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Old war portraits

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Bluehawk:
Many photographs were taken of Napoleonic veterans in advanced age during the 19th century, but few were taken during the 20th.

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This is a photo of Pavel Yakovlevich Tolstoguzov, who was rediscovered at the age of One Hundred and Seventeen, in 1912, when the state was arranging a celebration to mark the 100th anniversary of the battle of Borodino. The Tobolsk provincial government described him as "deaf and poorly sighted, but surprisingly vigorous." The woman in the photo was his wife, aged 80 at the time of its taking. Very little is known about him, but he served as a grenadier in the Tobolsk infantry regiment and was at Smolensk, Borodino, Maloyaroslavets, and it's believed he also took part in the 1814 occupation of Paris. Being born in 1795, he was 17 during the celebrated battle. The Tobolsk regiment was a part of the II Corps under Baggovout (von Baggehufwudt) which fought on both the far right flank and the far left, seeing the entire sweep of the battlefield during their maneuvers.

Tolstoguzov was invited to travel to Moscow by August 10 (Old Style) to attend the ceremony on the 26th, but the sudden attention from the government and the local community awoke old and terrible memories and he suddenly fell ill. On 31st of July (O. S.) 1912, he died. So I guess the next time you see an old veteran, don't thank him... don't say a damn thing unless he brings it up first. Some guys don't need that shit.

Docm30:
The veteran is interesting and all, but more important is the photographic evidence for the existence of the goddamn grim reaper.

Menelaos:

--- Quote from: Docm30 on March 24, 2013, 03:36:40 am ---The veteran is interesting and all, but more important is the photographic evidence for the existence of the goddamn grim reaper.

--- End quote ---
Apparently Pavel's wife is the grim reaper.

TORN:
omg i should hang more in the historical discussion board.

A platoon of very young infantrymen from 9. Lothringisches German I.R. 173
Date: 25 Januar 1915
Place: St. Avold
the board says: "We are boys from Aachen through and through".
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And also Belgian Carabineers in this picture aka Kings of the Mess Tins (that being a joke)

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