N L Collier

A professional pilot for 20 years with a lifelong interest in the Great War. Home Before the Leaves Fall is the first of 5 novels, published by @matadorbooks.

[Discovering the frontline and beyond. @Lachouffeke]

France - Argonne - ( Binarville ) - Toter Mann Lager -

Toter Mann railway station -

I've been there many times .....
But never saw this picture before ..So Wauw .....

[315e RI @Ri315e]

Douaumont

[Yannick Olivères @ThePoiluProject]

In the Verdun region, April 1917, French troops in trucks are waiting to be transported from the frontline into the reserve line. They are weary, battle-hardened, and exhausted.

[ℭ𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔭𝔥 𝔚𝔞𝔤𝔫𝔢𝔯-𝔏𝔦𝔢𝔟𝔥𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔯 @wagn36507]

Berlin, 1. Januar 1913. 🪖✨
Ein Moment wie in Stein gemeißelt:
Kaiser Wilhelm II. schreitet mit seinen sechs Söhnen über die Schlossbrücke zur Neujahrs-Paroleausgabe.
Es ist der Zenit der Hohenzollern. Ein Moment voller Stolz, Tradition und dem Glauben an eine ewige Monarchie.

[Undiscovered History @HistoryUnd]

German fraternity mirror selfie (1912)

[📜Echoes of Empire📜 @EchoesofEmpire_]

A German soldier and his son during the outbreak of WWI.

[ℭ𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔭𝔥 𝔚𝔞𝔤𝔫𝔢𝔯-𝔏𝔦𝔢𝔟𝔥𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔯 @wagn36507]

Ein letzter Händedruck vor der Ungewissheit🥀

Dieses Foto von 1914 zeigt das „Augusterlebnis“ pur: Blumen am Gewehr 98, die Pickelhaube mit Feldüberzug und eine beklemmende Förmlichkeit. Hinter dem Stolz der Uniform verbirgt sich die Tragik eines Abschieds für immer. #History

[F.C.I.Apostata @KucharMiroslav1]

Flanders. Otto Dix (1934)

[N L Collier @NL_Collier]

11.03.1916 #Verdun 7. Komp. IR64 is in Vaux village. It's stoutly defended & exposed to French artillery & MG fire. The Komp. made some progress last night in house to house fighting at heavy cost but now they're stuck. To add to their woes the temp is -15 C #FWW #WW1

[This day in WWI @ThisDayInWWI]

Mar 1 - Mar 10 1916 Near Verdun, France, Stéphane Passet takes these autochrome photos in their original colour 110 years ago. They show a snow covered trench, a truck unloading its cargo and an informal butcher set up in the forest
https://t.co/9R5UJ0JO3W

[315e RI @Ri315e]

The helmet that survives today is probably not the one he worn x2 at Verdun.

He was wounded in the head and shoulder on 14th November 1916 and left the battlefield on a stretcher.

This Adrian helmet pictured is likely issued to him when he returned to the 315e in early 1917

[The Name of War @TheNameofWar]

Funnel listening post in front of Neuve-Chapelle, 6 km north from La Bassée, northern France, 1916.

[315e RI @Ri315e]

26.2.16
"Its cold, but when we will be in the trenches, outside at night, it will be even worse. We leave for 8 days, provided nothing happens, because on our right at Verdun, it has been non-stop. I am sending you a photo👇, it will be a memory for me after the war"

[N L Collier @NL_Collier]

25.02.1916 What's left of IR64 has been pulled out. 7. Komp. has suffered 50% losses & is sent to garrison Ornes village. There's a dressing station in the church but not for long due to French shelling (pic 1, 1915; pic 2 1916; pic 3 all that remains) #Verdun #FWW #WW1

[N L Collier @NL_Collier]

@SonicTed From IR64's Regimental History. It's a fascinating read if you can get hold of it (copies are hard to find but there's one in the British Library, if that helps)

[N L Collier @NL_Collier]

23.02.1916 #Verdun IR64 is still stuck in the Herbebois killing ground. Then Lt Brosowski charges a machine gun nest with his pistol & walking stick. He's killed but the men with him take the nest. This unlocks the French positions & by nightfall the wood is clear #FWW #WW1

[N L Collier @NL_Collier]

22.02.1916 in 24 hours IR64 has made almost no progress through Herbebois wood. No one knew that it's a perfect killing ground. Obstacles force the men into the line of fire from hidden blockhouses like these two & supporting machine gun nests #Verdun #FWW #WW1

[N L Collier @NL_Collier]

@bart_debeer Apologies - had mentally attached this reply to a different post of mine. The deserving often go unrecognised

[N L Collier @NL_Collier]

21.02.1916 #Verdun IR64's long wait is over. All day the artillery has pounded the French lines. At 5pm German time the first patrols go in, followed by the rest of the front line companies at 6. It's nearly 1km across open ground to the wood on the hill #FWW #WW1

[N L Collier @NL_Collier]

@bart_debeer Yes, the courage on both sides was extraordinary

[N L Collier @NL_Collier]

@bart_debeer In March 1916 IR64 attacked Vaux village from the Zick-Zack Graben (didn't go well) and in May they were in the Briten-Schlucht (NNW of the Vaux-Teich) and the Caillette-Wald (map from Schlachten des Weltkrieges). The 2 deployments almost destroyed the regiment