GreyC

Hi walfisch, glad the info is helpful. As far as the Ehrenrangliste is concerned, Irminbert is listed as Hauptmann a.D. in 1926, yet there is another vB. listed as Hptm. still active in the Reichswehr who seems to have served in IR 178. I am fairly certain that this was not Irminbert but some relative. GreyC

He was born in Bern, according to the National German Biography. GreyC

Hi arb, this seems to be him, although walfisch has him as FERDINAND Irminbert. Irminbert was severely wounded while with Schützenregiment / FR 108 (Schützenregiment=Füsilierregiment) as stated in the Verlustliste of 7th Oct. 1914 (left arm). So it makes sense that he then applied for the air-service after convalecence as he was probably no longer fit for the trenches. GreyC

Yup, The Ehrenrangliste lists three v. Biedermann´s at the start of the war as members of FR 108 (Saxon): Frh. v. Biedermann (Irminbert) Hptm. a.D. 1926 Frh. v. Biedermann (Kerfrid) Hptm. a.D. 1926 Frh. v. Biedermann (Lothar) OL. a.D. 1926 there was also a Hptm. v. B. listed at IR 178 Frh. v. Biedermann Hptm. who served with 10. IR. during the Weimar Republic, at least in 1926. You might find more infos on "your" guy in: Erich Blohm, Ernst Vogel, Gottfried Saupe: Das Kgl. Sächs. Schützen-Regiment „Prinz Georg“ Nr. 108. (Dresden 1926. Band 31 des sächs. Anteils der Erinnerungsblätter). GreyC

He might be of Saxon origin, as many of his familiy members left traces in Saxon archives. http://archiv.sachsen.de/archiv/bestand.jsp?oid=02.03.08.01&bestandid=11248&syg_id=245554 GreyC

Hi Morten, this Flottillen-Name is synonymous with the 2nd U-Flottile. See here: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/2._U-Flottille GreyC

Hi, here is a Überweisungsnationale of a member of Sturmbataillon 8. https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/berliner/catalogue-id-bahg10000/lot-44a679d2-654a-4aa3-a36c-a49d016c8095 GreyC PS: Überweisungsnationale is something like a copy of the Wehrpaß for the Bezirkskommando that the soldier was registered at after his service.

I second Hindenburg! GreyC

Hi, the Ehrenrangliste lists both officers as serving in the RFK throughout the war, both starting as Leutnant in 1914. Barchewitz listed as Hptm at end of war. Contrary to your statement, Kaehne is listed as Major a.D., if Kaehne ended the war as you stated as Hauptmann, he must have been listed in early Reichswehr Ranglisten which I do not own as the Ehrenrangliste was published in 1926. GreyC

Please keep posting, dear Peter! As we do not yet know why this photo was taken the altitude in which it was taken is not really telling without context. It is just a piece of the puzzle. GreyC

Also a very nice bar! GreyC

Hi, this is more of a supplement than really new stuff, but I thought I post it anyways: In the late evening hours of 9th June 1944 the 2nd and 4th Schnellbootflottille attacked enemy ships in the northern and middle section of the Seine-Bay. S-188, S 172 and S-187 of the 4th Flottille sunk a ship each. This was considered the most prominent success of the S-Boote during the allied invasion. p. 180pp; Schnellboote im Einsatz 1939-1945 by Volkmar Kühn, Stuttgart 1976 And: S-188 severely damaged by air raid on 3 o´clock 15th June 1944 in Le Havre, broken up 20th August 1944 according to Gröner, vol. 2 p. 159.

Thank you Andreas! GreyC

Hi Fernando, Seeberufsfachschulen (SBFs) were successor-institutions of the Unteroffizierfachschulen that were founded in 1941 for all service brnches in the German Wehrmacht and discontinued already in 1942. However the Kriegsmarine reorganized them into SBFs. One of the at least 12 in existence was in Essen (Ruhr). Just found out that the personnel might have been under the supervision of the Reichsministerium für Wissenschaft, Erziehung und Volksbildung, a civilian ministry for education. They at least kept personnel files in their department. GreyC

Hello Peter, thanks for your interesting thoughts. There were quite a few demonstration trenches in German cities. I know of some in Hamburg, Brauschweig, Hannover and Berlin, but they were by far not as large as the one pictured. Training facility could be, but why train in trenches that would not match the real deal at the front? Just meant as food for thought, not as criticism. To draw a preliminary conclusion: I think what has been ascertained is that it is a french aerial photo. Still open to be answered what army built these trenches, where they were and to what purpose they were built. I still like the idea of strong points by spasm, but wouldn´t rule out training facility. Prussian´s hint at the height from which the photo was taken (3000m) should also be taken into consideration. Thank you all up to here, GreyC

So the photo is post August 1940. There seems to be text on the wreath bow. Illegible? GreyC

Here, for comparison, a classically annotated German aerial photo by the sFAA278: GreyC

Shermans=Americans? GreyC

Hi Larry, can you read what´s on the cap tally ? It looks as though it´s not yet "Kriegsmarine" which would date the photo to before Sept. 5th 1939 and give infos with regard to the unit. On the other hand: There seem to be two sailors with Minensucherabzeichen which was awarded since 31th August 1940. So maybe the soldiers still wear their Minensuchboot-Halbflottile (or similar) cap tally (which in my opinion should have been replaced from 5th Sept. 1939 on). GreyC

Hi Patrick, glad I could help. GreyC

Thank you spasm, your contributions are very helpful for me. GreyC

Hello Spasm, interesting designs. Thank you for sharing these. Te semi-circle designs resemble the ones on the photo somewhat, indeed. Should the trenches depicted on the aerial photo serve the same purpose i.e. strong points for defence, do you think it could be the Somme region (29th July 1916) ? After all the British went out to attack from 1st July. Or is this some place else? GreyC

Hello Coldstream, thank you for your thoughts which seem plausible. However I do think that the photo was not taken by the Germans. Which does not rule out that the British or French might well have taken photos of their own lines. The Germans did so anyway. To substantiate my theory here a few observations: To specify the differences between German and Allied inscriptions/notations (what´s the right word?) on aerial photographs here are the main differences: German dates were written with dots inbetween as in: 29.7.16. Never with "-" The time (?) 17H is not German. The time was written in the 12 hour format plus V[ormittags] to indicate a.m. or N[achmittags]=p.m.. The square format was only used by very few German army field flying units and was more often used by German Naval Squadrons (which can be counted out here, I think). A good source for infos concerning German aerial photography are the books by Helmut Jäger, a former recon expert of the Bundeswehr. GreyC

Hi, a Friedrich Wilhelm Voss / Voß of the Kyffhäuser Kameradschaft Kosel celebrated his 92nd birthday in November 2016. GreyC

...so it´s between 1908 and 1912 if source quoted is correct. The medals he won for his craft seen on the reverse could be helpful, too. They should be dated so that you´d get a "not before" date. GreyC