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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: heleno4 on Tuesday 10 January 17 00:11 GMT (UK)
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My Dad was in the RAF during the second world war. He has a number of photos of friends with messages written on the back. One photo has all of the writing crossed out and I wanted to work out what the message said. The following is my interpretation of the words that I can make out:
‘Mons <Limbaugh?>, <knowing> in his life, and <since > he lives with <back?> <once>, let him <be?>, knowing that he <lost...tool> it to the greatest cause of all – the liberation of mankind (Lenin?)
< ....> <January? Or Journey?>
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Mans dearest possession(?) is his
life; and since he lives
it but once, let him
die knowing that he
dedicated it to the
greatest cause of all –
the liberation of mankind
(Lenin)
Comrade(?) Young(?)
(I'm very uncertain about the name at the end)
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Here's what I thought:
Mans ? service is his
life and since he lives
it but once, let him
die, knowing that he
dedicated it to the
greatest cause of all
the liberation of mankind (Lenin)
? Young
....wasn't sure of the last name but wondered if it was Arnold.
sami
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Seems like a revised form of this:
“Man's dearest possession is life. It is given to him but once, and he must live it so as to feel no torturing regrets for wasted years, never know the burning shame of a mean and petty past; so live that, dying, he might say: all my life, all my strength were given to the finest cause in all the world──the fight for the Liberation of Mankind”
Nikolai Ostrovsky
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Ostrovsky
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I'm more interested in why it's been crossed out ::)
Annie
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I'm more interested in why it's been crossed out
Probably, once he got home from the war he decided he didn't like the tone of the words expressed so just crossed them out, whilst retaining the photograph of former friends.
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I'm more interested in why it's been crossed out ::)
Annie
I wondered the same thing - censorship perhaps?
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"mans dearest possesion is his life and since he lives it but once let him die knowing that he dedicated it to the greatest cause of all the liberation of mankind - lenin comrade young/jenning"
The quote is easy as its a translation of a well known one, but the name is difficult. Who was your dad? What unit, theatre did he serve in? What's on the front of the picture?
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"The quote is easy as its a translation of a well known one, but the name is difficult. Who was your dad? What unit, theatre did he serve in? What's on the front of the picture?
My father is Al O'Toole - he joined the RAF in 1942 and was a gunner. He trained in Sinai desert, then had overseas postings to Egypt, North Africa and Bombay, India. The photo is of a young man in civilian clothes in a garden or park. Based on his complexion he does not appear to be Anglo. I am thinking that the first his name may be 'Armand' and the second name is not likely to be Young.
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Hi Helen.
Very interesting post.
I agree with others - mans dearest possession is his life and since he lives it but once let him die knowing that he dedicated it to the greatest cause of all the liberation of mankind (Lenin).
I think it is signed Comrade Young.
Could be an "in joke" perhaps??
Looby
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Just wondering - was the message your Dad's handwriting?
sami
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I too think it is signed "Comrade" but think the following word is too long to be Young...I think the first letter could be an F and ends with G which is formed similarly to the G in knowing.
Carol
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Just wondering - was the message your Dad's handwriting?
sami
the writing is not Dad's. when I asked him he couldn't remember the friend from the picture (he's 91) or what the message on the reverse was. Deciphering it may help him remember, so will show him all these posts!
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I too think it is signed "Comrade" but think the following word is too long to be Young...I think the first letter could be an F and ends with G which is formed similarly to the G in knowing.
Carol
'Comrade' is really interesting and fits with the Actual quote. Working out the following word is harder. I thought the first letter could be a 'J', but will try working out a name 'G......ing'
Thank you!