Information sought on Imperial Unit designated "774"

[Guardian 5]

Team,

I bought this rather pedestrian photo for the wonderful art nouveau hand writing style of the sitter, "Hans Ulrich".

Under magnification it would seem as though he is sporting an epaulette bearing a "774". It looks as though his rank is "Kan"; presumably short for Kanonier.

So far my searches for a 774th Artillery Regiment and / or Battalion have come up empty. Can anyone assist in identifying his unit?

I am also puzzled by his return address; Genesungsheim, St. Glashalle, Spa Belgien. Was this some sort of recovery area for wounded soldiers?

Any information you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
TJ

[Guardian 5]

Here we see Hans Ulrich's eye catching and elegant style of handwriting.

My teenage daughters can't read cursive writing; I'm not sure they even teach it anymore.

It would appear as though Hans Ulrich is writing to his girlfriend Henny Burgmeier in Sindlingen am Main on her birthday. If I'm not mistaken, 24.12. 1916 is Christmas Eve.

Maybe it was missing his girlfriend during the Christmas season that brought out the full artistic talent of our young Romeo.

Can anyone offer a full translation of the note?

Is his name Hans Ulrich Kaiserl. or are "Kaiserl. Mil." words modifying Genesungsheim?

Many thanks,
TJ

[naxos]

Spa, Dec. 24, 1916

My dear Henny

All the best heartfelt wishes for your Birthday is sending you your Hans!

[Gew44]

Abs.(absenden) - Kan.(Kanonier) - Hans Hulrich - Kaiserl. (Kaiserliche) - Mil. (Militärische) - Genesungsheim
St. Glashalle - Spa - Belgien
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Send from : Gunner Hans Hulrich - Imperial Military Home convalescence St. Glashalle Spa Belgien

I hope the translation is good.

Regards

Gew44

[Gerdan]

His family name is " Ulrich " - not Hulrich!

Gerdan

[Gerdan]

Here an other poscard (Feldpost) from the Genesungsheim Glashalle Spa, Belgium, 1915

http://postcards.delcampe.de/page/it...anguage,G.html

Gerdan

[Gerdan]

This could be a picture of the Genesungsheim Spa "Glashalle" :

http://www.delcampe.net/page/item/id...anguage,E.html

Gerdan

[Gew44]

His family name is " Ulrich " - not Hulrich!

Gerdan

Ok, you have right.

[Guardian 5]

Dear Friends,

Thank you very much for supplying the translations and pictures of the Spa where Hans Ulrich was recovering (and dreaming of a Christmas reunion with Henny...)

All the best,
TJ

[Brian L.]

Congratulations for identifying his hand-writing as Art Nouveau. The hand-writing style is correctly called in German; "Jugendstil" and the style came from Austrian Secessionist artist, the Czech, Alphonse Mucha. You can see it on many of his posters.

It is indeed sad in our digital age that children don't learn cursive writing anymore. There's a creativity and art to fine penmanship, which goes beyond simple writing to foster an active mind and careful and thoughtful thinking. But, all this seems to be unimportant in the minds of modern educators in the west.

[Guardian 5]

Congratulations for identifying his hand-writing as Art Nouveau. The hand-writing style is correctly called in German; "Jugendstil" and the style came from Austrian Secessionist artist, the Czech, Alphonse Mucha. You can see it on many of his posters.

It is indeed sad in our digital age that children don't learn cursive writing anymore. There's a creativity and art to fine penmanship, which goes beyond simple writing to foster an active mind and careful and thoughtful thinking. But, all this seems to be unimportant in the minds of modern educators in the west.

bolewts58,

Please accept my sincere thanks for sharing your knowledge of "Jugenstil".

I couldn't agree more with your assessment of the digitally smitten educators who are actively aiding and abetting the demise of cursive writing.

After further mulling over your post, I began to contemplate the awesome power of technological revolutions. While the digital revolution may be negatively impacting the creativity of our children, for the most part they will emerge unscathed. Such was not the case for Kanonier Ulrich, who would witness firsthand the apocalyptic culmination of the industrial revolution; the annihilation of an entire generation of European manhood.

If Ulrich's fellow landser and artist Max Beckmann is to be believed, those with a creative bent did everything they could to subvert the grinding maw of industrial death that held sway over the trenches.

"I won't shoot at Frenchmen, I owe too much to Cézanne - - and at Russians neither; Dostoyevsky is a friend."

Wishing you all the best,
TJ

[Chip M]

TJ,

In regard to your question about the unit...I don't see a flaming bomb or crossed shells of the field or foot artillery. The only artillery units not to have these are Bavarian units and if he is from Sindlingen, he is not in a Bavarian unit and besides, he is not wearing a Bavarian cockade on his cap and his collar is Resedagrün, not Feldgrau.

Can you see anything else on the shoulder strap?

Chip

[Guardian 5]

Chip,

Thanks very much for the follow-up.

The only other detail I could work out was the prescence of a crown on the epaullette button.

I've transcribed the numbers on the epaulette in the hope that they'll provide a clue.

Thanks again,
TJ

[Chip M]

A crown shoulder strap button is standard on a Prussian Bluse. Though the crown was supposed to be universal, that is, for all contingents, the Bavarians continued to use their lion buttons, presumably until stocks were exhausted.

Chip

[Gerdan]

Sindlingen today is a district of Frankfurt am Main, formaly was part of Nassau. Frankfurt/M and Nassau since 1866 belonged to Prussia.


Gerdan