Reports of my death.....

[Chris Boonzaier]

... and all that....

[Chris Boonzaier]

2

[Chris Boonzaier]

And the "Holy Moly!" moment....

[Guest Rick Research]

x20!!!!

You REALLY need to be using an Epson scanner, dood! For ye unconversant with Old German Script: The letter from his Feldwebel (not from an officer!!!!) informs parents of the very specific (unusual!) time and manner of their son's tragic death. The death announcements went out in the newspaper...

and then right under his Militärpaß entry for being killed in action... is the rest of the page reporting his return in 1920 (obviously from POW Camp) ... without "amending" the KIA entry!!!!!!

Soooooo.... technically.... "officially" (as German bureaucrats would think) he was.... Officially Dead... still. I wonder if they turned him down for a Hindenburg Cross and later old age pension? x20

Jaw-dropping stuff, Señor B. Really really really derserves Epson quality imaging!

[Naxos]

Incredible lot!

After intense artillery shelling they couldn’t find any pieces of him so they said “he’s a goner” and wrote a letter to his parents.

[Spasm]

Easy for you lot to say.

My absolute non capacity for learning languages (which has got me into all sorts of trouble) and I know ze German is easy as I hear 3 year olds can speak it over there, but a translation or jist of the letter would be cool for us unedukated shower

[speedytop]

Easy for you lot to say.

My absolute non capacity for learning languages (which has got me into all sorts of trouble) and I know ze German is easy as I hear 3 year olds can speak it over there, but a translation or jist of the letter would be cool for us unedukated shower

For the "unedukated showers":

Herrn Louis Becker

Göttingen

Hierdurch erfülle ich die traurige Pflicht, Ihnen von dem Heldentod Ihres Sohnes Heinrich Mitteilung zu machen.

In den schweren Kämpfen am 17.9.18 bei Lancy hat er infolge Artillerie-Voltreffers sein Leben seinem Vaterlande opfern müssen.

Leider war es trotz wiederholter Bemühungen nicht möglich seine Leiche zu bergen, da das Gefechtsfeld aus taktischen Gründen dem Feinde überlassen werden mußte.

Die Kompagnie betrauert aufrichtig den Verlust dieses tapferen Soldaten und guten Kameraden und wird sein Andenken stets in Ehren halten.

Der Herr möge Ihnen in Ihrem Schmerze beistehen.

(signature)

Feldwebel

The use of a translator is possible? This should be better than my translation.

Uwe

[Spasm]

Uwe

Thankyou

Mr Louis Becker

Göttingen

This I fill the sad duty to make you notice of the heroic death of her son Henry.

In the heavy fighting at the 17.9.18 at Lancy he has must sacrifice his life his fatherland as a result of artillery Volt reefer.

Unfortunately, it was despite repeated efforts unable to recover his body because the battlefield for tactical reasons had to be left to the enemies.

The company sincerely mourned the loss of this brave soldier and good comrades, and will always keep his memory in honour.

The Lord may you in your suffering assist.

(signature)

Sergeant