MG 08/15

[MG1918]

dwmimages (161).jpg (184.68 KiB) Viewed 4409 times

dwmimages (162).jpg (170.73 KiB) Viewed 4409 times

[MG1918]

[MG1918]

[MG1918]

[MG1918]

Note image 33

[MG1918]

[MG1918]

[MG1918]

[MG1918]

dwmimages (165).jpg (118.92 KiB) Viewed 4129 times

[Hans1906]

Mark, what about all the pictures of the shot down victims of all these machine guns, the pictures of our grandfathers who ran against these machine guns and died, what about all this ?

Hans1906

* I understand the technical fascination of the weapon, the effect was pure horror, beyond any passion for collecting.

Your one-sided technical view is too short-sighted for me, but that's just my personal opinion.

[MG1918]

Hans1906 your opinion is very important and indeed there are collectors, and collectors. Not sure if you think I only show images of German war dead or glorify armed conflict but I can assure you not a day passes when I do not think of our ancestors and their sacrifice. Even more so today when we might wonder what they would think of this modern world, and the freedoms we have inherited. Probably best we do not know!
Anyway I do value your opinion, at the end of the day these are just very well made pieces of metal and wood, but were operated by professionals who were trained to do a job. I hope it means something that I am proudly British, but have a passion for Imperial German MG, yet very aware of their devastating effects on the WWI Allied Forces. It is my contribution to remembering and I see no difference to a helmet or badge or even tank collector. It helps us remember, and to study and keep history alive. The whole point of national military museums I guess. So I hope that helps I visit regularly War Graves of many nations and the joy of collecting, if that is the right word, in no way diminishes the sadness and reflection on the loss of life. I would hope most collectors who are collecting for the right reasons would agree. Mark

[MG1918]

[wwilson]

"Social history of the machine gun", by Ellis, is an interesting read.

Cheers

[MG1918]

[Hans1906]

Mark,

the photos from your collection are interesting, very much so.
But there is hardly any exchange, it is only consumed here...

Most of us know that hundreds and thousands of the soldiers of these MG divisions also fell, like all other front-line fighters in those days.

The few photos of these completely destroyed departments are gruesome, shocking, a pile of flesh and blood.

Whether this should be a topic in your area, I can answer badly, there were only losers at that time, more is not known to me personally.

I always think of the photo of my great-grandfather Franz, with his wife and the two oldest daughters from the war year 1916.
Unfortunately, I can not post this photo here, maybe later once...
An actually still young man, but the great-grandfather seems on this photo, as if he was not present at all, like a "visitor" from another world.

The suffering and horror were hammered into the man's face...


Hans