Balloon Pics

[Ritterton]

Hey Guys -

Figured I would start another thread with a group of balloon pics I received while traveling. These I had won some time ago and they finally arrived. Again, not paying a heck of a lot per image, but that wallet is lighter....

Here is the link to the other thread...will post one new response for each new picture.

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/me...-new-post.html

[Ritterton]

The image here has been slightly altered from the original's faded appearance by playing with the scanner's contrast. Mainly to show the details a bit clearer. No information on this other than:

[Ritterton]

Nothing on this to identify location or unit

[Ritterton]

I believe that this says that it is a Russian balloon- but need to consult with an expert on that --- oh Harry????

[Varese2002]

Originally Posted by Ritterton

---- No information on this other than:

You have acquired interesting pictures, thanks for showing them. The handwriting is the contemporary German writing called Sütterlin, which can be read using available information on the internet. One of the best can be found here. This reference is a table showing the contemporary letters, written in Sütterlin and a lot of older German handwriting in use during the 17th - 19th century. It is essential to read in Sütterlin when doing original research in German archives on archive documents before ca. 1930 / 1940.

On the backside of the picture is written:

Fesselballon bei <<Name>>

I can make at least something of the name of the Place where there this picture of the balloon is taken.

It might be:

12li5sontaine

The part of name that is identified at least hints to a French town. Hopefully there are other forum members who can take a shot at the name.

Cheers

Kees

[Varese2002]

Originally Posted by Ritterton

---
I believe that this says that it is a Russian balloon- but need to consult with an expert on that --- oh Harry????

Looking at the big Eisernes Kreuz on the side of this balloon, this is surely a German one. On the front is scribbled again the Sütterlin writing, the second word gives again Fesselballoon (that is tethered balloon). The first word requires lots more of study

Cheers

Kees

[Ritterton]

Originally Posted by Varese2002

.....
Fesselballon bei <<Name>>

I can make at least something of the name of the Place where there this picture of the balloon is taken.

It might be:

12li5sontaine

The part of name that is identified at least hints to a French town. Hopefully there are other forum members who can take a shot at the name.

Cheers

Kees

Kees -

First, thank you for the information. I can read some of the German script (Sütterlin) from that time period, but not as well as I would like to be able to...just not that exposed to it unfortunately. Thank you for the remarkable reference site. Much appreciated.

Your comments about the location of the one balloon were echoed in a side bar conversation I was having with LuftschiffHarry and so, with two folks pointing me to France i spent some time on Worldwide map search, route finder and travel directions - powered by Multimap and I found Eclisfontaine, Epinonvile located on the French route D998. NW of Verdun. So, Kees - right on point as to the location. Lone Sentry: Unit History: 91st Infantry Division (Ch. I: 91st Division in World War I) may help identify the picture as being taken before Sep 1918.

The other is a bit harder to figure out as you said. I jumped, literally, to a Russian connection because of the first three letters with the first looking like an R - yet your reference site clearly indicates that that is not the case.


So, could it be an M or an N?? "üss" appear to be the next three letters and the word may end in "don" - So enough cybersleuthing this morning. I have to go out and tackle the yard.

Thanks Kees for the "push" to ferret out a bit more on these! I have to say that is what I enjoy about these is finding out a bit more about the image, location and if inscribed those associated with it.

[Rod_Filan]

I read this as Ausstergender Fesselballon.

Whatever that is... sorry I can't help you out any further than that.

Then again, the first letter sure looks like a U. Uusster or Uutster, which I suppose makes even less sense...
-
Cheers
Rod

[Varese2002]

Thanks to Rod I realized their simply stands 'Aufsteigender Fesselballon'. The difficulty with Sütterlin is that it is handwritten, sothat some letters are individual variations of the example letters in the given table.

You can clearly see the (small) difference in writing of the third letter (f) and the fourth (s), which look quite close but are different letters!

Congratulations on reaching the name of the place, is always the most difficult issue. Very good you made it

Cheers

Kees

[Rod_Filan]

heh, It just dawned on me Kees.

Aufsteigender = Final ascent
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Cheers