Help with writing on photo
 

Hi, guys

Anyone able to help out with the handwriting in the attached image.

I can read:

????flugplatz Skeller in Norge

?????????? am 3.5.40 in Skeller

The location is obviously misspelled - it should be Kjeller.

But what is the first part of the two sentences?

Regards,
Andreas B

Re: Help with writing on photo
 

Good evening Andreas !

The first term is Feldflugplatz. This seems to be without doubts.

But the second term seems to be a hit into an ancient Prussian military terminology.

On my opinion, the word should be decyphered as Bepflegungsamt. This would be in the current German military terminology a Verpflegungsamt.

The meaning of the term is an organisation inside the local military presentation to make sure the food and ration support of the troops.

The "old", Prussian term of support with food and rations was "Bepflegung" und the new, probably post Wehrmacht term is now "Verpflegung" In my Bundeswehr-time, I only noticed the term "Verpflegung"

Hope, this helps.

All the best !

Horst Weber

Re: Help with writing on photo
 

Good morning Andreas !

Forget my guess about the second word completely, please. It's totally wrong. This morning, I had a recall about the word with my mother, who had learnd Sütterlin for two years in school.

The word is Beschlagnahmt and not Bepflegungsamt.

Sorry for this mistake.

Beschlagnahmt means confiscated or seized.

Best wishes from Germany !

Horst Weber

Re: Help with writing on photo
 

Hello, Horst and thanks a lot!

This in fact confirms my suspicion (and a very strong one) that the photo was taken pre-war, and that the german forces in fact seized the photo collection present in the offices at Kjeller.

It seems that they then have copied some of these (the stamp on the back indicates this), and maybe handed out as souvenirs.

Anyhow - a big thank you to you and your mother. Not strange that I had problems reading this.

Regards,
Andreas B