…The piece – overall – is a fantastic collection of images presenting seaplanes, airplanes, ships and marine port of Zeebrugge during World War I….
“Kochanemu Alfonsowi Sobiszowi ofiaruje na pamiatke zawsze szczery Wuja Tobolski.
Wrzesnia,d. 1 Kwietnia 1931r”
“For my dear Alfons Sobisz – a gift to remember, yours sincerely, Uncle Tobolski.”
Wrzesnia day 1 April 1931
These words begin a story of one Polish seaplane pilot in Prussian army shown on several pages of this photo album from the period of his service as a member of Marinekorps Flandern in Hydro-Airplane Station located in Zeebrugge.
Along numerous pictures of the events at the Station, the book also includes private photos of the owner and his family from the time before the War.
The piece – overall – is a fantastic collection of images presenting seaplanes, airplanes, ships and marine port of Zeebrugge during World War I.
The most interesting to me are seven handwritten pages, describing some of the photos in the album. Unfortunately some pictures seem to be also missing from it -They might have been a part of another piece like this.
All these notes were written on the YMCA American Expeditionary Force sheets.
I think the album owner at the end of the war was halted by U.S. army and so he included stories and descriptions in the album to be able to keep it as a diary – a souvenir from the war – his private photo book.
Some notes in the album mention the great flying aces like Friedrich Christiansen, Bernhard von Tschirschky und Boegendorff, Admiral Tirpitz, Admiral Schröder, Marshall Paul von Hindenburg and kaiser Wilhelm II.
Officer Cadet – pilot Erich Kästner
Erich Kästner and Karl Meyer. These two German pilots shot down British airship C 17 on 21.04.1917. Postcard on the left illustrates the attack of their seaplanes on C 17.
Officer Cadet – pilot Karl Meyer
“Niemiecki Torpedowiec który przywiózl zdobyty Francuski Hydro-Aeroplan “Courtigsa””
(orginal text: page 6 point 8)
German torpedoboat which brought captured French Hydro-Airplane “Curtiss”
(This French flying boat is FBA type H )
French flying boat FBA brought to Zeebrugge station
“Zdobyta Francuska Lódz – “Courtigsa” D.10. na wodzie”
(orginal text: page 6 point 7)
Captured French boat “Curtiss” D.10. on the water
(This flying boat is a French FBA type H and not the Curtiss boat)
Torpedo bomber seaplane Gotha WD.11 on the sea just before pulling out on land.
“Wystrzal 38cm dziala Baterji Tirpiza z Wendüne”
(orginal text: page 4 point 17)
Gunshot from 38cm gun of Tirpitz Battery in Wenduine
(The 28cm Tirpitz Battery was located at Oostende)
“Niemiecka Lódz podwodna”
(orginal text: page 4 point 18)
German U-boat (type UC II)
British heavy bomber plane Handley Page 0/400 (nr. C3487 from Raf Sqn 214)
shot down on 18 May 1918 at Zeebruge
German heavy bomber Friedrichshafen G.III
German torpedo bomber seaplane Gotha WD.11 towed to the station.
British De Havilland D.H.9 captured and examined by Germans.
German reconnaissance airplane AGO C.I nr. S158 for the II Marine Landfleiger Abteilung at Moorsele
“Podchorazny – pilot K.Meier przy swem ulubionem bojow. hydroplanie (Rumpler C.V No.788)”
(orginal text: page 6 point 11)
Officer Cadet – pilot K.Meier in front of his favorite fighting seaplane (Rumpler C.V No.788) (Probably Karl Meyer)
Captured British seaplane Short Type 184
“Zburzony dom w Lissewegge an 31.III.1915”
(orginal text: page 3 point 23)
Destroyed house at Lissewege on 31.III.1915
General view of the Zeebrugge “Seeflugstation Flandern I”
Damaged Friedrichshafen FF.33 in hydro-seaplane station
Unidentified flying boat during pulling from the water
“Zdobyte Fracnuskie Lódzie Hydro Aeroplanowe Courtig’sa D.3, 84 przez Porucznika Christjanzen an 4.3.1917”
(orginal text: page 7 point 6)
Captured French Hydro-Airplane boats Curtiss D.3, 84 by Lt.z.S Christiansen on 4.3.1917
Gotha WD.11 prepared to start in the harbour mole at Zeebrugge.
Damaged Hansa-Brandenburg KDW
Bombed coast around Zeebrugge
Templar tower at Nieuport
De Havilland D.H.2 nr. 4732 prototype airplane of captain Robert Maxwell Pike inspected by Germans (Probably Admiral Tirpitz). This prototype airplane was shot down near Zonnebeke on 9.8.1915
“Zburzona wierza wodociagowa we wsi Zeebrügge”
(orginal text: page 5 point 19)
Destroyed water tower in the village Zeebrugge
The citizens of Zeebrugge during evacuation after one of the shelling
British seaplane Short Type 184 in harbour at Zeebrugge
“Wyrzucona Mina Angielska na brzegu Morskim”
(orginal text: page 6 point 10)
English mine ashored on the sea coast
German heavy bomber Gotha.IV
German Torpedoboats at Zeebrugge harbor
“Przewiezienie zwlok 40 Marynarzy niemieckich zatopionych przez Angielskie Torpedowce”
(orginal text: page 4 point 15)
Transporting corpses of 40 German seamen sunk by English torpedoboats
“Uroczysty pogrzeb tychze Marynarzy w Zeebrügge”
(orginal text: page 4 point 15)
Ceremonial funeral those seamen at Zeebrugge
(Admiral Schröder is involved In the funeral ceremony)
“Marszalek Hindenburg w samochodzie”
x – Hindenburg, xx – Admiral Schröder, xxx – Komedant Stacji Porucznik Trzcirski-Begendorf, xxxx – Ppor. Schuler (orginal text: page 7 point 5)
Marshal Hindenburg in the car
x – Hindenburg, xx – Admiral Schröder, xxx – Station Commender Lt.z.S Tschirschky und Boegendorff, xxxx – Sub-Lt. Schuler
“Zwiedzanie przez Marszalka Hindenburga stacji Lotniczy”
x – Hindenburg, xx – Admiral Schröder
(orginal text: page 7 point 4)
Marshall Hindenburg visiting the flying station
“Bezskuteczny pocisk 38 cm z lufy Angielskiego Monitora który upadl przy ostrzeliwaniu Zeebrügge an 10.5.17”
(orginal text: page 4 point 13)
Ineffective shell 38cm from the gun barell of English Monitor which fell at the shelling of Zeebrugge on 10.5.1917 (This was probably HMS Erebus shelling )
“Wybuch pocisku 38cm na brzegu morskiem an 10.5.17”
(orginal text: page 5 point 24)
Explosion of the 38cm shell on the seashore on 10.5.1917
(Probably HMS Erebus)
“50 kilowa bomba Angielska rzucona na Stacje Lotnicza”
(orginal text: page 4 point 14)
50 kg English bomb dropped on the flying station
Mole in Zeebrugge damaged by a British Submarine C3
(On 23 April 1918 British Royal Navy attacked the port in Zeebrugge. This action was remembered as Raid on Zeebrugge)
“Zwiedzanie stacji hydro-aeroplanowej przez cesarza Wilhelma II”
(orginal text: page 2 point 31)
Kaiser Wilhelm II visiting the hydro-airplane station ( After 23 April 1918 and the damaged the mole, kaiser Wilhelm II visited the Zeebrugge station)
Repair works of the Zeebrugge mole after the British raid on the 23 April 1918
HMS Iphigenia at Zeebrugge harbor after 23 April 1918
HMS Intreprid at Zeebrugge harbor after 23 April 1918
HMS Thetis at Zeebrugge harbor after 23 April 1918
German submarine returning from patrol
“Przewozenie na lad jenców z zatopionego Angielskiego Torpedowca”
(orginal text: page 3 point 24)
Transport of prisoners from a sunken English torpedoboat
Probably wrecks of British ships
British HMS Vindictive sunk at harbor
Damaged Church in Zeebrugge
Bombed church in Zeebrugge from the inside
Church in Zeebrugge after firing
German soldiers visiting bombed Zeebrugge
“Zabity Lotnik Angielski pod szczatkami swego samolotu”
(orginal text: page 5 point 21)
English airman killed under the debris of his plane
“Spaleni Lotnicy Francuscy”
(orginal text: page 5 point 20)
Burned French pilots
“Zabity Lotnik Francuski pod szczatkami swego samolotu”
(orginal text: page 5 point 22)
French airman killed under the debris of his plane
British F.E. 2 (Farman Experimental 2) captured after force-landing at the beach of Blankenberge on 24.6.1918
Cabin of the airplane F.E. 2
The F.E. 2 (Farman Experimental 2) from British 38 Sqn
“Hydro-Aeroplan 2 miejscowy nad oblokami”
(orginal text: page 5 point 23)
Two seat Hydro-Airplane above the clouds
Shelling of Zeebrugge
English wracks
View of Snaeskerke from 2000 meters
View of Gistel from 2000 meters
View of Leffinge from 2000 meters
View of Middelkerke from 2000 meters
“Gmach Poczty w Zeebrügge”
(orginal text: page 7 point 1)
Post Office at Zeebrugge
“Schrony na Stacji Lotniczy”
(orginal text: page 7 point 2)
Schelters on the aviation station
“Zbiórka zalogi stacji”
(orginal text: page 7 point 2)
Muster of the station crew
“Przyjemnosci brzegu morskiego “Zaloga stacji kapie sie””
(orginal text: page 6 point 12)
Pleasure of the sea shore “The crew of the station bathes”
Entertainment on the air station at Zeebrugge
Max Köhler, sächsische Orig-Type Seeflugstation Flandern
[…] Historical Aircraft, Handley-Page 0/400 Gotha themselves weren't behind the 8 ball either… A man from Zeebrugge… | Pommersches Pionier There are a huge number of floatplanes on this website. I only did a quick review but an LVG W.I […]
Thanks Milosz for giving a view on this valuable album, which has miraculously survived the ravages of the times. It seems to be in pristine conditon still.
I have a few more additional details to pictures presented in the album
(1) As already mentioned by Mr. Owers, the floatplane on the alleged picture of Meyer is a Rumpler 6 B1 Marinenummer 788 [the second machine of the order for two machines with Marinenummer 787-788].
It is remarkable that an exactly similar picture is presented in the excellent book of Eddy Lambrechts – Zij vielen uit de hemel, which shows another man before the same machine with the same dog (but then lying down). The man is identified by Mr. Lambrechts as Oberflugmeister Karl Meyer [p. 25].
It seems the photographer had a busy time that day!
(2) I studied a bit on the ‘Unidentified flying boat during pulling from the water’. Looking closely the wreck reveals a floatplane, which lost a float in the crash (at least that one is not salvaged or visible). The fuselage is largely hidden behind the float in this view. The wing is a large 3-bay piece and the front of the fuselage reveals the tractor propeller.
Typical is the form of the elevator, which has the clearly gracious line of the Albatros firm.
Given this information, where the form of the elevator weighs heavily, I would identify this machine as an Albatros W.1 military floatplane.
All the best
Kees Kort [aka Varese2002]
Apeldoorn, Netherlands
The album is fascinating. A few more answers for you relating to the aircraft identification:
Page 4:
“German reconnaissance airplane AGO C.I nr. S158 for the II Marine Landflieger Abteilung at Moorsele” (AW: The German Naval identification designations for landplanes were: LF (Landflugzeug = land aircraft) and S (Schulflugzeug = trainer/school aircraft) S158 was designated for training.
Page 5:
“Damaged Friedrichshafen FF.33 in hydro-seaplane station”
(AW: This is an FF.33e which had the three-bay wings. Look at the nose just behind the propeller… you’ll see the triangular cooling cutouts which were an identifier on the FF.33e (three-bay unarmed radio-equipped for observation) and FF.33h (two-bay armed version)
“Unidentified flying boat during pulling from the water”
(AW: This is the same aircraft in the previous photo, but is actually taken before the other one. Note the cooling cutouts on the underside of the nose piece behind the propeller.)
Thanks for creating this wonderful resource for us to enjoy!
A. Weaver | Designer/Over The Front journal
http://www.overthefront.com