Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Wars and ConflictsΒ  permalink

WW1 German Funeral

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by STUDDLY (U2798535) on Thursday, 22nd December 2005

  Hi,
  
  Below is a description of a German officers Funeral from ww1.
  
  "A military funeral took place from here at about 10.30 am. An artillery officer had died and the preparations to accord him the last honours were solemn and imposing, a firing party of artillery men with arms reversed marched at the head of the procession (I always understood that they should march behind the coffin) followed by buglers and the artillery brass-band, the drum draped entirely in black. Then came a 4.5 drawn by six blacks and above the muzzle of the weapon was raised a small platform painted black on which rested the remains of the dead officer, encased in a German coffin, with the usual elaborate metal decoration on the outside and the union-jack lying caressingly over all. The officer’s charger a black, led by a soldier created in itself an impressiveness quite indescribable and as he stepped proudly immediately in the wake of his departed master, whose jack-boots stuck in the stirrups, with the heels pointing to the front and swaying limply to the movements of the horse, one realises that in life there is death which is waiting ever so patiently for each one of us. Bringing up the rear was a good muster of artillerymen."
  
  I just wondered if this was the norm?
  
  The extract was taken from The Great war diaries of Stapleton Tench Eachus, a signalman in the great war.
  
  www.wardiaries.co.uk
  
  Thanks
  Jon

  Link to this forum: WW1 German Funeral

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Dirk Marinus (U1648073) on Thursday, 22nd December 2005

  <<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>
  
  
  Studdly,
  
  In most countries ( Britain included) it was a tradition that the riding boots of the person who had died would be stuck in a reverse position into the stirrups of his horse.
  
  As a matter of interest it is said that when looking at statues of persons mounted on a horse you are told how the person died.
  
  If all four hooves of the horse are on the level the person died as a result of natural causes.
  
  If the horse has one hoove raised the person died of a sickness.
  
  If the horse has two hooves raised the person had died in battle or had died of wounds received in battle.
  
  But I stand to corrections regarding the above.
  
  

  Link to this forum: WW1 German Funeral

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by TimTrack (U1730472) on Friday, 23rd December 2005

  "...As a matter of interest it is said that when looking at statues of persons mounted on a horse you are told how the person died..."
  
  This legend was mentioned on the quiz show "QI".
  
  They claimed it was an urban myth. Not exactly a sound academic source.
  

  Link to this forum: WW1 German Funeral

  Report message3

Back to top