robert39 Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Hello,I am presently doing a research on a KC winner grouping .This postcard was received by the Officer while on the Western front ,I think that it was sent by his wife .But since the text is not German , I would appreciate the help from a member who is familiar with the writing.I thank you for your help.__________Robert[attachmentid=63686] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Darrell Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Robert,I'm pretty sure it IS German. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert39 Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 Robert,I'm pretty sure it IS German.Darrell,It could be, but I have shown it to a couple of people at work ( with some German background) and they say it is not!!!___________Regards, Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Darrell Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Darrell,It could be, but I have shown it to a couple of people at work ( with some German background) and they say it is not!!!___________Regards, RobertI write notes to my wife in English and it looks like this ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert39 Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 I write notes to my wife in English and it looks like this ! Must look like this note(from the same KC grouping). I am also very curious about what it says , the family kept it for over 60 years!!!___________Robert[attachmentid=63691] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rick Research Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 All of the card is perfectly legible Sutterlin (how soon they forget) with the possible exception of the NAME, since what I am reading-- quite clearly-- is a name of somebody who did NOT win a Knight's Cross.Addressed:FeldpostOberleutnant u. KompaniechefKoepmannFeldpostnr. 19764 E2. Komp.Message:Mein getreuer Vater!Dass wir Nachricht von dir haben,freut uns sehr. Wir m?chtendas all Soldaten und duVati aus dem Feld wieder-kommst.Viele Gr?ssedeine getreune Kinderund FrauSo either written BY the child to Daddy, or by Mommy in the style of small child, spelling errors and all. I'd guess actually written by the child from the handwriting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rick Research Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 The second is quite jumbled, because it was written as his last ever message-- either dying or in expectation of dying. At first glance it is more difficult for me to read, one-eyed and tired, but this is what I can make out--Herzliebste ElternAuch ich muss sterben dieschriften ... diese sind meineletzten Gr?sse. Seh nicht............................Ewig............. ich Euch f?ralle das Gut.......ich ...hoch empfangen. ...............nicht auf wiedersehendu droben. EuerHermann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert39 Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 Rick,Once again you have been very helpfull.The postcard is addressed to (Erwin) Koopmann. And I must say that your second post sent shivers up my spine.Here is the front of the postcard , It shows Tajana, Ingeborg and....Hermann. The postcard must have been from Ingeborg and the note from the young boy ( later in his life), I do not know when he died.Thank you , Robert[attachmentid=63697] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Murphy Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Major Erwin Koopmann of Panzergrenadier Rgt. 76 / 20th Panzergrenadier Div. was awarded the RK on 11-28-1943. One source I have found mentions he died in 1943, so it must have been shortly after he was awarded it. It is hard to say where he won it, the division was moved around quite a bit at this time. In August they were in the Orel area, September was Briansk and Oct. /Nov. they were in the Dnieper area.Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert39 Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 (edited) Dan, Thank you for your reply.The KC was won in the Dnieper bend (october), his division later moved north of Kiev and faced the Russians on the 11.3.43 at Lyutezh .After some very furious fights ,the German division was pushed back towards Fastov .Major Koopmann was killed in action on november 10 (south-east of zhitomir ).Robert Edited December 5, 2006 by robert39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert39 Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 Rick,This plate is found on the inside cover of a wooden black box, It is kind of a "memorial" to Herm Koopmann (Erwin's older brother).I think it says ;wounded november 11,1914 and died nov. 18 in Houthulst (Flandern)If "HERM" stands as a short for Hermann , it would mean that the dying son's note to his parents is from him ....______________Robert[attachmentid=63745] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rick Research Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 OK, the name on the dying note must be "Erwin" then, not Hermann. It's all jiggly and the scan has sliced off the first bit of the name, so I was guessing.This handwriting was abandoned after the war, and older people had to re-learn penmanship in the modern style--often resulting in an odd mixture of styles. That note was NOT written recently.It reminds me of the last note we had from my great-uncle Walter, written in pencil on the dome of his helmet. Koopmann must have been LITERALLY dying of wounds as he wrote it. I thought perhaps it was a "last mail out of Stalingrad" note and the obvious tstress in the writing was due to that certain hopeless knowledge. But somebody must have held the paper for him to scrawl this out as he was dying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert39 Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 Rick,I think that if the note was written to his parents , then it would have to be from Herm Koopman during ww1,(Erwin was 43 years old when he died and they were gone at the time...)On this photo Herm is wearing the Marburg university Corpsstudenten Hasso-Nassovia uniform, the "memorial " was perhaps presented to the family by the Corps.(" Herm "would be a nickname given by the fellow students).But I am just guessing right now. _____________Robert[attachmentid=63749] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert39 Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 Rick,This plate is found on the inside cover of a wooden black box, It is kind of a "memorial" to Herm Koopmann (Erwin's older brother).I think it says ;wounded november 11,1914 and died nov. 18 in Houthulst (Flandern)If "HERM" stands as a short for Hermann , it would mean that the dying son's note to his parents is from him ....______________Robert[attachmentid=63745]Are the above dates and location consistent with the first battle of YPRES ?Would Houthulst be the place where he was taken as a wounded soldier and NOT the battle location?I know that I am going ; but they are questions that I had in mind.Thanks , Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert39 Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 Rick,I now feel quite overwhelmed,I am discovering (with your help) a second grouping within the first one. I was having another look at some old printed pages and some of the articles were signed ...EUER HERMANN !!!!!They are apparently reprints of the last 4 letters sent home by Hermann, they are dated 7-8-9 nov. 1914 and the last one is ...the dying son's letter to his parents with some comments made by the publisher. Sorry for the size on this attachment , it would be very much appreciated if you could do an english translation . Cheers_____________-Robert[attachmentid=63774] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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