German Airmen photos

[Claudius]

My initial response to the article is, no kidding, they partied today, because tomorrow they could die, but the photos are candid.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-one/10254711/Photos-reveal-live-for-today-attitude-of-German-airmen.html

Photos reveal 'live for today' attitude of German airmen A remarkable photo album showing German First World War airmen quaffing champagne and getting steaming drunk has come to light.

German First World War pilots quaffing Champagne in their mess Photo: BNPS

By Agencies

2:22PM BST 20 Aug 2013

The black and white snaps depict the men in uniform having a roaring and raucous time in their mess, far removed from the hell and misery of the trenches on the Western Front.

The officers of the Imperial German Flying Corps are seen smoking cigars and cigarettes and having a good old knees up.

Coming just 11 years after the first ever flight by the Wright brothers, air warfare was a new but very risky concept during the First World War.

It was said the men of the Royal Flying Corps' adopted the philosophy of 'live for today, tomorrow we die', such was the deadly nature of their job.

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And judging by the dozens of rare photos that have emerged, it seems their German counterparts also had a similar attitude to wartime life.

There are several group photos depicting the men guzzling bottles of champagne and glasses of beer and liquor.

In one amusing image, all 10 German officers appear to be in a drunken stupour, with four of them hugging each other and singing out loud while another looks like he has passed out.

In another, a line of four inebriated flyers lean to one side as they lose their balance while sitting for the camera.

The large album contains about 130 snaps and others do show the serious side of the war.

There is a poignant picture of the grave of one German airman with a plane propeller placed on it as a marker.

Another photo shows two airmen wrapped up in large overcoats and scarfs as they prepare to climb into the exposed cockpit of their bi-plane and go into battle.

And several snaps show some of the devastating damage to train lines and bridges as a result of air bombing over northern France.

Frustratingly, the identities of the airmen aren't known although they were part of 24 and 54 squadrons of the German Flying Corps or the Die Fliegertruppen.

Some of the photos were taken in December 1917 as a Chrismas tree and decorations can be seen in them.

The 14ins by 12ins album was found in a box of personal effects inherited by a man in Essex from a late relative.

It is thought the album was seized as a souvenir by a British serviceman after the Germans surrendered in 1918 and was kept in his family.

It is being sold by Essex auctioneers Reeman Dansie and has a pre-sale estimate of £1,500.

James Grinter, of Reeman Dansie, said: "I have never seen anything like this photo album before.

"If it was a Royal Flying Corps album, then it would be rare but to have a German one from the same period is unheard of.

"The survival rate of these flyers was terrible and it looks like these men lived life to the full while they had the chance.

"It is a very important and historical record and is unusual because there are a lot of natural and relaxed pictures rather than the staged and formal photos of that period.

"It gives you a feel of what it was like to have been there.

"It wouldn't surprise me if this album ended up going into a museum because it is so rare."

The auction takes place on Thursday.

[Guest Rick Research]

The first and last photos are GROUND CREW (which may explain some of those accidents ) The third photo has Austrian aviation branch (rank on tabs with balloon insignia) officers and Germans--with conspicuous lack of pilot or observer badges, seen only in photo #2.

Was this... "breaking news"?

[Claudius]

Was this... "breaking news"?

must be because the auction is Thursday.