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Messages - apwright

Pages: 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 7 ... 75
28
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Help translating a WW1 german note wrote in a British Army Prayerbook
« on: Friday 07 March 14 18:44 GMT (UK)  »
Hi Dermot!
I should get my eyes tested!
The date in the German note is actually 12 May, not 12 March! In that handwriting, März and Maÿ (archaic form of Mai) look very similar.
It hadn't clicked with me that he couldn't possibly be writing in March, since both you and CWGC say that Pte Murphy died on 11th April. And also that the place where he was found was still behind British lines in March, so how could the Germans bury him?!
He must have died during the Lys Offensive, and his body was discovered a month later...

Sorry for the confusion!!
Adrian

29
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Help translating a WW1 german note wrote in a British Army Prayerbook
« on: Friday 07 March 14 10:15 GMT (UK)  »
...
Saillaul. Ein gezimmertes
Kreuz mit dem Namen
Peter Murphy muß sich
da noch befinden.

[...on the main road from Estaires to...]
Saillaul [sic, probably means Sailly-sur-la-Lys]. A handmade wooden cross with the name Peter Murphy should still be there.

That would depend on when Sgt. Opiela wrote his note. Just a month after Pte Murphy was killed, the area was heavily fought over during the German Lys Offensive, so perhaps all trace of the grave was lost. But it might be worth contacting the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Adrian

30
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Help translating a WW1 german note wrote in a British Army Prayerbook
« on: Thursday 06 March 14 11:08 GMT (UK)  »
Stab
Inf.Rgt.23

??mstr.
Sgt.
Jos. Opiela
Beuthen Ob./Schl.
Wilhelmstrasse 8 ptr.

Abgenommen dem toten
Engländer am 12 März 1918
zwischen dem Dorf Doullieu
u. Neu. Berquin unweit
der kl. Stadt Estaires.
Daselbst auch begraben
in einem Gehöft angren-
zenden Garten, 5. Haus
vom Zollamt auf der
Hauptstraße Estaires-

==============

Staff
Infantry Regiment No.23 ["von Winterfeldt" (2nd Upper Silesian)]

[something] Sergeant
Josef Opiela
Beuthen, Upper Silesia
Wilhelmstrasse 8, ground floor

Taken from the dead Englishman on 12 March 1918 between the village of [Le] Doulieu and Neuf-Berquin not far from the small town of Estaires. Buried at that place in a garden adjoining the farmstead, 5th house from the customs office, on the main road from Estaires to ... [incomplete!]


Very interesting! I see from the CWGC site that Pte Peter Murphy is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, so his body was never identified, perhaps never even recovered! He could still be there, in someone's garden...

Adrian

31
Europe / Re: German Translation / Help with records
« on: Friday 28 February 14 13:47 GMT (UK)  »
ein Schreiner ?Hegell von Quettlingburg aus dem Preysischen wird angegeben zum Vatter eines unehlichen Kindes.

a cabinetmaker called ?Hegell from Quedlingburg in Prussia is said to be the father of an illegitimate child.

That's how I read it, though I'm not sure about the name...

Adrian

32
World War One / Re: help with dating and identification.
« on: Wednesday 19 February 14 16:47 GMT (UK)  »
Army Veterinary Corps!

Adrian

33
World War One / Re: Brother claiming brother - 1st WW
« on: Friday 14 February 14 23:27 GMT (UK)  »
Quote from: 'Trish' on Friday 14 February 14 19:04 GMT (UK)
I have a copy of Ernie's war diary, where he mentions a secret mission to blow up a bridge in monastir, however there are two, one in Yugoslavia & the other in Tunisia.
Of the two you're thinking of, only the Monastir in Yugoslavia (then Serbia, now FYROM) saw fighting in WW1. But the British army didn't fight there. That part of the line was held by French, Serbian, Italian, Russian and Greek troops - the Brits were always east of the Vardar river. However, there were a couple of smaller places in northern Greece near the British lines that were also called Monastir - or at least so labelled on the maps of the time... any place with a monastery, basically! If you could give us any other placenames mentioned, it might help to find the right area at least.

Adrian

34
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: 1823 German marriage record.
« on: Thursday 13 February 14 08:33 GMT (UK)  »
Copulirte im Jahr 1823
December 26
David Berlepsch, Kutscher dahier, weiland
Christoph Berlepsch Fuhrmannes allhier und
deßen noch lebenden Witwe Anna Marga-
retha, geb. ?Grebe, nachgelaßener ehel. Sohn
mit Margarethe Philippine weiland Wilhelm
Morell, Ackermannes zu Friedrichsdorf, und
deßen gleichfalls verstorbenen Ehefrau, Anna
?Christine geb. ?Fülling/Fälling nachgelaßenen ehel. Tochter.

So yes, Margarethe Philippine is daughter of Wilhelm and Anna ?Christine (both deceased by the time of the marriage).
The dates are indeed the birth/death dates of the couple, David 14.2.1797-5.2.1837, Margarethe P. ??.5.1796-1.12.1856.

Adrian

35
Armed Forces / Re: French Foreign Legion decorations
« on: Tuesday 11 February 14 17:41 GMT (UK)  »
Médaille Commémorative des Opérations de Sécurité et de Maintien de l'Ordre en Afrique Française du Nord
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Africa_Security_and_Order_Operations_Commemorative_Medal

Adrian

36
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Deciphering Old German Handwriting
« on: Tuesday 11 February 14 11:04 GMT (UK)  »
Breslau, den 14.4.40
Meine Lieben!
Ich bin gesund und hoffe Euch auch bei bester
Gesundheit. Was machst du, lieber Martin?
Julchen [=Julia] ist als Kinderfrau beschäftigt. Schreibt
mir auch einmal. Von Mutter aus ?Lerburg
bekome ich auch öffters Post. Wie ich Lotte schon
geschrieben habe, geht die Auswanderung nicht
so schnell wie ihr es so denkt, man muß
jetzt ein bischen Geduld haben. Daß Bild von
Lotte habe ich erhalten und sieht sie gut aus.
Ich habe an Euch meine lieben auch ein Bild
geschickt. Habt Ihr daßselbe erhalten? Nun seid
herzlich gegrüß von Eurer Euchl[iebenden] Mutter


And the postcard:
Meine Lieben!
Ich benütze die Gelegen-
heit, da ich zufällig hier
bei der Mutter bin, Euch
ein Lebenszeichen von
mir zu geben. Ich finde
die Mutter gesundheit-
lich befriedigend. Die
Ausreise wird mit allen
Mitteln bearbeitet, und
ist eine baldige Erledi-
gung zu hoffen.
Herzliche Grüße
?Onkel Emil

Adrian

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