egbert Posted 16 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 16 December , 2005 The same spot 1979: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 16 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 16 December , 2005 ...and 2003: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 16 December , 2005 Share Posted 16 December , 2005 Egbert, Just spent the past half hour catching up from 9th December. Thank you to Ian for saying hello to Grandfather for us forum PALS. The wedding photo(s) are quite something. Imagine - one taken virtually on the eve of perhaps the worst unimaginable nightmares in recent history and the other near the end of another disaster-ridden conflict. I wonder if your Grandfather was aware of impending conflict at the time of his marriage. It may account for the almost sad look. Thank you again Egbert, - this thread has been THE most facinating one. Truly captivating. Susan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barnsey Posted 17 December , 2005 Share Posted 17 December , 2005 Egbert Wow! I just happend to do a search on Loos and one of the first threads was this one. Out of curiosity I decided to have a look. Here I am, three & a half hours later with a numb bum, full bladder and a grumpy wife! I haven't been doing this forum thing for long - but its the most fascination thing I've ever read. Emotional, educational, truly charming and all-in-all sad. Its unfortunate that so many people lost loved ones in wars in general, at least your family had the opportunity to have some of you GFs most treasured possessions returned. (My GGF kept all his precious things in his haversack & sadly were lost with him). Words cannot express my gratitude to you for sharing this incredible story with us all. From the bottom of my heart - thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest memorialscrolls.co.uk Posted 17 December , 2005 Share Posted 17 December , 2005 No, take the money!! (Egbert - a long time ago there was a TV game show called 'Open the Box' in which successful competitors culd choose between a cash prize or the unknown contents of a box. The audience encouraged the contestants with shouts of "open the box" and "take the money") Have you been watching Noel Edmonds on the silly TV program by any chance????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Railrider Posted 17 December , 2005 Share Posted 17 December , 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: Just new to site but I hope this helps towards bullet ID. There were one or two problems, however. For one, the .303 round did not have the capacity of the 8mm Mauser case, and for another the Lee action was not as strong as the Model 98 Mauser when it came to handling high pressures. Furthermore, the British were unwilling to go to a pointed bullet of less than 174 grains. This bullet could only be safely driven to a velocity of 2440 fps in the Lee, and while this velocity produced hydrostatic shock effects it was not as spectacular as the Mauser. The British army, sensitive to the earlier failures of the Mark 2 bullet, felt that a little bit extra was needed. This little bit extra was provided by the Mark 7 spitzer bullet, adopted in 1910. To all intents and appearances, the new Mark 7 bullet was a fully jacketed pointed bullet weighing 174 grains. However, things were not as they may have appeared. Beneath the full metal jacket lurked a radical bullet design, for anyone who sectioned one of the new bullets found an aluminium tip under the point, which extended fully one third of the bullet’s length. Beneath this aluminium tip was the conventional lead core. the effects of .303 rifles during post mortems. Typically it breaks into bits, and the sight of the aluminium tip on an X-ray is always a sure sign that you are dealing with a .303. Interestingly enough, the tip is not always of aluminium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 17 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 17 December , 2005 Thank for the "motivations" and additional explanation ! Now here is a picture from 1979 with the witness. You see in the middle the old lady who remembered a German soldier being relocated from their farm grounds to the Merville cemetery. As I said, she told all the story to my father in 1940. And here I am first time checking out with my mother and father (taking the picture) what this was about. It surely was the first of many visits to come -even from Alabama Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 17 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 17 December , 2005 Per PM-request from zooloo, here are more detailed pictures from 1940 grave flowers; hope mother zooloo can identify Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 17 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 17 December , 2005 .. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zooloo Posted 17 December , 2005 Share Posted 17 December , 2005 I will be having Sunday lunch with her and will pass on the pictures then. How long before a reply could be immediate of a week... zoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 18 December , 2005 Share Posted 18 December , 2005 Seems like poppy and white clover to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 18 December , 2005 Share Posted 18 December , 2005 The purple streaked flowers definitely look like clover. Come on, Zooloo's Mum! Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 18 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 18 December , 2005 CWGC Merville 1979. Grandfathers grave is in the background, right in front of one of the large oak trees (which do not exist anymore) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 18 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 18 December , 2005 Father was not good in speaking English. It was funny to see his letters to the Merville CWGC gardener Mr. Fishlock. He always asked him to take the cash money out of the envelope, "please buy for soandso much currency some white lilies for the grave and keep the rest for your efforts....' This is a photo with the gardener Mr.Fishlock, who is believed dead by now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 20 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 20 December , 2005 The grave on CWGC Merville as it was known 1979. It was then shown to me first time in my life and I never ever thought at that time, that it will become one of my most significant hobbies in later years.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 21 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 21 December , 2005 In 1979 my father visited second and last time (remember 1940) his father and introduced me to Gottfried. If i see the picture today it shows me a family tragedy repeated by the millions. The son barely knew his father and not knowingly mourns last time in his own life in front of the grave, 61 years after Gottfried was KIA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J T Gray Posted 21 December , 2005 Share Posted 21 December , 2005 How did Gottfried's gravestone gain his name? Or is that yet to come? I'm about to go away for Christmas, but you can guess where I'll be heading as soon as I am back near a computer... Frohes weihnachten, by the way! Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 22 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 22 December , 2005 ...and today. In 2000 I had enough evidence to convince the VdK to have the unknown grave converted into a personalized grave. A new headstone was erected and my Grandfather received a personalized resting place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 22 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 22 December , 2005 Frohe Weihnachten Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 22 December , 2005 Share Posted 22 December , 2005 Egbert, Gottfried appears to have lost a tree but regained his name and a new headstone! How tranquil it looked with the tree behind... Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roel22 Posted 22 December , 2005 Share Posted 22 December , 2005 In 2000 I had enough evidence to convince the VdK to have the unknown grave converted into a personalized grave. A new headstone was erected and my Grandfather received a personalized resting place. Fa-bu-lous. Must have been an unique moment for you, to say the least. I hope this unknown soldier wont be the last to get his name back. regards Roel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KateJ Posted 22 December , 2005 Share Posted 22 December , 2005 ...and today. In 2000 I had enough evidence to convince the VdK to have the unknown grave converted into a personalized grave. A new headstone was erected and my Grandfather received a personalized resting place. I have goose bumps & tears in my eyes when I read this. Well done Egbert. RIP Gottfried Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 22 December , 2005 Share Posted 22 December , 2005 A devoted grandson - he would have been proud of you. Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 23 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 23 December , 2005 Thank you friends! Now - what is left today besides the trunk items? Not much, but in any case enough to remember! This is a collage of the place where it all ended 1918 - it certainly does not look spectacular Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 23 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 23 December , 2005 A modern view from the farm towards the British lines of 1st Bn DCLI, and the 2 farms against at least one of them Grandfather was a participant in an assault raid: Grab= temporary grave Vordere Linie= forward line of own troops Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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