Eisenbahn-Betriebs-Kompagnie No.8, Malmedy August 1914
- Thread starter drakegoodman
- Start date
joerookery
Well-known member
Nice picture! I don't think that the CDs very often at all–if at all. My understanding of that area–Malmedy-is that there was a nexus of rail lines built into there for mobilization purposes. These rail lines were considered so dangerous that the area was chopped off of German territory at the end of World War I. In that way, these lines could not be used for any future threat. 
Hey Brett,
The scan posted here is not high enough rez to read all the words, I will have better luck if I can get a higher rez scan, mu e-mail is [email protected].
The place name is interesting as it is written
Trois-Ponts, den 19.8.1914
Deutsch: Dreibrücken
Meine Lieben! Ich sitze nun
hier im Stationsbüro, wo wir
her der jetzt von unseren Trup=
pen erschossen Vorsteher saß
als Schreibhilfe. alles war de=
moliert; wir haben dem betrieb
in unsere Hande genommen
mussen aber diese Tage weider
vorwärts nach einer anderen
Strecke. Vorsicht ist hier bei den
Meuchelmördern am Platze, aber
Rúcksicht dürfen wir nicht über=
all gebrauchen. Wir freuen aus
bei jeder Kampfgelegenheit.
Adresse bleibt immer dieselbe. wenn
ich auch immer wieder muß: A. Schmitz,
?? Eisenbahn. Directive Aachen 1.
Betriebs Abteilung 2 Malmady 8. Komp.
the card is addressed to
Familie Friedirch Schmitz
Mochlgeberen(?)
Augsburg 9 (Bayern)
Dönauworkastr.(?) 115 ??
The scan posted here is not high enough rez to read all the words, I will have better luck if I can get a higher rez scan, mu e-mail is [email protected].
The place name is interesting as it is written
Trois-Ponts, den 19.8.1914
Deutsch: Dreibrücken
Meine Lieben! Ich sitze nun
hier im Stationsbüro, wo wir
her der jetzt von unseren Trup=
pen erschossen Vorsteher saß
als Schreibhilfe. alles war de=
moliert; wir haben dem betrieb
in unsere Hande genommen
mussen aber diese Tage weider
vorwärts nach einer anderen
Strecke. Vorsicht ist hier bei den
Meuchelmördern am Platze, aber
Rúcksicht dürfen wir nicht über=
all gebrauchen. Wir freuen aus
bei jeder Kampfgelegenheit.
Adresse bleibt immer dieselbe. wenn
ich auch immer wieder muß: A. Schmitz,
?? Eisenbahn. Directive Aachen 1.
Betriebs Abteilung 2 Malmady 8. Komp.
the card is addressed to
Familie Friedirch Schmitz
Mochlgeberen(?)
Augsburg 9 (Bayern)
Dönauworkastr.(?) 115 ??
on the front.
Nehent hier des Kriegers Gruß
Alois
Now we know his full name was Alois Schmitz, I think the x over the one on the right might be him, although, they usually did not mark them selves as the receipiant would usually know them by sight.
Best
Gus
Any corrections or additions would be appriciated.
Nehent hier des Kriegers Gruß
Alois
Now we know his full name was Alois Schmitz, I think the x over the one on the right might be him, although, they usually did not mark them selves as the receipiant would usually know them by sight.
Best
Gus
Any corrections or additions would be appriciated.
drakegoodman
New member
Thanks Gus,
To save space in your inbox, here's a link to the original size on Flickr. Hopefully this'll suffice.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4710688867_1e10df24a6_o.jpg
Tschüs!
To save space in your inbox, here's a link to the original size on Flickr. Hopefully this'll suffice.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4710688867_1e10df24a6_o.jpg
Tschüs!
drakegoodman
New member
I'll be thinking of you Gus as I sit back on a cold and wet Melbourne day enjoying a cup of English Breakfast tea with a few Malt 'o Milk biscuits - doing sweet bugger all. At least until the wife comes home.
drakegoodman
New member
I'm nursing a shoulder injury - not sure how I even got it, just woke up one morning with a knot in my shoulder blade. Been on light-duties for 3 days now :|
been there done that , except I remember how I did mine, slipped on the ice, twice. I am having a bit more luck on the card, I will make some additions soon. Remember, I am not very good at this, and I make mistakes, and sometimes the writer makes a few or uses dialect that always throws me, but some of our native German members might be able to fix some of my mistakes, get better soon
drakegoodman
New member
Thanks Gus, I know what you mean about the dialects. All assistance is very much appreciated.
I managed to do a bit more filling in, I am pretty sure of most of the transcription, the street address eludes me, as there is not enough of that type of script for me to be real sure, but then I do not think it is important enough to spend too much time on. I can not figure out his rank in his address either. The reason I typed the text out the way I did, is because the typed text corrisponds with the written text, (=) is the symbol used instead of the hyphen in splitting words on this type of text, I missed the = in the word demoliert, and could not figure out what moliert could be, sometimes I am very slow.
Best
Gus
Best
Gus
Khukri
Well-known member
The history of this region of Belgium is complicated.
In fact this region "Die OstKantone" is German speaking rather than Walloon (French speaking). It was from 1815 till 1919 part of Prussia....
1815-1919 Prussian administration
Map of Belgium in 1843: Eupen and the East Cantons are then Germans.At the Congress of Vienna, the whole area was awarded to Rhenish Prussia. In the North West of the area, Moresnet, coveted by both the Netherlands and Prussia for its calamine, was declared a neutral territory. After 1830, the 50% guardianship of the Netherlands was taken over by newly independent Belgium, and this remained so even after 1839, when Belgium relinquished its claims to neighbouring Dutch Limburg.
This change did not significantly affect the inhabitants of this region. Even in the French and Walloon speaking Malmedy, changes went smoothly since the municipality was allowed to continue to use French for its administration.
For instance, during a visit to the city in 1856, the King Frederick William IV would say "I am proud to have in my kingdom a little country where people speak French". For the people of Malmedy, this would eventually change when Bismarck came to power in Prussia and, within the framework of the Kulturkampf, imposed German as the only official administrative language. If this was not a problem in Eupen and St.Vith, it obviously became one in Malmedy-Waimes. There was some resistance to the change: for instance, Roman Catholic priests who were forbidden to preach in French started to preach in Walloon in order to avoid having to preach in German.
However, after several decades, the inhabitants became used to speaking German (which was also the only language tolerated in the schools) with the government, although Walloon was still widely spoken. At the beginning of World War I, most of the inhabitants considered themselves German and fought for that side during the war.
Rgds,
Khukri
In fact this region "Die OstKantone" is German speaking rather than Walloon (French speaking). It was from 1815 till 1919 part of Prussia....
1815-1919 Prussian administration
Map of Belgium in 1843: Eupen and the East Cantons are then Germans.At the Congress of Vienna, the whole area was awarded to Rhenish Prussia. In the North West of the area, Moresnet, coveted by both the Netherlands and Prussia for its calamine, was declared a neutral territory. After 1830, the 50% guardianship of the Netherlands was taken over by newly independent Belgium, and this remained so even after 1839, when Belgium relinquished its claims to neighbouring Dutch Limburg.
This change did not significantly affect the inhabitants of this region. Even in the French and Walloon speaking Malmedy, changes went smoothly since the municipality was allowed to continue to use French for its administration.
For instance, during a visit to the city in 1856, the King Frederick William IV would say "I am proud to have in my kingdom a little country where people speak French". For the people of Malmedy, this would eventually change when Bismarck came to power in Prussia and, within the framework of the Kulturkampf, imposed German as the only official administrative language. If this was not a problem in Eupen and St.Vith, it obviously became one in Malmedy-Waimes. There was some resistance to the change: for instance, Roman Catholic priests who were forbidden to preach in French started to preach in Walloon in order to avoid having to preach in German.
However, after several decades, the inhabitants became used to speaking German (which was also the only language tolerated in the schools) with the government, although Walloon was still widely spoken. At the beginning of World War I, most of the inhabitants considered themselves German and fought for that side during the war.
Rgds,
Khukri
Khukri
Well-known member
Some years ago in the Belgian Army, I witnessed a not so friendly encounter between a German speaking and a Walloon speaking soldier, serving in the same Platoon: the walloon called the other "Casque à Pointe" (Pickelhaube) in a not very kind manner to insult the other ! The german speaking guy explained to me that this "Casque à Pointe" is a nickname that is still often used in refering to the Prussian era. The fact that the Ostkantone became German again in 1940 is important as well.
Rgds,
Khukri
Rgds,
Khukri
Khukri
Well-known member
I tried to translate !
"Dear ones, I’m sitting in the station office where the stationmaster-who was now shot by our own troops-used to sit and work as an office aid. Everything is demolished. We took over the place, but we have to go further now to another part of the railway line. We have to be carefull regarding this treacherous assassins, but we cannot use to much consideration everywhere. We’re glad about every opportunity for a fight. Address stays the same, even when I always have to head further."
Khukri
"Dear ones, I’m sitting in the station office where the stationmaster-who was now shot by our own troops-used to sit and work as an office aid. Everything is demolished. We took over the place, but we have to go further now to another part of the railway line. We have to be carefull regarding this treacherous assassins, but we cannot use to much consideration everywhere. We’re glad about every opportunity for a fight. Address stays the same, even when I always have to head further."
Khukri
joerookery
Well-known member
We have to talk. There is something so wrong on so many levels when you have beans for breakfast. British breakfasts stinks. And they make this coffee in a French press which inevitably leaves you little floaties that you have to screen with your teeth.
That's what I read also! Something has to be wrong here. In another forum there has been some significant discussion about atrocities in Belgium. While there are some historians that seem to deny this entire problem I think the great study made it very clear that there were atrocities and they could be often attributed to indiscipline troops. But killing your own on German soil???
