[Bayonetcollector]

Sender:
Pionier Otto Zörb / M(inen) W(erfer) 33 / z(um)(?) Westen

Receiver:
Pionier Heinrich Faber / z(ur) Z(ei)t Res(erve) Lazarett 8 Friedrichsheim
Frankfurt a(m) M(ain) - Niederrad

Lieber Freund,
Dankend deiner Briefe vom 18.1 erhalten. Wie ich daraus ersehe bist du immer noch nicht wieder hergestellt.
Ja Neuigkeiten von hier müsste ich wirklich nicht zuschreiben (probably: wüsste ich wirklich nicht zu schreiben ???), nur dass wir in Ruhe liegen. Wie lange diese Herrlichkeit, muss man abwarten.
Fur heute grüsst dich vielmals d(ein) Freund Otto Zörb.

February 5th, 1917

Dear Friend:

Thanks, your letter of January 18 received. I see from your letter that you still have not yet gotten back on your feet. Yeah, I really must not describe any new occurrences here; suffice it to say that things are quiet. We will have to wait and see how long this splendid situation lasts. Today I'll just send you many greetings.

Your friend,
Otto Zoerb

 

[Bayonetcollector]

Otto Zörbs memory

The author, Otto Zoerb, died on November 14th, 1917 and is buried in Menen, Belgium.

The graveyard in Menin was established by German troops after the battles in 1917 in the woods of Menin. At the end of the war 6.340 graves were there. In the fifties 49 other graveyards in the south of the province were moved there and it is now the largest of the German WWI graveyards in the west with 47.864 graves. Otto himself is easy to find as his grave is known and numbered: Block C Grab 1127.

Big Commanders friend in Menen was able to find him and put three flowers on his grave from me, The Expert and Big Commander.

As The Expert wrote:
I think it is entirely fitting that we honor the war dead in this way. This man had no say in the politics that sent him to his death, but he loved his country and comrades in arms enough to do his duty and lay his life as a sacrifice on the Altar of War. All here should honor Otto Zoerb, whose writings have somehow miraculously survived the past century of conflict and have allowed us, the readers of this board, to see a glimpse of him as the person he was, and not just another faceless inscription on a grave marker.

So, from us who've had the honour to get to know you 89 years after your death, here is a sign of respect from us.

 

[Bayonetcollector]

Bouncing this up by request...

 

[The Expert]

Thank you very much, BayCol! I should have know it was there somewhere!!

Regards.

 

[Big commander]

This was worth saving. Thank you BC!
Expert, tell me ... why is your gnome exposing your Swiss bank account number?

 

[The Expert]

This was worth saving. Thank you BC!
Expert, tell me ... why is your gnome exposing your Swiss bank account number?

HAHAHA! Because I believe in sharing with all my friends here at Gunboards, of course!

When I first saw this pic, I thought the idea of a verhafteter Gartenzwerg was just too funny, so I made it my avatar.

 

[Bayonetcollector]

btt