Portraits of German Soldiers during WW1

[Jeff L]

http://www.howtobearetronaut.com/2011/07/wwi-studio-portraits-of-german-soldiers/

[Fred Pillot]

I like these old photos. Them Germans were short little twerps, weren't they. Just like my German relatives. They are so full of themselves, they think they can rule the world. Nothing has changed, I have found, talking to these people.

[gwp]

Several must be peace loving Germans. They are using the muzzle of their rifle as flower vases.

[mike webb]

I like these old photos. Them Germans were short little twerps, weren't they. Just like my German relatives. They are so full of themselves, they think they can rule the world. Nothing has changed, I have found, talking to these people.

Yeah, some Germans are still insufferable. I worked at a large shipyard here in Canada 20 years ago and one of the managers was pretty hard to take, loud, overbearing and obnoxious. He was telling a story amongst a group of us, engine fitters and riggers and boomed, "After we lost the war...". An old rigger interrupted and asked," Which one, ya's lost two of 'em?" The German never finished his story.

[Rick]

Just joking here. I have a lot of German in me and my wife is 100% German. So I always tell her that you can always tell a German but you can't tell them much.

[JohnF]

Several must be peace loving Germans. They are using the muzzle of their rifle as flower vases.

Explaination from the website, "The flowers tucked into their uniforms are an indication that they will be sent to the frontline soon." Maybe someone knew what was coming and was being proactive.

The faces remain the same, only the uniforms change. Speaking of uniforms, some of those boys need to see a tailor.

[SteveC]

If you fellows liked those few, follow the link to the owner's flickr site, there are HUNDREDS of German WWI photos and postcards as well as a few allied images. What these men endured on both sides of the trenches is unimaginable, and all in the name of honoring old alliances...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drakegoodman/

Steve

[Maj Dad]

The fourth one down has a M71/84 slung on his left shoulder. Usually reservists and rear echelon troops were issued rifles such as that. Note too, the butcher blade bayonets and the long pig-stickers, and the old style cartridge cases worn by a couple of them.

[m1ashooter]

Very sad pictures, they are just kids and probably late war call ups as Germany was drafting babies towards the end of the war.

[Beachbumbob]

Very sad pictures, they are just kids and probably late war call ups as Germany was drafting babies towards the end of the war.

Wars are generally fought by the young. As an old curmudgeon, I have to be really carefully about calling todays veteran's kids or boys and girls. A lot of them aren't any older than I was when my favorite Uncle drug my fanny to SEA. Of all the crap that I had to take afterwards, calling me young or just a kid PO'd me more than anything.

If you take a look at the website, you'll see that a lot of these pics are from 1915 and 1916. They are sad pictures and makes you wonder how many of them came out of the trenches alive in 1918.

Bob

[Hefights]

One of the most, probably THE most senseless war in history. In Europe at least, had much to do with the devastating and more "total" war that followed. You have to think many of these had no idea where or what they were headed into.

[remus]

Well I was 18 when I went into the army. Just a kid. My fatigues fit me much the same as their uniforms in the pictures did. Seemed like one size fit all. The class "A" 's were different though, they fit well. Boy I remember having baggy pants and had to tuck the sleeves up inside about two inches so my hands could stick out. Funny things you remember. The boots and the rifle fit though.

[Ken The Kanuck]

Was there not a flower called the Eldweiss or something that had a special meaning to the German soldier? These are just young men who are putting their life on the line for their country. Never hate the soldier, hate the politician.

KTK

[da gimp]

Was there not a flower called the Eldweiss or something that had a special meaning to the German soldier? These are just young men who are putting their life on the line for their country. Never hate the soldier, hate the politician.

KTK

my understanding was that the soldier had to climb high in the Alps to get it & was the mark of a good climber & hunter.

Always figured that WWI was fought to strip/steal colonies away from the other side, had little to do with the death of a nobleman, that was just the excuse..........., WWII was started by the Nazis as payback to the horrendous treatment of Germany by France & a little of Brittain. That is why Truman did not let the French pull the same crap after WWII.