Sentences to be avoided......

[Chris Boonzaier]

... incase they jinx you...

Heinrich Näpfel was born on the 7.2.1897 in Gunzenhausen. M;obilised in 1916 he joined the Bavarian 19th Reserve Pionier Company Nr. 19. He was killed on a Patrol on the Somme on the 2.6.1918 with an artillery splinter to the head.

I saw this on ebay ages ago, but the "buy it now" ended and I had forgotten to buy it, So I was happy to get it this time round.

Strangely he looks to have more Infantry kit although he was in Pionier units all the way through....

"A small momento from your friend Heinrich Näpfel in case I should not return"

[Dansson]

Very nice postcard with an interesting text.

 

 

It's interesting to see that the closer the end of the war was drawing, the more depressing thoughts is seen shared by the soldiers in their letters and diaries, generally. When I've talked to Veterans of World War 2, I've heard several mention that they couldn't believe they had survived when they heard that the war ended.

I've read the letters that my great grandmother had from her brother, in the beginning the text was more of "when I return it will be nice to see you all again...". As the war raged on the text became a bit more carefully written suggesting that "If something would happen..." and later developed into "If I die, I want you to...". A few days after the last letter he was reported as a KIA. Only a few days before the war ended.

I added this small story as a side note which is a similar story from my family with a KIA suggesting his own death. My great grandfather had no family during the war so he had no one to write to, so I can't really know what his thoughts were and how they developed.

I find it greatly interesting to see how the thoughts and minds of the soldiers developed.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Indeed, I think as the war progressed men in uniform began to calculate the odds and made their peace with them...

[Farkas]

Hi Gents

i enjoy these cards with annotations.... I am envious that you can look into your own to this degree!

i used to prefer to buy unwritten postcards but then came to realise that words were far more precious, unique insights into the often anonymous (perhaps forgotten) individual - better than  the mass produced and available images on the front...(which I do still love) .and so Rppc with annotations became my first choice. 

Although I can't read them I collect Austrian/German cards. The few British cards I have contain so few words, usually limited to 'I am well, hope to see you soon' or similar.....

yet the Austrian and German cards use ever mm of space including the front on occasion.

no contest!

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i digress......

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i agree with you're thoughts about the mindset of combatants changing over time....

and how survival must have come as a surprise to those who did.

A story on a BBC site currently tells of a British Machine Gunner who spent 48 hours behind his weapon with the dead bodies of his best mates added to the top of the sand bag defences around him.....   I don't know how you can expect to survive yourself when you experience such things...

 

So i equate it to driving a car - we all know people die in crashes but not ourselves surely? But As you get older you see crashes (cause them?) and so on.  if You saw 500 crashes every day you would surely be less confident it wouldn't happen to you.... especially as those around you fall.

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I love that this forum means that  Pionier Napfel, his image and his fate will now be forever 'out there'...

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tony

[Tony]

Where did you find the info on him? I could only find him listed as killed in the late August 1918 edition of the Verlustlisten.

Babetta Hurrell/Horrell? doesn't sound typically German so I wonder where he met her. That and the info you have makes a simple card very interesting.