The Uniform Group of an American volunteer with the RFC

[Pillau]

Hallo!

Apologize for the translation, it's Google.
Very interesting topic. But Kamstigaall - this is not Poland, this is Russia. Towns of the Baltic, Baltijsk (Pillau). I live here.
About this camp was known, but never came across images and photos. Thank you!

[Croix de Guerre]

Pillau! Thank you for writing to me! Do you know if there is anything still to be seen of the camp? I would love to see some modern photos of the area no matter if anything is still there or not. I have other photos of the camp that I would be willing to share with you if you are interested. I am going to also post an answer in Russian, I apologize as well as I am using "babelfish".

Thank you!
Tom

Pillau! Вы для писания к мне! Вы знаете если что-нибыдь все еще быть увиденным лагеря? Я полюбил бы увидеть некоторые самомоднейшие фото области никакое дело если что-нибыдь все еще там или не. Я имею другие фото лагеря что я был охотно готов делить с вами если вы заинтересованы. Я иду также вывесить ответ в русском, я извиняюсь так же, как я использую " babelfish". Вы, Tom

[Pillau]

Hello Tom!

No structures of the camp, of course remains. I have only German information about what this camp was. At the beginning of the 20th century had its Kamstigaall estate, where he was a brick factory and a village pub with Kamstigaall.
Old Kamstigaall was from the bay Frisches Naff. The name "Kamstigaall"translates as "corner."
Before World War II in the place built two "Siedlung" "Stadtsiedlung" and "Marinesiedlung." Or villages. They have survived.
In the 40s there the Germans were building an embankment. This territory wasphotographed in August 1944, British pilots in order to find plants of F-1 and F-2,"Operation Crossbow".
I will try here to lay out the modern photo Kamstigaall, now a village Sevastopol if'll deal with the buttons)))

I would be very glad if you can share with me your photos!
You can write to me directly by email: eva.sh@mail.ru

Thank you, Tom!

[Pillau]

Hello!
In the continuation of the theme.
Originally located in Kamstigall hospital for the wounded, as Pillau was packed. In 1914 the infirmary was built in 800. In March 1915 Kamstigall have to stay sick, firstthey were soldiers with typhoid. In autumn 1917 the infirmary was closed. In the spring of 1918 and reopened in September 1918, again closed. On-site hospitalorganized a camp for British officers prisoners of war. The first prisoners arrived12/10/1918 and camp there until November.
It can be assumed that the camp was there, where he later built Siedlung. The old village and the estate is situated on the south, "Kamstigall Spitz," that is, the tip of land in this place.
In the picture:
1. The overall modern look
2. Homes in Marinesiedlung
3. View "Spitz"

[Croix de Guerre]

I wanted to dust this old thread off to show the amazing work of Mike Moore. I hired Mike about a year ago to make a display model of Thomson's aircraft and I couldn't be happier with his work. I am also proud to say that I presented this model to Thomson's son as a way of saying "thank you" for all the encouragement and support his has shown me in my research of his father. Enjoy!

[Brasso]

Here is a sepia photograph of P Franke, one of the German staff at Karlsruhe 1B POW camp in 1918. He is surrounded by the paraphernalia needed by a post clerk and censor – letter scale, rack of stamps, hand punch, scissors, etc. Very interestingly, he had written his name and address on the back of the photograph – so it looks like Reg (who kept the photograph) must have got on with him. It took a little effort, but we worked out and verified both his name and address. What it says on the back of the card is: P. Franke, Bischofswerda, Saxony, Bautzenerstrasse 20. The address still exists today, though would be written: Bautzenerstrasse 20, Bischofswerda, Germany. A check with a 1907 Directory of Saxony showed Fanny Franke, grocery store owner, as the head of household at this address. Fanny was probably his mother.

I hope I managed to transfer the picture

brasso

[Croix de Guerre]

Here is a sepia photograph of P Franke, one of the German staff at Karlsruhe 1B POW camp in 1918. He is surrounded by the paraphernalia needed by a post clerk and censor – letter scale, rack of stamps, hand punch, scissors, etc. Very interestingly, he had written his name and address on the back of the photograph – so it looks like Reg (who kept the photograph) must have got on with him. It took a little effort, but we worked out and verified both his name and address. What it says on the back of the card is: P. Franke, Bischofswerda, Saxony, Bautzenerstrasse 20. The address still exists today, though would be written: Bautzenerstrasse 20, Bischofswerda, Germany. A check with a 1907 Directory of Saxony showed Fanny Franke, grocery store owner, as the head of household at this address. Fanny was probably his mother.

I hope I managed to transfer the picture

brasso

I can't begin to tell you all how shocked and amazed I was to find the email message of this post this morning. I have been very fortunant to track down a great many of the people and places involved with Tommy Thomson's story but I never imagined that I would have any success with many of the Germans involved. Talk about serendipity! Yes, that is the same soldier, Frank the interpreter from Tommy's narrative. How amazing!

[Croix de Guerre]

Here are some closer views of Frank from the two photos. I have no problem saying that it is the same man.

*Had trouble with the images at first, my PC kept saving them as bitmap files.

[Croix de Guerre]

Here is a quote about Frank from Tommy's own post-war narrative, "From the Heavens Into Hunland"

"We were introduced to the camp commandant, yet another dyed in the wool Prussian General who immediately began his own campaign of verboten. He had as his interpreter a good hearted fellow by the name of P. Frank who held the exalted rank of corporal. The General disliked the kind hearted Corporal Frank but tolerated him because he was needed. Soon after we arrived the General’s patience reached its limit and he had Frank thrown in the brig having been caught selling fish to one of our senior British officers, Lt. Colonel Martin. Seeing Corp. Frank by the wire enclosure of the klink, I passed by and sought to sympathize with his as a fellow prisoner. He told me he didn’t mind his imprisonment because within a week’s time he was going to put the General in jail! I thought that this was just idle boasting, but it proved to be an accurate forecast of upcoming events."

[Croix de Guerre]

Tommy's narrative cont.
"On November 10, when we assembled for the morning roll call, we saw a red flag flying over the commandants quarters. So we learned that we had had our own Red Revolution as our camp had been taken over by a soldiers committee that was acting on orders from the communists in Konigsberg. Corporal Frank our kind hearted interpreter, now freshly released from jail and wearing a bright red brassard, became the camp commandant. The Old Prussian commandant was indeed thrown in the clink and it gave us all no end of pleasure to see the regular German officers having their swords and epaulettes removed and all badges of authority confiscated. It was a sweet spectacle to see a German soldier give his officer a stare instead of a salute."