File:Aerial view of Ypres during the Second Battle of Ypres (1915).jpg

Posted October 12, 2013, by "Sithlas", on the Something Awful Forums (thread: Does your family have World War II or World War I stories? Share them here.)

My great grandfather captured a German spy in WW1 and took this photo from him of an aerial photo of the battle of Ypres before turning him over to the British command. I have no idea why he didn't turn over the photo (possibly trying to save the German's life since I doubt they treated spies too kindly?) considering it had markings on it pointing out their positions, but whatever -- the tens of thousands of deaths were my gain in getting a hundred year old photo.

I'm not sure if the photo is of the first or second battle of Ypres, though the Cloth Hall is thoroughly destroyed in the photo so I assume the latter. He went on to get gassed when the Germans used chlorine gas there. He lived the rest of his life with severe lung and eye problems and died in his 40s from lung issues.

Oddly I haven't found another photo like it, everything else I have seen of Ypres is either just a field or an isometric close up view of the city, so maybe it's the only German aerial surveillance photo still out there - I'd be very curious to know if there's similar stuff still. It's too discolored to be valuable I assume, but still a really cool memento to have.

I never did find out any information about who the German guy was other than that his name was Lt. Eichler, but I can be happy that at least my Grandfather didn't just shoot the guy.

Vorläufig und ohne Gewähr

• Links oben: 1554
• Rechts oben: 24. ** 7; 1554/Fl. 33
• Links unten: Gegend: Ypern. U. 4J; Beobachter: Lt. Eichler
• Rechts unten: Höhe: 4200m

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