barrieduncan Posted 10 September , 2006 Share Posted 10 September , 2006 Thought this postcard looked fairly unusual, so I bought it. On the back, in pencil, is written 'English prisoner of war in Germany, from Stan'. Now I take it that the man being buried was the prisoner of war in question, but I'm wondering if it was perhaps someone of special significance - it looks to be quite a ceremony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMcNay Posted 11 September , 2006 Share Posted 11 September , 2006 Looks like there's German officers, a couple of Scots, and I think I see a Frenchman as well. Is that an American officer as well? David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt_Hazell_Great_Grandson Posted 11 September , 2006 Share Posted 11 September , 2006 Senior officer or maybe a VC holder ? Roland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrieduncan Posted 11 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 11 September , 2006 David, as you pointed out, one of the Scottish chaps (Black Watch or 9th HLI, can't really be sure) seems to be wearing an Observers badge. The officer next to him (the American?) is also wearing a set of pilots wings. Another forum pal has suggested to me that this may well be the funeral of Albert Ball VC, I'm happy to agree with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMcNay Posted 11 September , 2006 Share Posted 11 September , 2006 Why aren't you working? (I can talk...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 11 September , 2006 Share Posted 11 September , 2006 This pic and another from a slightly different angle here: http://www.albertball.homestead.com/Death.html It seems that these are 'believed to be' photos of Ball's funeral. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 11 September , 2006 Share Posted 11 September , 2006 Interesting that the Australian chap to the left of the pictures is wearing a cape on one shot but a greatcoat on the other. Bit like a continuity error ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alliekiwi Posted 11 September , 2006 Share Posted 11 September , 2006 If that's an Australian, hasn't he got the wrong side of his hat turned up? Or did they just pick a random side to put up? (I thought they all put up the same side). Allie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 11 September , 2006 Share Posted 11 September , 2006 If that's an Australian, hasn't he got the wrong side of his hat turned up? Or did they just pick a random side to put up? (I thought they all put up the same side). Allie The photo could be reversed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alliekiwi Posted 11 September , 2006 Share Posted 11 September , 2006 But what about the medal ribbons people are wearing. Then those would be on the wrong side. Allie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walrus Posted 11 September , 2006 Share Posted 11 September , 2006 I think you'll find it's the German chaplain. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrieduncan Posted 11 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 11 September , 2006 If you look at the extreme right edge of the 1st pic on the website, you can just about see the edge of another persons robe/coat, could be the chap we see in the postcard I posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 11 September , 2006 Share Posted 11 September , 2006 But what about the medal ribbons people are wearing. Then those would be on the wrong side. Allie I wouldnt who would spot that first Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 11 September , 2006 Share Posted 11 September , 2006 The man with his back to the camera, wearing the clipped-up hat, in Barrie's original pic, is face-on to the camera, just behind the priest's robe in the first pic on the website. Von Lettow-Vorbeck wore a hat like that in his East African campaign - with the right side clipped up. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alliekiwi Posted 11 September , 2006 Share Posted 11 September , 2006 Ah, good to know. I knew that it wasn't just the Australians who did that with their hats (having seen numerous pictures of New Zealanders with the same), plus other allied nationalities. But I didn't realise some Germans did it. Allie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 11 September , 2006 Share Posted 11 September , 2006 Just wondering why, if this is the funeral of a British fighter ace, there are apparently no German aviators present? Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 12 September , 2006 Share Posted 12 September , 2006 I was always under the impression that the lifted brim to one side of the hat was based on sloping arms in rifle drill and that this was the historical tradition for the Australian titfer. Can anyone confirm this as being correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alliekiwi Posted 12 September , 2006 Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Well, whether or not that is correct (although I've heard that, too), what is correct is that it wasn't only the Australians who did that with their hats. There's a history of the Australian slouch hat here Allie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrieduncan Posted 13 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 13 September , 2006 Just wondering why, if this is the funeral of a British fighter ace, there are apparently no German aviators present? Mick I'm not quite sure Mick. As far as I am aware, he died in a mid-air collision and wasn't shot down - perhaps they crashed somewhere where there weren't many German pilots? Can you tell I have no idea what I'm talking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gykerthing Posted 17 March , 2010 Share Posted 17 March , 2010 I have a similar photograph, but not, I think the same funeral. Can your experts come up with more information for me? My grandfather is the 5th adult from the left. He was a POW in Germany and Holland and was in the DLI. ADMIN EDIT - Over use of quotes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heid the Ba Posted 17 March , 2010 Share Posted 17 March , 2010 gykerthing, I can't see any Germans in your photo and the non-British look like Dutch so I would suggest the Netherlands. Technically your grandfather was interned in Netherlands rather than a PoW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
west coast Posted 17 March , 2010 Share Posted 17 March , 2010 Well, whether or not that is correct (although I've heard that, too), what is correct is that it wasn't only the Australians who did that with their hats. There's a history of the Australian slouch hat here Allie allie, maybe you are aware of it, the irish guards wore slouch hats [ right side turned up] in pre ww1 years. mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gykerthing Posted 17 March , 2010 Share Posted 17 March , 2010 gykerthing, I can't see any Germans in your photo and the non-British look like Dutch so I would suggest the Netherlands. Technically your grandfather was interned in Netherlands rather than a PoW. Thanks - I've been putting together the story, but there's very little info. I think he was captured at the Aisne Heights in September 1914, but don't know where he was in Germany, though some of his fellow DLI prisoners were at Friedrichsfeld. I know he was in The Hague in 1918 - plenty of photos. I noticed that the gravestone in the photo is a different shape - I assume it was years before they were standardised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heid the Ba Posted 18 March , 2010 Share Posted 18 March , 2010 It might be worth a post on the POW sub-forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Johnson Posted 5 April , 2010 Share Posted 5 April , 2010 I have several photographs taken of this. It is almost certainly Cologne South Western Cemetery (the photographer was from Cologne) and would be of a PoW (officer) who died there. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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