An inscription in his own hand on von Lettow photograph

[warsib]

I would appreciate help with this;-
I am currently painting a picture for Roger Sibley, author of Tanganyikan Guerrilla, Pan/Ballantine Books, which includes a photograph of von Lettow and which contains a written inscription by him, dated 1920. Can anyone translate what is written? I assume the last word is 'Ostafrika' so perhaps he refers to the campaign he fought there.I append a version of the inscription; the photograph itself is in sepia tones and measures 12cm x16cm, and shows von Lettow seated at a desk, in uniform.
Many thanks, Peter Warden

[Seesoldat]

Von Lettow wrote the following words:

"In dankbarer Erinnerung an unsere Kriegszeit in Ostafrika"


This means:

"In thankful reminiscence of our wartime in East Africa"


Yours

Markus

[warsib]

Thank you, Marcus ! A very speedy and complete response- what a helpful forum this is !
I will attach a view of the whole photo.
Peter

[Chris Dale]

And thank you Warsib, for posting up such a good photo of von Lettow-Vorbeck. What I find especially interesting here are his collar badges, which I assume to be from his period with the Freikorps? Welcome to the forum.
Cheers
Chris

[warsib]

Here is a detail of the badge, the best I can do. Viewing the original, under magnification, yields no better ; the badge has caught the light and 'flared' !
Peter

[Chris Dale]

Thanks for the close up, yes that certainly looks like the badge of the Garde Kavallerie Schützen Division, a Freikorps unit of which I think the Freikorps Lettow-Vorbeck was a part. Nice view of the Pour-le-Merite medal too
Cheers
Chris

[Seesoldat]

Hello,

in 1994 I was one of the two officers, carrying the wreath on the 30th anniversary of von Lettows death. Afterwards the participants of the ceremony were invited by von Lettows family and so I got the chance to hold the original PLM in my hands.

So if you ever have the chance to be in the vicinity of Pronsdorf in Schleswig-Holstein, ask the count and countess von Rantzau to visit the graveyard and perhaps the castle of Pronsdorf.

Yours

Markus

[Chris Dale]

in 1994 I was one of the two officers, carrying the wreath on the 30th anniversary of von Lettows death. Afterwards the participants of the ceremony were invited by von Lettows family....

That's quite an honour!
Cheers
Chris

[warsib]

http://www.tokencoins.com/gea04.htm

I invite interested readers to visit this page; Is it true that von Lettow 'lived in poverty after WW2 ' ? Wonderful therefore that General Smuts was able to provide for a small pension for his old adversary !

Peter