damandblast Posted 23 December , 2005 Share Posted 23 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. Your success is brilliant and inspiring. A fitting tribute indeed for a man who, like millions of others, gave everything for their country and their families. Maybe one day I will find out enough about my James to formalise an ID and give him a proper resting place too. Thank you for this. Di Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 24 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2005 (edited) Thanx Di! So what else is left today? To my very surprise there is a memorial of IR 49 in an East German town "Gross Boernecke", near Magdeburg. Why it was built there, 1000km away from the old home garrison in Gnesen, Province Posen =nobody knows today! Why such an impressing memorial there? My Great Great Grandfather lived there as a carpenter, but surely had not enough money to pay for the complex memorial. Anyway grandfathers name is surely recognized on one of the boards: I think the memorial is in an acceptable good state, considering it survived 45 years of pure communism Edited 24 December , 2005 by egbert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liverpool annie Posted 24 December , 2005 Share Posted 24 December , 2005 Egbert! How fitting today of all days you tell us you have "carpenters" in the family!! Thank you so much for sharing with us - I'll never forget it! it certainly brought hours of contemplation and awe! God Bless to you and your family on this special holiday Annie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 24 December , 2005 Share Posted 24 December , 2005 Nice memorial although someone ought to shift that concrete monstrosity in the background. Merry Christmas, Egbert! Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 24 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2005 Annie and Marina, thank you so much for your kind replies! When I contacted the community, they said, the local "Schuetzenbrueder" take care of the memorial and in times of communism the archtectural monster was added as a tribute to all the victims of WW2. Forgot to post a picture from deep inside the trunk, depicting the memorial from a time between the two wars: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 24 December , 2005 Share Posted 24 December , 2005 That's so much nicer! I see you found this deep within the trunk, Egbert. have a good ferret round in there - there may be things which have been overlooked...just a ittle thinhg or two...a pice of paper, a trinket, a lock of hair... Marina-lives-in-hope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 25 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 25 December , 2005 What else is left from a time long gone? The farmer gave me 3 or so shell cones which he collected from his fields. Could it be that this is the shell cone in question, that triggered the deadly shell?....... ... ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 25 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 25 December , 2005 what are the chances that this one hit Grandfather? 1:1000? Don't count the shell holes from the farmers fields Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnock Posted 26 December , 2005 Share Posted 26 December , 2005 'May the living be worthy of the dead' Egbert, what You did is exemplary. Thanks, Cnock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 26 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 26 December , 2005 My most valued "epilogue" is an Artillery Luger, which was found by the French farmer on the field were Granddad was killed. At one of my visits he told his daughter to get him something from the barn. She came back and presented me a rotten Luger as a gift . I was so grateful and accepted the piece of rust. At a much later time here in Alabama I restored it with help and advice from pals. The success story how I restored the Luger is written/explained here Now, how many German NCOs/officers were killed on the farmers field? Not too much between April and July 1918 I guess. So what is the chance this artefact belonged to Granddad?= Remote!! But never say never..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 26 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 26 December , 2005 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Posted 27 December , 2005 Share Posted 27 December , 2005 Hello Egbert, I've just read this thread for the first time and spent most of the morning doing that. It is the most rivetting thread that I've read on the internet. Thankyou for what you have done here. Many writers talk about their grandfather or great grandfathers in WW1 which makes me feel a bit odd. I am a generation closer as I was born late to the marriage, my father volunteered in 1914 and was with the British artillery at the Somme and Ypres but when your grandfather was killed in 1918 he was in Salonika. best wishes. Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johncowie Posted 27 December , 2005 Share Posted 27 December , 2005 ... Dear Egbert, whilst following your thread something was ringing a bell! Merville where your granddad was killed, I found it on the map and it is 20Km to east of Aire. I have a grandfather who also was also a Warrant Officer who was with the Royal Garrison Artillery (6inch guns I believe), the battery was some miles to the east of Aire and if you look on the map directly in line with Merville and I should think well within their range! My awful thought is, could it have been his guns that fired the shells that killed your Granddad! 6 weeks later, on the 28th June 1918 my grandfather was killed by shrapnel from a gas shell with I believe many others. Grand mother was left with 5 children aged 10 to 2 years of age to bring up, how she managed I just do not know! I wonder what the governments did to aid war widows? Grandmother would have loved to have had a trunk like yours I'm sure, but her husband personal effect were never returned all she had was an engraved name on a war memorial. best of luck ...John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 27 December , 2005 Share Posted 27 December , 2005 Egbert, The Luger - is that an un-chambred round lurking in the magazine guide? It might be live? Be careful.... Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 27 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 27 December , 2005 Marina, Cnock and Harry: thank you for your postings! Gives me a feeling that the thread is appreciated. Ian: the bullet exploded in the barrel, very unique, so don't be afraid when I ship it back to Europe under your brokerage (pals, only Ian undestands what I mean) John: within this thread I have shown the order of the battle somewhere. If you'd know the unit of your Grandfather, we could understand whether they supported 95 th Brigade; its always a possibility but stays speculative until we can pin down your Granddads unit. Do you know more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 27 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 27 December , 2005 Ian here is a pic with the bullet. I kindly requested Chris to restore the pics in the Luger restoration thread some 2-3 weeks ago, but unfortunately he does not respond to my emails or PMs. So maybe this pic explains the situation: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 27 December , 2005 Share Posted 27 December , 2005 (edited) Egbert - are you sure that bullet is 'dead'? Not that I know anything about ammunition, of course, but... Marina Edited 27 December , 2005 by marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnock Posted 27 December , 2005 Share Posted 27 December , 2005 Egbert, This is not so unique. I have seen several German pistols (P08, P08 long barrel, C96) dug out , that had an explosed cartridge case (not the bullet). Probably caused by dirt in the barrel, that stopped the bullet from leaving the barrel, and the gasses that could not escape via the barrel. Could also been caused by piece of shrapnel that hit the cartridge. Regards, Cnock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 27 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 27 December , 2005 I see you guys are interested in the cartridge stuff. i took some close ups in the beautiful Alabama sun: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 27 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 27 December , 2005 20.000 hits!!! Who the heck are the 20.000 views? Is it just the 2 handful of faithful, steady participants? Or is it mostly me alone double-and triple clicking to edit my postings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 27 December , 2005 Share Posted 27 December , 2005 It's me logging on 1,000 times per day! Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 27 December , 2005 Share Posted 27 December , 2005 20.000 hits!!! Who the heck are the 20.000 views? Is it just the 2 handful of faithful, steady participants? Or is it mostly me alone double-and triple clicking to edit my postings? Only if you are editing the thread 350 times a day Egbert!! Even if relatively few people post comments hundreds of people must have seen it by now and will have been moved by the story you have told. Do you have any plans for the contents of the trunk - the basis of a book perhaps? Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johncowie Posted 28 December , 2005 Share Posted 28 December , 2005 Marina, Cnock and Harry: thank you for your postings! Gives me a feeling that the thread is appreciated. Ian: the bullet exploded in the barrel, very unique, so don't be afraid when I ship it back to Europe under your brokerage (pals, only Ian undestands what I mean) John: within this thread I have shown the order of the battle somewhere. If you'd know the unit of your Grandfather, we could understand whether they supported 95 th Brigade; its always a possibility but stays speculative until we can pin down your Granddads unit. Do you know more? Dear Egbert, my grand father was part of the 99th Siege Battery RGA which by November 1918 was serving with the 49th (Howitzer) Brigade RGA, FiFth Army. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 28 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 28 December , 2005 John I understand. According to my order of the battle, depicted below, I am coming from another road. Were the units where your Granddad served, supporting 95th Brigade? British_Order_of_Battle_1st_May_1918.PPT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 28 December , 2005 Share Posted 28 December , 2005 Egbert, Thanks for the bullet clarification. I wonder that such a detonation would have not done the holder's hand much good? Good luck shipping it back home - I had a completely inert, fired, empty 7.62 cartridge case (which had anyway been a blank) that I used as a key-ring fob, confiscated at an airport. OK, it was in the early days after 9-11 and I did not stop to think about it, but I can imagine your munitions collection sending security into outer-space! Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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