Manchester Officers Photo Album

This was a random purchase off eBay followed by some research to identify the officers, the timeline and the location of the photos.

Locating and Dating the photographs

The note on the reverse of Photo 1 is important in locating and dating the photographs, which look to have been taken around the same time and the same location. The note was eventually deciphered as “Taken outside our mess in Meindorf”.

Meindorf is in Bonn, Germany to the NE of the city centre, so the photos are almost certainly taken after the end of the war (early 1919) during the early occupation of Germany. 

Photo 38, a weir, provides a recognisable landmark and confirmation of the location – see below.

Early identification of some of the officers and information provided with the purchase of the album suggested officers of the 23rd Battalion, Manchester Regiment. However, the 23rds were disbanded in February 1918.  

From “The Manchester Bantams” by Caroline Scott….. “Instructions had been received that the men of the 23rd Manchester’s were to be redistributed as reinforcements between the other Manchester battalions. Thus 7 officers and 150 men were to be transferred to the 2nd Manchester’s, 12 officers and 250 men to the 11th Battalion and 12 officers and 230 men to the 12th Battalion. With the decision to disband having been announced, it was quickly enacted. On 6 February those men who had been allocated to the 2nd Manchester’s left. The following day, the remainder of the 23rd Manchester’s moved….”. 

From the War Diaries…..2nd Manchester’s were in Bonn from 8 Feb 1919. The 11th and 12th Manchester’s remained in France. So the officers in the photos are possibly / probably officers from the 2nd Manchester’s with some former 23rd Manchester’s who transferred to the 2nd Manchester’s in February 1918.

Meindorf, Bonn, Germany:

Meindorf is an area to the NE of Bonn:

Album Photo No. 38:

Album Photo No. 38 has a very distinctive landmark. 

Present (Google Maps)

1913 Postcard:

The weir is a 50-minute walk north from Meindorf along the riverbank. This provides confirmation of the writing on the back of Photo 1.

Extracted Faces

2nd Manchester Officers in Bonn from 8 Feb 1919 - named in War Diary

13 Feb 1919 visit by General Sir H.S. Rawlinson Bart and staff

2Lt F Brownson

4 March 1919 Army Commander Plumer watched the relief of Bonn Bridge and inspected the barracks immediately afterwards

6 March 1919 Capt F Hayward MC rejoined battalion 2nd in command. 2Lt Hopkinson took over duties as Sports Officer

9 March 1919 Capt S.H. Holley MC rejoined

10 March 1919 Capt A. Robertson left for UK

20 March Lt Taylor left

25 March 1919 Lt J Bullen and 2Lt F. Ashworth left

11 Manchesters were in Lourches France from Nov 18 -June 1919….diary end

12 Manchesters were in France and Feb 19 – March 19 Warlus France…diary end