German Colony In China : Kiautschou :

Here is my real grandfather in 1918



S.M.S. Helgoland in 1915

Ohhh this is a great piece of family history to have. Very interesting Wikipedia entry on the history of this ship during its short life 1909 - 1921.

Do you have any stories handed down about the 10/31/1918 mutiny?

yes, thanks for asking. Hopefully rod222 does not mind by getting off the subject......

Here is the rest of the story.

the first picture shows a crew (Stokers(?) translation) of the
S.M.S. Helgoland in Kiel 1918 signed by my grandfather......



This picture has a note on the back: Mutiny 1918 and an x on my
grandfather



This is a copy of his ID card from Oct. 1, 1919 and according to his cap now attached to Minensuch H. FL. Nordsee



Now that is what I have. Interesting stuff. He was 18...just like the young soldiers today.

I have to check if there are some stamps.

Take care,

Fifia

Fifia: thanks for sharing those wonderful pictures. My mother was born about when your grandfather was transferring from one ship to the other.

No problem, rather, a welcome addition.
"Stokers" is correct, sailors who shovelled coal into the
furnaces, to produce steam for the reciprocating steam engine.
"Stoking" the fire etc.

I was a sailor, and spent my time down the boiler room,
my time though was with oil burners, babcox and wilcox furnaces
steam turbines and superheated steam.

Those pictures convey a lot to me, great stuff.

Thank you rod222,

...and here we go again. In 1976 I started to work at Babcox & Wilcox Nuclear Power Generation Group in Virginia. B&W/BBR were building a Power Plant in Germany and an intensive training program started with German engineers. My language/drafting skills were put to use. I was given a book at one time (for outstanding performance(?)), and I have been checking on the subject of furnaces.
This must be you standing there!


NS Savannah, nuclear powered ship now here in Charleston harbour as a museum.


Occasionally I would go with a group to tour B&W's Mt. Athos plant
where the fuel pellets for the Navy were produced.

Good memories. Was laid off in 1981 with a lot of other people due to
the Three Mile accident which caused the cancellation of 12 power plants. The German plant never went on line due to cooling tower problems. Have to check if there are stamps to that subject. Back to the Einstein thread.

...but I found one Kiautschou stamp.



Prior to WWI, Germany had a colony in Kiauchau (Kiautschou), China. At the outbreak of war, the Japanese captured the colony, and shipped the German POWs back to prison camps in Japan.

Did not know that...

So as to NOT leave out Postal Stationery folks, Germany did the same design as on the stamps on Postal stationery, fairly across their foreign holdings. Here are but 3 such..

Lovely scans PoStationery man.

I picked up a large variety of these unused postal stationary cards today. I'm curious ... why was there different rates on the cards from the same colony?

As a general rule, one rate for within the colony and another for outside the colony.

I hope you do not mind me posting a slightly tangential question. I would like very much to be in contact with fifia who posted about his grandfather on the SMS Helgoland. I am in Germany and visiting a new exhibition at the Wilhelmshaven museum on the wartime experiences of sailors on the ship seen through the eyes of two sailors, Linke and Strumpf. Since I am writing about the 1914-18 naval war I would like very much to be put in contact with this member or ask one of you kindly to pass this message through.

Unfortunately, that member has not been on this forum in more than a year. I tried sending a private message, but he has disabled that feature. Unless he lurks around in here, I do not think we will be able to contact him.

Brian