Wyomingguy Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 So I purchased five photographs on ebay for my personal collection. I found them to be interesting on-line but when they arrived was really stumped by them. The five images were all taken in 1912 and the images (an odd oversize cabinet photograph that is very narrow) come from a Berlin photographer. The first mystery is this United States artillery officer!!! What is he doing with this group So I would love to know who they are, where they are from and what they were doing in Berlin that warranted this series of photographs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn J Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 Hello, the French colonel is Maurice Pellé, the military attaché in Berlin. I would assume the other four are the attachés from their respective countries. Regards Glenn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trooper_D Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 (edited) What a great buy you've got there, Wyomingguy! To add to what Glenn has said, I would bet that the American officer is Capt. Samuel G. Shartle, an artilleryman who was US Military Attache to Berlin at the time. Ulsterman made a good post about him on this very Site, https://gmic.co.uk/topic/64979-colonel-tamura-okinosuke-a-quiet-bookish-man-in-the-center-of-history/?do=findComment&comment=612527 Further down in that thread, Ulsterman shows the back of a postcard he found on the Internet written by Shartle to his wife and sent on 9 Sept 1910, which shows a number of signatures of fellow military attaches. It is worth visiting the blog post the image came from because most of these names have been deciphered, including that of Pellé, who Glenn identified! http://postcardparadise.blogspot.com/2011/02/kaisers-military-manoeuvres-elbing.html I imagine that, with a bit of research into the other names, you should be able to identify all the photos. Edited November 29, 2020 by Trooper_D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyomingguy Posted November 29, 2020 Author Share Posted November 29, 2020 Thanks so much to both of you. That would make sense as the cards of high quality so possible sets were made for each of them. I will dig into this more!!!! One never knows what you find on eBay! Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn J Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 Peter, Trooper D has already mentioned captain Schartle. The following military attachés to the German Empire were listed in the 1912 edition of the "Gothaischer genealogischer Hofkalender nebst diplomatisch-statistichem Jahrbuch". USA: Captain S G Shartle Argentina: Major B B Pertiné Brazil: Colonel Fr E Jullien Bulgaria: Major Gantschew France: Colonel Pellé Great Britain: Colonel A Russell Italy: Colonel Count Calderari di Palazzolo Japan: Lieutenant-Colonel Count Sano Austria-Hungary: Major Freiherr von Bienerth Persia: Major Mirza Mehdi-Chan Rumania: Major L Mircesco Russia: Major General von Tatischtschew Sweden: Major Count de Schenfelt Siam: Lieutenant-Colonel Bhra Songsuradej Spain: Colonel J Sanchis Turkey: Major Enver-Bey I would surmise top to bottom: Russia USA France Brazil Spain Regards Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trooper_D Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, Glenn J said: The following military attachés to the German Empire were listed in the 1912 edition of the "Gothaischer genealogischer Hofkalender nebst diplomatisch-statistichem Jahrbuch". Many thanks for pointing us to this resource, Glenn, which I personally was not aware of. I discover that archive.org has a number of volumes - but not 1912, it appears. It does have 1917, though, which might be useful for someone, https://archive.org/details/gothaischerhofka1917gothuoft/page/n6/mode/1up Edited November 29, 2020 by Trooper_D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayern Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 7 hours ago, Glenn J said: Peter, Trooper D has already mentioned captain Schartle. The following military attachés to the German Empire were listed in the 1912 edition of the "Gothaischer genealogischer Hofkalender nebst diplomatisch-statistichem Jahrbuch". USA: Captain S G Shartle Argentina: Major B B Pertiné Brazil: Colonel Fr E Jullien Bulgaria: Major Gantschew France: Colonel Pellé Great Britain: Colonel A Russell Italy: Colonel Count Calderari di Palazzolo Japan: Lieutenant-Colonel Count Sano Austria-Hungary: Major Freiherr von Bienerth Persia: Major Mirza Mehdi-Chan Rumania: Major L Mircesco Russia: Major General von Tatischtschew Sweden: Major Count de Schenfelt Siam: Lieutenant-Colonel Bhra Songsuradej Spain: Colonel J Sanchis Turkey: Major Enver-Bey I would surmise top to bottom: Russia USA France Brazil Spain Regards Glenn Hello, the first is not Russian ,he is Bulgarian Colonel Gantschew . He played a important role during the war as Liaison officer in the German Command Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyomingguy Posted November 30, 2020 Author Share Posted November 30, 2020 This is great information and thanks to everyone. I am making notes as fast as folks are posting! Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackcowboyBS Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 (edited) I am deeply impressed by the knowledge shown in this thread. Great thanks I have learned a lot! Edited November 30, 2020 by BlackcowboyBS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulsterman Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 ah ha! That is part of the set of Schartle estate Berlin attache’ officers’ photos sold off by the Arringtons and then resold by dealers! Congrats! I may be able to get the Thai prince photo.....I have a lead...... all of these guys were interesting. I suspect there is a damn good book in this set of biographies, if only Rick was still here to enjoy/ write the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trooper_D Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 53 minutes ago, Ulsterman said: ... if only Rick was still here to enjoy/ write the story. Amen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulsterman Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 By the way- that is definitely Shartle. If you google his name- photos of him show up in 1918/19 on the US General Staff as a Colonel. He lived onSpring Street in Portland, Maine and is buried within sight of his first command out in Casco Bay in Evergreen Cemetery next to his wife of 50 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyomingguy Posted August 11, 2021 Author Share Posted August 11, 2021 Just back on the forum having moved this year from Wyoming to New Jersey. Thank you for the information on the photographs. They popped up on eBay without provenance but clearly of quality and interest so this is wonderful to know. They are treasured parts of my collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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