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Photo
©
Freddy Rudolf and Zylgwyn Heckenbücker
This is a photograph taken at Kurume
Prisoner of War camp in Japan at Christmas 1915, just over a year
after the fall of Tsingtao. The glum faces of the five Seesoldaten
reflect their thoughts at being imprisoned away from their loved ones
at Christmas. Note also the sparse Christmas tree in the background.
The five men wear their
blue caps with white hatbands and piping and an imperial cockade on
the front. Two of the caps have black leather peaks, usually worn by
NCOs and officers but sometimes privately purchased by other ranks.
They all wear the other
ranks 1867 grey/black greatcoat, some with the collars turned up for
extra warmth, others displaying their white collar patches with yellow
Litzen. The shoulder straps are dark blue, piped in white with yellow
insignia. The insignia shows an imperial crown above two crossed
anchors and the numeral "III". The figure on the right wears a
1900 Grey Litewka under his
greatcoat, without its collar patches. His trousers are dark blue with
white piping.
One of the men in this
grouping is Jacob Heckenbücker (see
Seesoldat Heckenbücker
for biographical details).
Please respect the
generosity of Jacob Heckenbücker's grandson and great-grandson, Freddy
Rudolf and Zylgwyn Heckenbücker, respectively in sharing this
photograph with us by not reproducing it without prior permission. |
