Belgian Postcards Translation requested please

[Peter Secco]

I know there are a couple of members from Belgium who have assisted others in translations and I'm wondering if they could kindly assist again please.

The attached postcards were sent to my grandmother Mary Donnelly who was a waitress at the Wheatsheaf Tearooms, 263 Paisley Road, South Side, Glasgow. She eventually married my grandfather Roderick McNeill, Gnr, 39960, RFA in July 1918.

One is dated 30 July 1915 and the other I can't decipher - it might be 28 August. 

I think I read somewhere (probably here) that Belgian soldiers did get sent to England for treatment of wounds and convalescence etc during the war and I am presuming that this man G. Claus was one of them.

It would be great if the regiment could be identified also so that I could make enquiries with Belgian authorities to see if I can get access to his service record and see what became of him.

I also have another one from another man which I will attach later on.

Thanks for any help

Peter              

[Heid the Ba]

I can't help with the translations but these were sent to the Tea Rooms at Rouken Glen in Thornliebank to the south of Glasgow rather than to Paisley Road.  Interesting stuff though.

Edited 27 September , 2021 by Heid the Ba

[von Smallhausen]

About the first Card,

Dear Mary,

I was very pleased I was welcomed extremely well. And I will try to see you again in future. Kind regards and kisses from      and name.

[von Smallhausen]

About the second card:

Dear Mary,

I'm very pleased by the card you sent. I will send you a card from time to time. Till later.

Kind regards from far away. G Claus.

 

About the regiment. It's the second...... cannot ID the abreviations now , will have to look in my books

Edited 27 September , 2021 by von Smallhausen

[Peter Secco]

That's great work from you two. I now realise these were the Tea Rooms she worked at when she came over from Ireland early 1915. It appears from later postcards that she didn't start at Mrs Martin's in Paisley Rd until later that year.

Could I impose for a translation from this one from a Felix Heppers - 25 Aug 15. He doesn't say much but it's more the Army Unit I probably need deciphering.

Thanks again for your help so far.

Peter

[JWK]

Was G. Claus a farrier ('Marechal Fer(r)ant')?

If I'm not mistaken G. Claus and Felix Keppens seem to have been in the French Army, the "D.A.B."  ( Détachement d'armee Belgique )?

[AOK4]

6 hours ago, JWK said:

Was G. Claus a farrier ('Marechal Fer(r)ant')?

If I'm not mistaken G. Claus and Felix Keppens seem to have been in the French Army, the "D.A.B."  ( Détachement d'armee Belgique )?

No no no, "Division d'Armée belge".

[Marilyne]

Beste Groeten uit België = best greetings from Belgium. 

unit = 2nd Bn Divisional engineers, 3rd Division. 

"en campagne" = in the field. 

M.

[Peter Secco]

Thanks very much for that Marilyne.

I think part of the one for G. Claus is Farrier, 2nd Dvn, 1st Company - D.M.S. (still working on identifying what the D.M.S. means from the French description of the Belgian Order of Battle).

Do you know if the service records for Belgian soldiers are available online as they are for our Australian veterans and, where they still exist, for British vets?

Thanks

Peter 

[AOK4]

1 hour ago, Peter Secco said:

Thanks very much for that Marilyne.

I think part of the one for G. Claus is Farrier, 2nd Dvn, 1st Company - D.M.S. (still working on identifying what the D.M.S. means from the French description of the Belgian Order of Battle).

Do you know if the service records for Belgian soldiers are available online as they are for our Australian veterans and, where they still exist, for British vets?

Thanks

Peter 

Hello,

The Belgian service records are not online.

Jan

[Peter Secco]

Ok thanks for the info. Jan. I don't think I'll be getting to Belgium any time soon with our overseas travel restrictions here, so might just draw the line on my two men here.

Regards

peter

[Marilyne]

4 hours ago, Peter Secco said:

Thanks very much for that Marilyne.

I think part of the one for G. Claus is Farrier, 2nd Dvn, 1st Company - D.M.S. (still working on identifying what the D.M.S. means from the French description of the Belgian Order of Battle).

Do you know if the service records for Belgian soldiers are available online as they are for our Australian veterans and, where they still exist, for British vets?

Thanks

Peter 

D.M.S. could be Direction Militaire de la Santé OR it could be "des Services"... we still talk today about the "EMS".. compagnie Etat Major et Service, which deals with the general working of the staff of a Bn. I sent the two cards to a friend of mine who's more specialised in these manners.

As to the service records, they are not online, but available for consultation in Evere, in the Quartier Reine Elisabeth ... I'm not sure what the regulations with COVID are right now, but I should have an easy enough access to them. 

M.

[AOK4]

32 minutes ago, Marilyne said:

As to the service records, they are not online, but available for consultation in Evere, in the Quartier Reine Elisabeth ... I'm not sure what the regulations with COVID are right now, but I should have an easy enough access to them. 

M.

Not all files are in Evere, some are in Brussels (born before 1889). Unfortunately, one needs full first name and preferably date of birth.

Jan

[Marilyne]

I stand corrected on the Direction Militaire de la Santé... my colleague historian says in WWI it was "Service de Santé" ... and he could not find the abbreviation back in his list. 

Will continue looking. 

M.