Balloon Pics

[Ritterton]

Originally Posted by Varese2002

Have you deciphered the text already ? According to the little handwriting the writer of the text is on the picture, as it says "x = ich". Looking around I could not fing the x on the picture.

Cheers

Kees

Kees -

Hey, sorry didn't come back to this...but look what I found when I googled Arleux...

Arleux-en-Gohelle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Appears that we have the full name of where this balloon shed was located at on this card.

Thoughts?

[Varese2002]

I think you are quite on the mark with Arleux-en-Gohelle. Looking around I found this was during WW1 a place of very fierce fighting

Battle of Arleux (28–29 April 1917)
Although the Canadian Corps had successfully taken Vimy Ridge, difficulties in securing the south-eastern flank had left the position vulnerable. To rectify this, British and Canadian troops launched an attack towards Arleux-en-Gohelle on 28 April. Arleux was captured by Canadian troops with relative ease, but the British troops advancing on Gavrelle met stiffer resistance from the Germans. The village was secured by early evening, but when a German counterattack forced a brief retreat, elements of the 63rd Division were brought up as reinforcements and the village was held. Subsequent attacks on 29 April however, failed to net any further advances. Despite achieving the limited objective of securing the Canadian position on Vimy Ridge, casualties were high, and the ultimate result was disappointing.

Source to be found here about the battle of Arras.

Interesting that when the place was German held there was a German war monument, after the war there came a French monument and possibly (surely ?) the German monument disappeared.

The German one figures on a picture



It feels today somewhat special to send a card home in 1916 with a picture of a war monument for fallen soldiers on it, though.

Cheers

Kees

[Ritterton]

Kees -

Yea, I think that this clearly puts this or a group of balloons in that area and probably for a very, very long time.

I too have to think it interesting that a memorial was built and placed in the midst of the war. Maybe there was hope that the war would come to an end after two years; or, just a belief that that portion of the battlefield would always be German.

Thanks for the additional information!

[Ritterton]

Picked this up from Ebay - nice simple RP of a Caquot...of course, no identification, squadron numbers, or the like!

R

[CNOCK]

Some of my pics :

Ypres Battlefields Forum -> German observation balloons

Regards,

Cnock

[Ritterton]

CNOCK -

Great pictures. Wow thanks for sharing your collection too. I see we share one image in common - your last one in your Ypres collection is one I have and one of my favorites.

R

[CNOCK]

Hi,

thanks, added some more,

Regards,

Cnock

[Gabriel Voisin]

Hello,

if you need help in balloons, or Bavarian regiment and German WW1 battlefields, there are people here in Germany that are specialized.

A good man for Bavarian regiment and squadron from the First World War:
Mr. Reinhard Kastner, he is a real specialist in these things.

For balloons, there is Dr. John Provan, a nice and helpful man

greetings

[Ritterton]

Originally Posted by Gabriel Voisin

Hello,

if you need help in balloons, or Bavarian regiment and German WW1 battlefields, there are people here in Germany that are specialized.

A good man for Bavarian regiment and squadron from the First World War:
Mr. Reinhard Kastner, he is a real specialist in these things.

For balloons, there is Dr. John Provan, a nice and helpful man

greetings

Gabriel - welcome and thank you for the individuals to contact. Very much appreciated.

[Gabriel Voisin]

Thanks for the nice greeting.

Gabriel Voisin