Please explain this German cartoon.

The attached cartoon is taken from my father's Red Cross "Wartime Log."

The log was issued to him when he was an R.A.F. P.O.W. in Germany. I would like someone to explain the joke and tell me what "Poshton" means.

With thanks. D.

[Nick Beale]

It could be a drunken slurring of "Posten", a guard or sentry.

[Griffon]

Hello David, Hello Nick!

I do think so too.
This seems to be a sort of dialect form of "Posten", meaning sentry
the joke here seemingly comes from the fact that while the drunk gentleman is clinging to a lightmast, he sees this sentry on his post which looks like a hydrant and yells "Poshten" to differentiate the sentry from his own drunk behaviour...

but just a guess from me here too

cheers
phil

[RolandF]

The "Posten" is a stationary traffic policeman standing in some kind of "bin" to regulate car and pedestrian traffic. The drunken gentleman (shawl, gloves, coat) clinging to the lightpole has lost his tophat at the other side of the street and yells for the "Posten" either to fetch him the hat or to block the traffic to give free way for him to get the hat by himself - what must turn out to be difficult in view of his condition

The funny point is the total disrespect towards this policeman, especially during war-time Germany. I´m qiute sure this cartoon refers to a real incident or situation

I hope this helps

Roland

[Bruce Dennis]

The policeman in the cartoon is a British Bobby, and he is standing in a portable traffic island. These were used in some places by Bobby’s directing traffic and, I believe, gave a slightly raised platform on which to stand.

Hope this helps,

Bruce

Here's what I have got out of it.

If a prisoner wished to cross the warning wire to retrieve a hat ball etc. he would call to the guard "Posten" for permission to cross said wire.

Here a civilian has lost his hat and is asking permission of the Posten to cross the road to collect it.