What do you think is happening here?
Service men are having fun? Having open fire on the airfield just next to the planes?
Photos are taken from here: http://community.livejournal.com/ww2_photographs/300235.html
Here’s another one from this “event”:
I do not have a clue what it’s about, looks like a symbolic cremation of a coffin (which should be “modified” air drop supply container). Not really a serious thing since many of them are smiling.
On the larger photo you posted it says on the coffin “Dein Leben - dein Gewinn” (your life - your gain).
Like I said I got no idea what this ritual is about but I’ll look around.
Oh, thanks!
Is not it kind of against the reguleations to have open fire in the airfield, especially so close to the aircraft?
Probably, but if you look closely you’ll see that they’re a bunch of senior NCO’s (and behind the “priest” you can even see the Hauptfeldwebel/Sergeant Major of the unit) so I guess even the officers let them have their fun…
If I were to guess, I would say the mock funeral is for some change of command perhaps. Is that a name on the coffin? Helm Grimmwall?
=“Dein Gewinn!!”
Oh…I’m blaming the monitor.:oops:
No problem. “Helm Grimmwall” would be an excellent name for a German bad guy in a James Bond or “Die hard” series movie.
I thought I would re-use this thread.
Here is an other photo. Where and what is it? Any ideas?
http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/4107/pvs7124.83/0_3563c_46ee2f98_XL.jpg
…maybe the guy is getting married and its single life and freedom going up in smoke ;o)
OK, we go with this as the second best answer! 
Igor, I’m going to go out on a limb, here, and take a guess that the pic in your post is of HMS Glorious coming under fire during the Norway campaign in May, 1940.
I may very well be wrong, of course, but offhand I do not recall very many instances of an escorted aircraft carrier coming under direct shellfire, as this image shows. There is, in addition, a record of an aircraft overhead having taken pictures of Glorious while she was under fire.
Again, from memory, this is the same action in which HMS Acasta was sunk, and for which the Kreigsmarine sent a recommmendation to the Royal Navy that Acasta’s Captain receive a posthumous Victoria Cross.
Hope this is helpful, and that if I’m in error, someone will soon correct me on the matter.
Kind Regards, Uyraell.
I’ll have to check again, Igor.
And you have My Apology.
Kindest Regards my friend, Uyraell.
Egorka and FTG: re posts #1 and #2, I’m wondering if it isn’t a symbolic cremation representing the end of an Ops Tour?
Or, possibly something to do with a Walpurgisnacht celebration.
The only other thought is that we’re seeing a going-away party, perhaps for a senior NCO going on leave to be married.
Kindest Regards my friends, Uyraell.
This is a photo of that portion of the Battle of Midway diorama created by Norman Bel Geddes which depicts the depth charges of the just torpedoed USS Hamman exploding. The carrier is USS Yorktown. This photo, with the identifying caption can be found at the Naval Historical Command website, http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g700000/g701902.jpg
Regretfully, photos of the diorama are all that are left. Last I heard, no one really knows what happened to the original work.
Rich
It’s a “funeral.”
on pic3 stands “mich auch” (me too) on the side of the coffin…seems like a ritual. like sailor christening