N L Collier

German fraternity mirror selfie (1912)

A German soldier and his son during the outbreak of WWI.

Ein letzter Händedruck vor der Ungewissheit🥀 Dieses Foto von 1914 zeigt das „Augusterlebnis“ pur: Blumen am Gewehr 98, die Pickelhaube mit Feldüberzug und eine beklemmende Förmlichkeit. Hinter dem Stolz der Uniform verbirgt sich die Tragik eines Abschieds für immer. #History

Flanders. Otto Dix (1934)

11.03.1916 #Verdun 7. Komp. IR64 is in Vaux village. It's stoutly defended & exposed to French artillery & MG fire. The Komp. made some progress last night in house to house fighting at heavy cost but now they're stuck. To add to their woes the temp is -15 C #FWW #WW1

Mar 1 - Mar 10 1916 Near Verdun, France, Stéphane Passet takes these autochrome photos in their original colour 110 years ago. They show a snow covered trench, a truck unloading its cargo and an informal butcher set up in the forest x.com/ThisDayInWWI/s…

The helmet that survives today is probably not the one he worn x2 at Verdun. He was wounded in the head and shoulder on 14th November 1916 and left the battlefield on a stretcher. This Adrian helmet pictured is likely issued to him when he returned to the 315e in early 1917

Funnel listening post in front of Neuve-Chapelle, 6 km north from La Bassée, northern France, 1916.

26.2.16 "Its cold, but when we will be in the trenches, outside at night, it will be even worse. We leave for 8 days, provided nothing happens, because on our right at Verdun, it has been non-stop. I am sending you a photo👇, it will be a memory for me after the war"

25.02.1916 What's left of IR64 has been pulled out. 7. Komp. has suffered 50% losses & is sent to garrison Ornes village. There's a dressing station in the church but not for long due to French shelling (pic 1, 1915; pic 2 1916; pic 3 all that remains) #Verdun #FWW #WW1

@SonicTed From IR64's Regimental History. It's a fascinating read if you can get hold of it (copies are hard to find but there's one in the British Library, if that helps)

@NL_Collier Where did you get the photo? Amazing! „(2nd) Lieutenant Brosowski shortly before his death“.

23.02.1916 #Verdun IR64 is still stuck in the Herbebois killing ground. Then Lt Brosowski charges a machine gun nest with his pistol & walking stick. He's killed but the men with him take the nest. This unlocks the French positions & by nightfall the wood is clear #FWW #WW1

22.02.1916 in 24 hours IR64 has made almost no progress through Herbebois wood. No one knew that it's a perfect killing ground. Obstacles force the men into the line of fire from hidden blockhouses like these two & supporting machine gun nests #Verdun #FWW #WW1

@bart_debeer Apologies - had mentally attached this reply to a different post of mine. The deserving often go unrecognised

@NL_Collier Like Driant and his chasseurs, while a lot of other French units went through a similar experience.

21.02.1916 #Verdun IR64's long wait is over. All day the artillery has pounded the French lines. At 5pm German time the first patrols go in, followed by the rest of the front line companies at 6. It's nearly 1km across open ground to the wood on the hill #FWW #WW1

@bart_debeer Yes, the courage on both sides was extraordinary

@bart_debeer In March 1916 IR64 attacked Vaux village from the Zick-Zack Graben (didn't go well) and in May they were in the Briten-Schlucht (NNW of the Vaux-Teich) and the Caillette-Wald (map from Schlachten des Weltkrieges). The 2 deployments almost destroyed the regiment

@NL_Collier Would you have a map that shows IR 64's actions in this period, please?

7:15am German bombardment begins. The Battle of Verdun starts. ~300 days of fighting. ~70% of the French Army rotated through 16,142 French soldiers lie at Douaumont 130,000 French and German in the Ossuary “One of the saddest places I know.” Richard Holmes ✍️ #Verdun110

@bart_debeer IR24 gets all the glory because of Fort Douaumont

@NL_Collier I completely agree. He mentions IR64's neighbours, IR24. But it's your sketch that showed me where Cape Hope crossroads, which he mentions, is!!!

@bart_debeer Yes and it's very good

@NL_Collier Do you have a copy of Olaf Jessen's Verdun 1916?

@bart_debeer And here's later in the first deployment (sorry both are a bit dark - the light's rather dim here). I may have more, will have a look tomorrow