of KIA or WIA; the sum could be the strength of his platoon, as you can see melting away? The top 2 names are followed by "3. Gr", respectively "5 Gr. " which could mean 3 rd "Gruppe"=Group and 5 Group, also speculation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 4 December , 2005 Share Posted 4 December , 2005 All very moving egbert. How sad. Susan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 4 December , 2005 Share Posted 4 December , 2005 Certainly seems to be something like that. if that is correct, then it is really sad - Stiletto's posts of casualty returns ahve the same effect. So what's next from the trunk? Marina (I look forward to this every day!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 5 December , 2005 Share Posted 5 December , 2005 Egbert, Can you cross-check the names with the German War Graves listings? Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 5 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 5 December , 2005 Egbert, Can you cross-check the names with the German War Graves listings? Ian Would be possible and I also have the Verlustliste of IR 49. But I need help decipher the names Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunboat Posted 5 December , 2005 Share Posted 5 December , 2005 Hi Egbert More beautiful finds. Why has the folder the photographs are kept in have grid lines on them? I thought at first it may be a grid to assist sketching But has it a more militray use map reference grids or something? Gunboat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 5 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 5 December , 2005 Gunboat, thats another interesting observation! I did not think about this. So you think the plastic grid cover for the picture might be actually a Government issued plastic cover for maps etc? Could very well being "misused " as a coverage for a a personal picture! Thanx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunboat Posted 5 December , 2005 Share Posted 5 December , 2005 Gunboat, thats another interesting observation! I did not think about this. So you think the plastic grid cover for the picture might be actually a Government issued plastic cover for maps etc? Could very well being "misused " as a coverage for a a personal picture! Thanx I don't know for certain but it could be. It would make sense to have a plastic map cover and if a map was in the cover grid lines may not be so visible through the plastic especially at during twilight hours. How big are the grids and does that correspond with maps in use at the time. I am sure one of the pals will be able to tell us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 5 December , 2005 Share Posted 5 December , 2005 I thought the grid would be a map overlay but woud it not be made of celluloid rather than plastic at such an early time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 5 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 5 December , 2005 So Gunboat and squirrel triggered my curiosity. I pulled the picture/cover again from the depths of ancient times and share the results with you. It is a plastic envelope with two plastic sides. Each side has a different grid pattern, a small and a larger one. Here is the larger one again (you see also the back side of the second picture): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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