Info on German postcard please?

Hi Everyone,

From time to time I've seen a postcard of a skull in a flying helmet with a cigarette and a 50 Mark bill in it's teeth. (50 marks significant in that it represented the "hazardous duty" pay that German fighter pilots received extra). I understand that this card was quite popular amoung the pilots. Doe anyone have it on file or know anything about it? Rosebud?

Thanks in advance,

Holck

[Rod_Filan]

Unfortunately no. Sounds like quite a collectable tho.
I reminds me of the "Ace of Spades death card" used by American soldiers to place on the bodies of Viet Cong. I will contact a couple people in Europe to see if they have this image. You've peaked my interest now - i'll do my best to come up with it.

VBR
Rod

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Count Holck:
To qoute from: "HANDBOOK OF GERMAN MILITARY ANMD NAVAL AVIATION (WAR) 1914-1918, page 15:
In addition to ordinary pay flying personnel receive a grantof 150 marks (£710s) per month for war services."
blue skies,
Dan-San Abbott

[rammjaeger]

Amy was dealing in a thread with IGAF payment some time ago. The cards with the 50 Mark are referring to the mentioned 150 Mark "Fliegerzulage" but later this additional payment was cut down for a lot of aviators to 5 Mark per flight day. Now a new "coat of arms" was created by some pilots showing the bonehead with only 5 Mark between the teeth. The old 150 Mark were payed also if you were in the hospital, the new 5 Mark-rule did not allow then same. Therefore "gallow humour" (right word?) rose among the German pilots.

[PeterL]

I'm not certain whether you are looking for a copy as well as information, but just in case here it is..

This from "Pictorial History of the German Army Air Service", but, as you say it has appeared elswhere and often. If you save it you will get a bigger image

cheers

Peter L

[Rod_Filan]

Thanks for the pic Peter. It saved me a lot of time emailing inquiries - I remember you posting the Farman nacelle death's head, so you were actually at the top of the list to ask.

Hannes - Yes. That was correct (almost) "Gallows humour" to be precise. I've have heard the term "Black humour" as well. BTW, you mentioned 'bonehead'. More correctly it would be said 'Death's head' or even 'skull'. A bonehead is a derogatory name you might call someone when they do something stupid without thinking. i.e.: coach to a player: "That was a bonehead pass you made!"

VBR
Rod

Ah, the joys of history!
For the more morbid among you, you can find this same photo in Time-Life's "Knights of the Air" on page 156. It doesn't have the text on the bottom, however; the first phrase is Latin:"Momento Mori" and the second is German:"Gedenke des Todes". They actually mean the same thing:"Souvenir of Death". Cheers!

[rammjaeger]

Thanks for the hints, Ro§bud! Now I know a new "callsign" for my "friends"!

[Darryl]

I love the postcard. Just a small point, the Latin is "Memento Mori" a reminder of death, as opposed to a souvenier.

regards

Darryl

That's the one Peter, Thank you!

Holck