World War I - Belgium? Restuarant? 1/8th Battalion (Leeds Rifles) PoW's Own.

[genealogistsykes]

I have this photograph, my great grandfather is one of the officer's marching, although I can't seem to find out which one. Anyway, I was wondering where it might have been taken? Maybe Belgium?

I can make out some writing on the building: "noomeyer restuarant"?

If anyone could help me distinguish where it was taken it would be greatly appreciated.

[genealogistsykes]

The same building. You can see the landscape, a church maybe, to the right of the photo and another building to the left. They are parading on a cobbled street, maybe a town square. Is that a bridge to the right? Maybe they're in Holland, Amsterdam?

[DaveKe]

Holland, Amsterdam,  is unlikely,   as Holland was a neutral country in WW1 and stayed right out of it.

If the photo was in Belgium,  then it was made either
(a)  at the very beginning of the war
(b)  at the very end of the war
or (c)  at Ypres.

The reason for this is,  for 95% of the duration of the war,  95% of Belgium ( all except Ypres ) was occupied by the Germans.

To help decide between (a),(b) or (c),  it is probably possible to find out when the battalion you mentioned,  was actually sent to the war.

They all look very well-dressed.   You should not automatically assume ( in the absence of more information ) that this photo might not be of a parade in Leeds or somewhere else,  before they even left Britain.

[DaveKe]

You can also see lots of people looking out of the office windows.  To me,  that has the vibe of being a "off to the war",  or a "back from the war" parade,   not a parade in the actual war zone.

[mmm45]

http://www.nzembassy.com/france/relationship-between-new-zealand-and-france/new-zealand-and-france/war-commemorations/le-ques

62nd Div Le Quesnoy Nov 1918?

Ady

[Old Bristolian]

The building on the right looks like a large railway station. Could it be Paris after the war ended. Possibly even GErmany at the start of the occupation 1918-9, but I'm not sure there would have been so many spectators for that

Steve

[genealogistsykes]

1/8th Battalion arrived at Boulogne, France on the 15th of April 1915 with the rest of the 49th Division.

I never realised that there were people in the windows, that's brilliant.

[genealogistsykes]

The photo that I have attached states that my great grandfather was a Captain at the time. Therefore seeing as he was promoted to Captain in 1908 and landed at France in 1915 still retaining the rank of Captain, I believe that this photograph was an "off to war" parade. I have another photograph that I am going to attach shortly.

[mmm45]

Just been looking at some footage of Cologne post war and there was a neumeyer restaurant there in 1919 ...8th Batt WYR were in army of occupation with 62nd Div so thats another possibility.

Ady