5 POWs photo

[Sinann]

I already got great help here identifying my grand uncles uniform as Irish Guards
see http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,570406.0.html

today my aunt found this photo he sent from the POW camp and I'd like to see what I can learn from it.

I think the postage stamp says Giessen which I've found listed as a prison camp but nothing more on it, that I understood!
Any idea what the word starting with K on the stamp would have been?
As you can see he has clearly dated it 16/11/17.
My grand uncle is in the center any ideas about the other men, not much to go by I know, there does seem to be a N on the cap of the man on the far left but not sure of the second letter.
Would the Red Cross have been responsible for these photographs?
Any other thoughts most welcome.

[still_looking]

The K was probably K G Lager, which is short for Kriegs Gefangenen Lager (prisoner of war camp).

S_L

p.s. gepruft means censored, so probably a censor mark rather than a postmark

[still_looking]

http://www.delcampe.net/page/item/language,F,id_enchere,0092788730,var,Kriegsgefangenenlager-Giessen-Camp-de-Prisonnier.html

I was having a look for a better example of the postmark and found this.

Apparently Giessen was used for propaganda purposes, click on the camera icons to view the images.

S_L

[bugle boy]

are we sure it is a pow picture?one person seems to be wearing a civilian waistcoat and seems to still have his pocket watch.dont think its a pow camp  maybe a hospital?

here is a web site that might be able to help you.
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28221

[mmm45]

I think they are wearing the german version of Hospital Blues.Giessen was definately a PoW camp have you applied for his record through Irish Guards archives?

Ady

[Sinann]

Great links thank you.
I know from my mother that he was a POW, but yes a hospital is possible as he got TB while he was a POW.
I see from those images all the men are in uniform.
I haven't got his record, can't afford to at the moment but yet again all of you have helped puzzle out his life a bit more thank you very much.
I'll use those links to do a bit more searching and let you know how I get on.

[manmack]

the caps they are wearing are what the germans supplied them with,many POWs uniforms needed replacing,the germans gave them all sorts of clothing old cavalry uniforms,civvie cloths etc

mack

[Sinann]

Got good info on The Great War Forum,  Thanks for the link Bugle Boy.
mmm45 is correct they are wearing hospital clothes, the cloth is called blue ticking and was used widely in hospitals all over the world as it was usually made from cotton and could be boiled to remove nastys.

still-looking is also correct the Giessen camp was used for propaganda purposes, among other things it didn't have top bunks making the sleeping quarters a lot more pleasant.

I also got a link to a very good free on-line book http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/mcclung/out/out.html
which is a very good read, not finished it yet but from it I learnt that Giessen camp had a separate unit for "lungers" , (TB section) a good chance so that is where this photo was taken.
Also in this book is the difficulty with clothing and uniforms the POWs had as manmack said.

A good result and I learnt loads, thanks to each of you for your help.

[susan hemmings]

Can't add  anything, except what a wonderful photo for you to have.