I thought our members keen on the Kaiserliche Marine might be interested to see the following items that belonged to a German sailor from the SMS Emden taken POW and imprisoned on Malta.

 

Dresden class cruiser SMS Emden is famed for its record as a raider and subsequent engagement with HMAS Sydney on the 9th November 1914 resulting in the German ship being grounded on the Cocos Islands.

 

My maternal Great Grandfather served in the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) and spent time before deploying to the Western Front on Malta as a POW Camp Guard. These articles were brought home with him after the war.

 

Hand printed post card from the POW Camp of SMS Emden after the battle with HMAS Sydney.

SMS Emden Tallyband

Kaiserliche Marine Cockade

German lucky charm hand made from a round/bullet

Group photograph with the German POW seated centre.

My Great Grandfather who served in the RGA.

 

Gunner87

 

 

 

Very nice! Am familiar with the Emden story and these are great items! Thank you for sharing!

Very neat souvenirs of your family service.  Thank you for showing them.

 

Amazing souvenirs.

How fabulous! And so interesting about your great-grandfather being a POW Camp Guard. He must have had quite a few stories to tell when he returned home. Your family seems to have such a lovely record of service.

3 minutes ago, GCCE1854 said:

How fabulous! And so interesting about your great-grandfather being a POW Camp Guard. He must have had quite a few stories to tell when he returned home. Your family seems to have such a lovely record of service.

 

This is three more of my Great War ancestors. The first served in the Machine Gun Corps, second Royal Navy and lastly Rifle Brigade. Sadly the latter was killed in action on the 9th May 1915 during the disastrous attack on Aubers Ridge. 

 

Such handsome chaps! So sad about the third one. 

If you're ever needing help with searching old newspapers to see if they were mentioned, just ask!

3 minutes ago, GCCE1854 said:

If you're ever needing help with searching old newspapers to see if they were mentioned, just ask!

 

Thank you, that's appreciated. I actually run a military research service helping customers trace the service of their military ancestors so have access to a great newspaper database. When I have posted the required amount, with your blessing, I will share my webpage and Facebook link, should any of our members be interested.

 

1 minute ago, Gunner87 said:

 

Thank you, that's appreciated. I actually run a military research service helping customers trace the service of their military ancestors so have access to a great newspaper database. When I have posted the required amount, with your blessing, I will share my webpage and Facebook link, should any of our members be interested.

 

Oh, fabulous! That's a great service, and you'll be welcome to post that. 

 

Did your family have a high record of service in other wars, too? Or were they all the perfect age in WWI? 

My Mom's family was almost always in the wrong age bracket -- too young or too old for active service during the wars. There are two ggg-grandfathers who served in the American Civil War (one on each side), but no one in WWI.

Both my Grandfathers served in WW2 and I was deployed to the Gulf War in 1990-1991. 

 

My paternal Grandfather was serving on LCI (L) 164 at Sword Beach on the morning of the 6th June 1944. After the vessel had off loaded the troops from 2 King's Shropshire Light Infantry it was required to evacuate the wounded but the engine had failed. Using his experience repairing marine engines my Grandfather repaired the engine and the wounded were removed from the beach. Years later my Grandfather's superior officer met with him signing the photograph which has his LC in the back ground.