Just like a ringing a bell! Johnny be good!

[joerookery]

ps1716 by joerookery, on Flickr

In addition to textiles and rubber, metals were collected extensively to be melted down and used for the war effort. Requisitioning of copper nickel, brass, pewter, and aluminum started as early as the early 1915. By the end of the summer pots and pans came into the crosshairs. It then turned to the public domain taking gutters, drainpipes, lightning rods, and most noticeably metallic roofs. Some bronze statues went in 1916 and early in 1917 attention was turned to church organs and bells. There was a massive religious backlash aimed at keeping the historic and artistic bells. It turned out that the best protection from a bureaucratic government requisition was a very long history. Therefore, newer parishes were more vulnerable to the requisitioning program. As an example in the Grand Duchy of Baden approximately 1/2 of the church bells were requisitioned.

6. Ldst.-I.-Btl. Saarbrücken (XXI. 14)

One guy in the 2nd row is from:

1. Ldst.-I.-Btl. Gleiwitz (VI. 10)

 

[drakegoodman]

Superb photo / narrative. As always.

 

[Pierre Grande Guerre]

As I wrote on Facebook earlier: Marvellous photo with an interesting narrative, Joe. This happened of course not only in Germany , but also in all conquered, occupied zones in Belgium and France. The same story repeated itself in WW2.