Wartime photos (1 Viewer)

[AIXrUS]

I have perhaps an usual thread, but while I was scanning these today this is the first place I thought might have interest and expertise to discuss these photos.

So I have scrounged a few collections going back about 3 years now, off ebay mostly, and have 100's, probably 1000+ photos specifically from the 30's and 40's, with a focus on wartime or war related pics.

Again, I am finally getting around scanning them in and wanted to post some of the first batch here.

Eventually I might put together a more serious effort DVD collection and resell it for $10 or whatever so many collectors can enjoy.

This first batch is German, and since I don't read German anyone who wants to take a stab at some of the script feel free... none of the writing on these photos is mine, including some silly captions you will see...

So please feel free to give input on any of these, or if not just view for appreciation. If there is interest on this forum I will try and put out more in the near future.

Here is a link to the photos:

http://www.mypicx.com/01242009/mixedwm/

This is a temporary spot, please let me know if anyone has issues viewing.

I will attempt to describe (and ask questions) strating upper left and working across each row.

1) Staged German Propoganda Postcard. Back reads: "Fliegerkameraden der Achse" (Flyer comrades of the Axis)

2) Hitler Youth Buglers

3) Some Nazi Rally, any clue who the speaker is (probably just a low ranking party member)?

4) MG42 and 2 other troops

5) Can anyone read the back which goes with 4?

6) Flak88 and many troops posing. Now that's a gun.

7) Graveyard of 7 soldiers.

8) Backside of 7, I see SS written, can anyone translate?

9) Some artillery piece being moved by some older halftrack, anyone know details?

10) Hospital scene from somewhere... anyone want to make guesses on rank and uniforms?

11) Looks like a nice outdoor lunch.

12) Backside of 11, any stabs at translating?

13) Maching on conquest perhaps? But where?

14) Deploying onto pontoons. Any idea what model pontoons those are (might be a clue as to where it was photographed).

15) Looks like they are touching the Atlantic in Western France, what does that last sign say (no it was not photoshoped in, that is original, the color is just off).

 

[theBaron]

Interesting pictures...

The problem with the text isn't necessarily that it's in German, but that it's written in an old script called "Currentschrift" (which translates to "cursive writing"), which was no longer taught after the war.

The one caption reads, "Ablösung", which, in the military sense, means "relief", as in one guard party relieving another. But it appears to the reverse of the photo of troops cutting barbed wire (probably on exercise), so I'm not sure if it was meant ironically.

The other caption that I can make out reads, "SS Gräber, "SS graves", but if it's the reverse of the photo of the soldiers' graves, the helmets on the crosses look like they have the Wehrmacht shields on them, so again, it's a little puzzling. I can't make out the rest of the script, which gives the location, "bei Ladleyn" "at Ladleyn", it looks like, but not sure of the place name.

And the third inscription is too hard to read, to be able to say what it's saying, I think I make out "Freundschaft", friendship-but I'll have to dig out my old Duden orthography volume to decipher it.

Though it's not taught anymore, the current style of cursive writing the Germans use shows elements of the old style, which makes reading letters from German friends interesting sometimes.

Thanks for sharing the pics, prosit!
Brad

 

[Capitolron]

I think this thread should be moved to Misc. or Historical thread - where is the K&C reference ?

 

[redhugh]

Ebay has some fascinating photos on it at times that I haven't usually seen before. When I was doing my train station diorama I found loads of useful reference photo's just by searching ebay! They are also easy to download onto the computer

 

[AIXrUS]

Sorry, I should have put it in Historical to begin with, I bookmark directly to K&C, so posted there.

15) Looks like they are touching the Atlantic in Western France, what does that last sign say (no it was not photoshoped in, that is original, the color is just off).

On second look, the signpost would be somewhere on the Eastern Front, based on distances, and the fact the top sign is "squared off" must make it Sevestapol, Ukraine right?

Thanks for the input, please keep it coming!