German postcard depicting what regiment?

[Cnock]

S.B. means 'Soldaten Brief'.

Regards,

Cnock

[egbert]

S.B. means 'Soldaten Brief'.

Regards,

Cnock

...and what does E.B. mean please?

[egbert]

Ha success!!!!!!!!!!!!

The profession is "Molkereigehilfe" = dairy- helper/helpmate/subworker

[egbert]

Success? =VICTORY!!!!!:

An Molkereigehilfen

Walter Schulz

in Bergerow

bei Demmin

/ N. Brandenburg

Lieber Walter hier schicke ich Dir eine Nachricht. Hoffentlich findet ihr mich zwischen draus. Dein Poststück erhalten und besten Dank . Sonst bin ich noch immer gesund. Nun seit hiermit begrüßt ???von Frau ...Teitun??????

So whats on the reverse side of the postcard? Must be a group picture and he is one of the guys?

P.S. Took me 3 days and now i got to eat and drink something finally

Ups sorry, you posted the group picture already. He is one of the soldiers.......he says...

Edited 12 December , 2005 by egbert

[GrandsonMichael]

I'm shocked.

Here I am pouring over the unreadable for hours on end and this Egbert guy just walks off to breakfast, lunch & dinner, perhaps all three even, without having the decency of finishing the job!

What is the translation of the rectangular stamp?????

Egbert, you're absolutely brilliant. I mean, like, far out man...you see things....amazing.

Why on earth didn't I see that it is a k in Molkereigehilfen for instance? The mind boggles.

Now all we have to figure out is when our Walter was taken prisoner, how he came to possess his own postcard which the Prussian bureaucrat kindly let through and why he gave it to a Canadian soldier.

Piece of cake if you ask me, just wait until Egbert has wined & dined and is rearing to go once more...

Cheers,

Michael

[bob lembke]

Michael,

Just a thought. After the war my father seemed to go about to perhaps half a dozen people, family and friends, and took letters and post cards that he sent from the front back and put them all together in a collection. (Then I rediscovered them about 4-5 years ago, so I taught myself German and Suetterlin.) A bit weird, but now I have them in hand. One was a very tender letter to a young woman consoling her for the loss of her brother in combat, and offering to escort her to her brother's grave. Great letter, but I would feel weird asking for it back, especially as it gave detailed directions to the grave, train stations, etc.

I have to say, and will probably sound like the Christmas Grinch saying it, but I for one am happy to have helped figure this out, but there are really great materials out there begging for translation. I was offered, by Thomas Faust ("urfaust"), a great e-Bay dealer, a collection of ca. 600 letters between a German officer and his wife. He was an architect, was drafted, and was commissioned a Pionier=Offizier from the ranks. Good handwriting, if I remember. I think that there probably is a book in that set of letters, and you would know after reading five or six of them.

You can probably buy well-written post-cards, but with poor photos, from dealers for $1-2, perhaps less for a bulk lot. A way to recapture history.

Bob Lembke

[Jack Sheldon]

Egbert

Very well done on making such progress. You must have scanning microscopes for eyes; I gave myself a headache staring at the thing! A couple of thoughts.

1. I have never seen a postcard unsigned by the sender, so I still think the very last word is his name. It does not have to be Herbert, but it is probably about that length.

2. I wonder if the sender was as good at the present subjunctive as your reading implies? If he really did write 'seiet hiermit begruesst', which to me has a slightly Wagnerian tone to it, then the implication is that he was sending greetings to at least two individuals with whom he was on familar terms. Can we stretch the reading of the final words to accommodate this? If not let's get really Wagnerian. Elisabeth's aria of greeting in Act 2 of Tannhaeuser 'Dich teure Halle...' ends, 'Sei mir gegruesst!' Can we make any more progress with that thought?

What does anyone else think about it?

Jack

[GrandsonMichael]

Could he be greeting his friend’s wife?

.....am Frau

Cheers,

Michael

[the german]

What does anyone else think about it?

Hello,

The text says:

An Molkereigehülfe Walter Schulz in Beggerow bei Demmin in Pommern

Lieber Walter hier schicke ich dir eine Karte. Hoffentlich findet ihr mich zwischen raus. Dein Paket erhalten und besten Dank! Sonst bin ich noch immer gesund. Nun seit vielmals gegrüßt von Euerm [or Eurem] Vater.

In my opinion the picture shows a Kompanie of one of the Reserve Infanterie Regimenter from 45. Reserve Division. In the regimental history of R.I.R. 212 for example, you find similar photos.

Hinrich

[GrandsonMichael]

Hinrich,

Thank you very much. Amazing how close one can be to a correct transcription only to find out that a few words can make quite a difference. I confess that your version somehow makes a lot of sense, but for the life of me I can’t read Vater at all.

Back to school and new reading glasses are definitely indicated…

How would you translate the second sentence exactly? Hopefully you’ll find that I’m out of here in the meantime (meaning before the card arrives)…or something similar?

Cheers,

Michael

[egbert]

How would you translate the second sentence exactly? Michael

Hoffentlich findet ihr mich zwischen raus = hope you find me in between (he actually means: hope you will find me amongst all these guys ((the guys on the picture, reverse side)))

[GrandsonMichael]

Danke Egbert,

Ich bin ein Dumkopf. Warum ist Deutsch so schwierig für mich. Vielleicht weil viele Wörter gleich aussehen oder die Klanken gleich sind wie in/im Hollandisch, aber eine ganz andere Deutung haben?

Phew, that’s without the aid of a dictionary...

I swear I used to be able to read it quite well and I actually understood what I read.

I’ll send a report to my friend, who has been following this transcription saga with enjoyment, and add a translation as well.

At least we have spent some time on the past of a soldier – an individual, who like millions of others went through the hell of the First World War. I hope he survived.

Cheers,

Michael

[the german]

but for the life of me I can’t read Vater at all.

Hello Michael,

so, are you able to you see, what I see ?

Hinrich

[GrandsonMichael]

I see... clear as a bell, keep spectacles & forget about school!

Wie, wie, wie....how the heck did you do that? You must have:

1. A very good photo manipulation program or

2. You are very good at this or

3. Both of the above...

Thanks once more Hinrich.

Cheers,

Michael

[Paul Hederer]

Danke Egbert,

Ich bin ein Dumkopf. Warum ist Deutsch so schwierig für mich. Vielleicht weil viele Wörter gleich aussehen oder die Klanken gleich sind wie in/im Hollandisch, aber eine ganz andere Deutung haben?

Phew, that’s without the aid of a dictionary...

I swear I used to be able to read it quite well and I actually understood what I read.

I’ll send a report to my friend, who has been following this transcription saga with enjoyment, and add a translation as well.

At least we have spent some time on the past of a soldier – an individual, who like millions of others went through the hell of the First World War. I hope he survived.

Cheers,

Michael

Michael,

Don't beat yourself up. Is it the German, or the handwriting? My wife is German and she can't make heads-or-tails of Suetterlin. I doubt if her German is the problem .

We have four diaries her father left from WWII, all written in Suetterlin. The German is easy, reading his writing, well, er very difficult. I have a friend who learned Suetterlin in School, and he can read the diaries as if they were typed.

It's an aquired skill, and takes some study. Here is a good link:

Learn Suetterlin

Paul

[Jack Sheldon]

First of all congratulations and many thanks to Hinrich for putting us all out of our misery on this. Reading this old script is a great skill and quite rare nowadays, so all the better to have someone on site who is an expert!

This has been a most interesting and enjoyable thread. We all know what the standard to aim at is, so it's just amatter of practice - now where's that card I was looking at last week?

Jack

[Malte Znaniecki]

Found this:

Res.Inf.Regt.210: „Das RIR 210 wurde vom FüsReg 34 in Stettin auf dem Truppenübungsplatz Kreckow aufgestellt. Hier lesen wir recht genau, wie die Bataillone zusammengesetzt waren: I. Reservisten und Landwehrleute aus Westfalen, dazu Stettiner Kriegsfreiwillige (wieviel ?). Lücken füllten Ersatzreservisten. II. Zwei starke Kompagnien aus Gnesen vom InfReg 49, meist Posener, wenige Westfalen, dazu Freiwillige aus Gnesen und Umgebung. III. Mannschaften vom Ersatz des InfReg 140 und des Rekrutendepots aus Hohensalza sowie Kriegsfreiwillige (wieviel ?). Die Reservisten waren meist Pommern aus dem Bezirk Stettin, auch Mecklenburger waren vertreten. Zwar werden die Kriegsfreiwilligen angesprochen, von Studenten hören wir jedoch wieder nichts! Dafür schreibt der Verfasser aber, daß im Laufe der Ausbildung versucht wurde, eine "gleichmäßige Verteilung" der gedienten und ungedienten Mannschaften vorzunehmen. In jeder Kompagnie sollten 2/3 Reservisten und 1/3 Rekruten untergebracht werden. Wenn wir das für das Regiment übernehmen, so hatte dieses den großen Vorteil, doch mehr als Hälfte an Leuten zu besitzen, die schon Wehrdienst geleistet hatten. Das dies so war, geht auch aus einigen Bemerkungen des Autors hervor. Ebenfalls erwähnt dieser, daß Ausrüstungsgegenstände fehlten, so z.B. Schanzzeug. Auch waren immer noch nicht genug Gewehre vorhanden, als das Regiment am 10.September mobil wurde. Von Bedeutung ist noch die Bemerkung, daß der Mangel an erfahrenen und geübten Unterführern ein großes Hindernis für die Ausbildung war.“

Source:

http://www.deutsche-kriegsgeschichte.de/manhst14.html

[GrandsonMichael]

Don't beat yourself up.

Thanks Paul. The beating was actually for not being able to translate a sentence after it was transcribed by all of you.....The website you provided about Suetterlin is an eye opener by the way, thanks for that as well. No wonder it can’t be read (well, except by a hand full experts…), actually I think my problem was primarily the combination of not being familiar with Suetterlin and the faded blue pencil. Boosting the scan like Hinrich did is an important step towards trying to read the text. (With loads of help ).

Malte,

Thanks for the background information on das RIR 210. This is very interesting indeed as there is now a clear link to Pommern and via Stettin to Demnin. (Walter’s Dad could have lived in either of these two places, or near them, I suppose). And the 45th Reserve Regiment. Great.

The source you quoted from is most interesting as well. Worth studying carefully together with the two websites of Hinrich.

Cheers, Michael

[Malte Znaniecki]

Malte,

Thanks for the background information on das RIR 210. This is very interesting indeed as there is now a clear link to Pommern and via Stettin to Demnin. (Walter’s Dad could have lived in either of these two places, or near them, I suppose). And the 45th Reserve Regiment. Great.

The source you quoted from is most interesting as well. Worth studying carefully together with the two websites of Hinrich.

Cheers, Michael

Michael,

It is the Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment No 210 from 45th Reserve-Division. Be sure !

Malte

[GrandsonMichael]

It is the Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment No 210 from 45th Reserve-Division. Be sure !

Malte

As was clearly pointed out at the beginning of this thread and is stamped on the postcard! A silly typo, thanks for the correction Malte. One must get the facts right, essential & basic.

Cheers, Michael

[Malte Znaniecki]

As was clearly pointed out at the beginning of this thread and is stamped on the postcard! A silly typo, thanks for the correction Malte. One must get the facts right, essential & basic.

Cheers, Michael

Sorry Michael, it wasn't meant to be a correction (not mainly ), I just tried (mainly) to express that we have found the Regiment. And furthermore I suppose (after a night of scriptologic work) that the unit stamp says: Mg.K. Res. Inf. Regt. 210, means Machinegun-Coy of Res.Inf.Regt. 210.

Malte

[GrandsonMichael]

Mg.K. Res. Inf. Regt. 210, means Machinegun-Coy of Res.Inf.Regt. 210.

Exactly! Clear as a bell......

Sorry I messed up your beauty sleep Malte, but it was worth it, well, I certainly think so, thanks.

I actually found another reference to the 45th Reserve-Division via google and a reference to the 210 Res. Inf. Regt as well. It's a start.

Cheers,

Michael