WWI German Medic and Armed German Sentry

            An armed German sentry looks sternly on as a German medic examines the papers of a young boy.  

This photograph is one of a set of three WWI photos taken at the same location in either Strassburg, Germany or somewhere in German-occupied Belgium.  The photographer's stamp on the back reads, "Photogr. Dober, Strassburg, Dornengasse 4."  However, the person who sold me this photograph believes that the boy's cap might be Belgian military and that a German photographer took the picture in Belgium and later developed it in his studio in Strassburg.  The boy is wearing military-like leather leggings, and it is not know if he is an actual member of the military or perhaps a cadet at a military school.  [NOTE:  ART NAHPRO has solved the mystery as to the location.  It is Strassburg.  See discussion below.]

The sentry to the left is not only armed with a sword and wearing spurs, he is also armed with what appears to me might be a shotgun.  This would seem to be a strange weapon for a soldier in the Imperial German Army to be carrying, but perhaps it was for riots or crowd control in close quarters.  In another picture in this set of three photos, this soldier has taken off his overcoat, and the emblem on his epaulette reveals him to be a member of the German 84th Foot Artillery.

The shoulder strap of the Medic on the right indicates that he is assigned to the German 16th Infantry.  The medic wears the distinctive red cross armband and is carrying a canteen.  The other picture of the medic reveals that he is armed with a holstered pistol on his right side, but it is not visible in this photograph because of the way he is turned.  On yet another photograph of this Medic, he is identified as "Karl Rich" on the back of the picture.

If this is a guard shack, it certainly is a fancy one.  It is embellished with a decorative metal border at the edge of the roof and is topped by a delicate spire adorned with what appear to be metal flowers on wire stems.  A pair of graceful planters flank the doorway, and vines from the planters grow up the sides and festoon the top of the doorway.  Inside the structure, two graceful rattan chairs and a table can be seen.  There is a mat on the floor.

Perhaps this is not really a guard shack, but is instead a scenic observation structure from which the city can be viewed.

All in all, this is a fascinating set of three WWI photographs, which poses a many, many interesting questions to which we may never know the answers.

Taken on: October 10, 2008

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Camera: HP Scanjet 4800 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	HP Scanjet 4800
Color Space:	sRGB
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