This came as filler with another postcard I bought recently. It seems to be a group of soldiers from IR 120 in a POW camp in France. Perhaps on the 2nd anniversary of their capture. Not a very happy bunch.
No smiles obviously, but they are lucky to be alive and well fed. It appears they were sent to France from England and this was some sort of ID photo? Perhaps this explains "no smiles" ? I have no German skills. Great photo!
I think the reference to the English may have been that they were captured by the English and then imprisoned by the French. If they were captured during August 1916 by the Brits then they were probably captured in the Somme battles...I believe IR 120 was present for those.