Help w/Sign at Guard House

[Stinch]

I just picked up this photo of a soldier standing by a guard house. Could someone help with the words on the sign? I think it is "Nache" or maybe "Noche", but I'm not sure. A second (or third) set of eyes would help. Once the verdict is in, any information about the place the sign is referring to would be great!

Thanks
Rich

[Tom Yanacek]

Hello Rich,

I think it is the German word "Wache" referring to a guard or sentry post or station.

Best regards,
Tom

[Ron C.]

German verb "wachen"......to be awake or watch. "Wache" can mean many different things when combined with other letters or words, and depending on the context. Leibwache means bodyguard, Brandwache (fireguard) and so on. Die Wache could also mean guardhouse. The word on the wall is "Wache" with an arrow pointing away from the guardpost or sentry with a square beside it. I think it is likely showing the direction to the guardhouse. The guard or sentry at his post is also a "Wache".

Ron

[PanzerFlo]

The word is "Wache" as previously stated here.
The sign shows the uninformed person approaching the barracks where he or she has to go to show the papers to be let in into the barracks area.
In the "Wache", which is the guard-house = an office behind a big window plus other rooms for the guard soldiers with a table and chairs, some certain document boards, an extra room for sleeping (one half of the guard soldiers sleep 4 hours alternating) and several ward rooms to put in soldiers who have acted against the law etc.
There in the "Wache" or "Wachlokal" (the office plus other rooms, the guard-building) usually sits the "Wachhabender" the chief NCO of the guard with his deputy, the "stellvertretender Wachhabender" and (I can only speak for modern times) four to six guard soldiers. Usually one or two of the soldiers are on guard duty outside in front or next to both sides of the barracks' gate to controll the papers of the people going in and out of the guarded area.
Then there's the "Offizier vom Wachdienst (OvWA)" the guard officer who has the whole command about the guard.
All the men described above are put under special guard-law for the 24 hours they are on guard. The term for putting them under the special guard-law is "vergattert".
Then the other duties on guard for the soldiers are: two men and the "OvWA" make the flag-parade to bring up the flag for sunrise and bring it down when the sun goes down.
The two others who were not to handle the flag are to patrol around the area of the whole barracks, following the wall or fence to controll if there are holes in the wall/fence and other irregularities.

Hope this helps.

[Simon O.]

The system is almost identical to that of the modern British army. Funny how technology can change but things like guard routines stay the same.

[Napalm]

And the exact same thing in the Irish Army too ^