15 Pounders in 1918 !

[Gspragge]

I thought these were long withdrawn ?

 

[sksvlad]

Besides "Libhen Marie" I have no idea what is written. May someone write the text here, maybe there is a clue in the text.

 

[bdgreen]

I believe it is written in shorthand which for the most part has not been used for 50 years. My mother learned shorthand in the 1940's as part of her secretarial duties.

Attached is the title page for the 1912 Handbook for the 15 Pounder and 15 Pdr shrapnel shell drawing from 1915 Treatise on Ammunition.

 

[sksvlad]

Brian, you are correct about shorthand. I only saw it once in my life. When I lived in the USSR, we were forced in school to read great wise writings of Vladimir Lenin, and then make short annotations of that multi page garbage ourselves. One girl brought her retelling of Lenin's rubbish written in shorthand. And the teacher took severe umbrage to the insult to Lenin's name and the whole Communist Party. I thought it was very funny.

A note in case I'll be prosecuted here in the USA for writing my recollections above. Lenin was a nice man and we all love him. I wrote above being under the influence of alcohol.

 

[ron3350]

I remember my grandfather and mother using shorthand and my sister learnt it at school in the 1960's.
One style was Pitman and the other was Dacomb. As a newspaper reporter you had to write quickly.

 

[Alpini]

Besides "Libhen Marie" I have no idea what is written.

"Liebe Marie" ;-) That's written there in a good readable handwriting. "Marie" is written in normal latin letters like today because it's a name. "Liebe" is written in "Kurrentschrift" letters.

But I cannot read a single letter of the remaining text. I also think it's "Steno". My grandmother would be able to read it but sadly since some time she forgets more and more how to speak (she is 99 years old). She always wrote her shopping list in Steno

Also the names "Écoust - Croisilles" (red underlined) are written in latin letters.

 

[Gspragge]

Admitidly the crew was some what Shorthanded at the time of turnover - but isn't 1918 late for this gun ?

 

[Alpini]

It's just a German postcard so I wouldn't overrate the 1918.

 

[Gspragge]

Apperently these guns were used as anti tank guns in 1918 with HE & 101 fuze.
one unfired projectile was found near Bapaume, fuze dated 1917 several years ago.