This is the secret of Granddads trunk

[CGM]

When I saw a song had been written about the contents of Great Grandfather's box my initial reaction was - how could it possibly be done, and with a list too.

Well, I think it's been done in a very clever way, and I really enjoyed it! It left me humming...

Congratulations Jonathan.

[andalucia]

Thank You Egbert for sharing all this with us, It really brings it home what our ancestors went through. Fantastic items in the trunk and a very moving account of Gottfried's life.

It also gave me the chance to see the war from a German soldiers side and I thank you for that.

I have always had respect for all men from all sides who fought in the two world wars. Heads of state where to blame for heartache all over the world. The leaders of all sides where lunatics. But it is our men that we will remember. I found it very touching when you kept saying the one big army. It is nice to think they have formed frienships up above.

So many stories come out of WW1 of how the men had respect for each other. My grandfather John Owens was present at the Christmas truce of 1914. that itself is one of the most remarkable events of the last centuary.

I had a friend in school, his father was the son of a German POW who stayed here after the war ( surname Zilc ) I live in Liverpool and about 4 miles from where I live is a place called HUYTON. In WW2 they had a big POW camp there and lots of the Germans formed football teams and played againts local men. They where even allowed the odd night out to a local bar. After the war lots stayed here and married local girls.The famous goalkeeper Bert Trautman was there at one time.

Our men went through the same fear and emotions, they longed for home, their families longed for them. I am sure many would have liked to have just gone home. Sadly so many never did, our own relatives included. When i see the cemeteries it is so so sad. So many men with lives to live. far far too many of them lying in rest.

We can not change the past Egbert, but we can remember them and we will. They where all brave beautiful men each with a story to tell. I think you telling Gottfried's story has helped others understand what there own relatives felt, it certainly helped me.

To think our relatives once stood opposite each other fighting a horrible war, now we are chatting away and paying respect to them. I bet the big army above is smiling down on us.

Thanks again Egbert for sharing your wonderful story with us and thank you Gottfried.

Anthony

[Guest hmtmaj]

Egbert, may I add my thanks.

I'm exhausted reading from the very first post to here.

An absolutely fantastic thread. I applaud you for showing us all, the contents of your grandfathers trunk.

Martin.

[Neil Mackenzie]

After all these years this is still the best thread on the Forum - a truely moving story.

Neil

[Roger H]

Egbert

Can I just add my thanks to all those previously given. I can't believe that it has taken me 5 months to discover this thread!

Roger

[egbert]

Thank you all for your recent positive reactions!

[Guest Rundberg]

Thank you all for your recent positive reactions!

I´m new to this forum and has spent quite a few hours the last week reading on thing more astonishing than the other. And then I stumbled on this one.... I don´t know what to say, amazing? Astonishing?

I have been sitting for hours reading, absolutely great Egbert!!!

Thanks!!!!!!!

Chris

[Guest Bardybutts]

Myrtle is an evergreen shrub. There are several species/varieties.

It does flower but they are quite small, only the leaves are usually used in arrangements. Sometimes including the small black berries.

Can be grown as a hedge too if the fancy takes you.

zoo

In Welsh custom Myrtle is a symbol of love and traditionally used in weddings.

[Scotty65]

hi Egbert

in posts #154 #155 and #156 you have photos of the chain

could it be some type of lanyard like the one in the top photo on this site ?

http://www.cultmancollectables.com/militar...forms/index.htm

[egbert]

Scotty, the chain is part of a monocle or pince nez as shown in #833ff, its not a lanyard

[17107BM]

Egbert.

This really is an eye opener to a new recruit to the forum. This thread has at some points left me drained and with a lump in my throat, and why? I didn't expect a such a detailed and emotional thread following the life and family of a German Soldier.

It has indeed been a path to seeing both sides of this tragedy.

Many thanks. At point of joining the forum, i was adviced to do as much research as possible before visiting the Battle fields. As this would help make my visit more meaning full. I now know what that means!

In my visit in to the battle fields in 2010, Gottfrieds grave will not be forgotten.

[egbert]

In my visit in to the battle fields in 2010, Gottfrieds grave will not be forgotten.

That would be wonderful, and this would be the greatest reward for posting parts of Grandfather's secrets. You would nicely join some forum members from Flanders, France and the UK who laid already some flowers or just dropped a poppie.....

[Maximus]

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")

Yeh I remember it, it was called "Take your pick, the presenter was Michael Miles

Showing my age now

[SteveMarsdin]

Good evening Egbert,

I've been reading this thread a couple of pages at a time, at the end of each forum "session" for the past few weeks; I just finished it today......previous posters have more eloquently described the feelings it creates, I would simply add thank you, thank you for telling the story. In truth it is not a war story but a love story, the love your grandfather had for his wife and children, a love that was fully reciprocated: your grandmother never remarried and kept that marvellous trunk, your father made such an effort to find the original grave site and pay homage, his grandson painstakingly keeps his memory alive.

Thank you.

[Trevorthomas]

Thanks egbert. Great and Touching thread storyline. Thanks also to Steve and Max for 'bumping' it to my notice. Been a bit busy reading for a few hours. Gong to bed now, at last.

[Tony Ring]

This is a "great read".

Thank you for sharing !!!!!!

Tony

[egbert]

Also on behalf of Grandfather I am very grateful for the continuing interest and support in/of this thread. After some time of personal inactivity w/r to classic section, I observed the hits of this thread and was amazed that there were an average of 30-40 hits per day during the holidays. In the next couple of days this thread becomes a 100,000- visitor thread. Thank you all so much for making this the 2nd most succesful thread in the GWF.

[27thBN]

Well it has certainly been a terrific post a that was well worth the read

thanks MC

[mebu]

Egbert, I've only just seen this thread, seems like it has been going for some time.

Purely by chance I have been doing some work on the area, and was walking past the site of the piggeries shown on post 75 only 2 weeks ago. Could have taken a photo for you if I'd known.

I have a British trench map of this area if you want,

Regards Peter

[egbert]

Yes please post the British map Peter, hopefully some new insights for me.

[moggs]

I've just spent all morning discovering this thread. I've seen countless posts of people doing the same over the many years it's been continuing and being gobsmacked by what has been found. I don't need to add such words for anyone to realise the impact on myself.

I count myself as one of the lucky ones in that my Grandpa came home and lived a rewarding life. He died when I was 18 and rarely spoke about his experiences. He didn't leave any personal testaments either. I do have his identity disks which I treasure as having travelled with him throughout. I have an xray report from his wound and a few letters from others to him and his family.

What you have, Egbert, is something special even though we all know that you would give it up if your family could have spent real time with Gottfried. What you have offers support for a belief of mine about the afterlife - the only one we can rely on is what we leave behind. The effects, thoughts, colours and scents, memories - these are our footprints which we leave behind for the following generations. It's up to us and them to ensure they are not forgotten.

All humanity benefits from such honour as you have given to your Grandfather, Grandmother, Father, Mother and ultimately yourself. May we all have the grace to do the same.

Jonathan

[Morris]

Egbert

I only found this amazing thread today after returning to the Forum last week after a long absence.

Many thanks for revealing so much to so many.

An emotional time reading it all, but well worth it.

(Maybe that monocle/pincenez chain was someone else's kept as a memento, as given all the things found in the trunk it's odd that there was no monocle, or case for one in there too? Or perhaps he used it for something else other than it's original function. Or maybe he found it and and didn't know what it was himself and spent ages asking his comrades if they knew what it was. My father used to use a monocle that hung from a thread round his next and lived in his breast pocket when not in use.)

Alfred

[grizwalt]

Just stumbled across this....A riveting story that has kept me away from my family for over 3 hours.

You really do need to get this published

[egbert]

Thanks for the last three posters to keep the thread alive.

[David_Ellis]

What an amazing thread.

Thank you Egbert for posting your Grandfathers story.

Cheers

David.