Elsässer Geschichte

[Edelweiss]

So, here's the story promised to my pals of the "Headgear forum" ; I hope you'll like it. I'm not sure I'll be able to complete it in one time, as I have a lot of things to scan ; but if it wasn't the case, please be patient.

So, the story takes place in a village in Elsass (Alsace), at the beginning of the century. At that time, this region - like the "Lorraine" - belongs to Germany : France lost it at the end of the 1870 war.

Here's an actual view of the village, named Burg-Breusch (when german), or Bourg-Bruche (when french and now since 1945) :

[Edelweiss]

The main character of my story was born in this village in 1896 ; his name was Oktav Bacher. Here's a couple of pics ; on the first one, he's on the left, with his brother.
The photo below was taken later, just after these 5 joung guys were declared "OK" for the german army service (sorry, I don't know the right english term for this commission) ; they all wear on their chests the pin showing this, a habit that was on fashion at that time. Oktav is the first one on the left ; obviously, they're all very proud... and all with a cigarette : they are now real men !

[Edelweiss]

So, like most young germans, Oktav joined the german army ; here are two studio photos, taken alone (above) and with his brother (below).

[Edelweiss]

Another studio photo with a friend ; below is the "Kriegs-Notizbuch für Militär und Civil" that was actually given to his brother.

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His Soldbuch ; below a photo of his section. I let you find him...

[Edelweiss]

On the previous pic, he's the fourth from the right, standing in the second row from the top.

Here's a photo taken on the field, maybe during WWI ; he's on the right. Below, his Militärpass. I forgot to say that like most (but not all) soldiers native of Alsace-Lorraine, he wasn't assigned to armed service, but in his case to a Feldlazarett (as a Sanitäter).

[Edelweiss]

And here's a nice photo, surely taken in front of the Feldlazarett in question ; Oktav is on the left.
Below, his Ausweis ; this document is made of a special fabric, so that it won't be damaged in the pockets of the uniform. It was given to soldiers "wearing neutrality insignas on the left arm" .../... "a red cross on a white background".

To be continued... (the story will go on after the war)

[Jan B]

Very interesting ...so far...and hopefully the story continues during ww2 too...

Cheers

Jan

[Edelweiss]

Not too fast, monsieur Jan !

So, the war ends in 1918. Elsass becomes Alsace again, and Heer Oktav Bacher becomes Monsieur Octave Bacher, french citizen...
Here's the new ID card he gets just after the war :

[Edelweiss]

Ah, civilian again ! We're in 1920, les années folles...

... but the army is not slow to remind that Octave is french. And notifies him that he's wanted "sous les drapeaux" as we say here : he's called in Stasbourg, "on august 5, 1920, before noon" (document under the photo), again as an "infirmier" (male nurse).

And we have now some other studio photos... in french uniform (can you recognise him ?) :

[Edelweiss]

Octave is the first on the right on the former photo.

His new "livret de solde", but in the french version...
And a portrait in french uniform.

[Edelweiss]

The 30s : Monsieur Bacher deserves the "carte du combattant", that also says that the bearer of the card is allowed to wear the decoration : "Croix du Combattant" (top document).
Notice how something like ten years, his mustache and the loss of a few pounds makes him look much, much older...

1939 : it's the campaign "against Germany" ; he is "called back into activity on the 8/9/1939", and assigned to a "field hospital in Flavigny sur Moselle".

...

The early 40s : the third war against Germany is lost (remember that we started speaking of the 1870 war). Alsace is now Elsass again, and Monsieur Octave Bacher turns himself again into Herr Oktav Bacher, german citizen (bottom document)...

[Edelweiss]

But after 1940, Herr Bacher is not a soldier any more ; here are some ration cards he used during the war :

[Brian S]

More, how does this all end? MORE!

[Edelweiss]

In 1944, he subscribes to a illness-insurance by the "Nationaler Kranken-Versicherungsverein aG" in Stuttgart :