Qualcuno potrebbe essere in grado di tradurre la scrittura danese sul retro di questa foto del mio bisnonno? Qualsiasi intuizione dell’uniforme militare che indossa sarebbe anche apprezzata.
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1j4celb
di Major-J_NelsonSmith
23 commenti
Using Chat GPT it’s info about his name and rank. Says “The text on the photo reads:
Onkel Volf
som luft = vandsleder
Bagdanshop i Krigen 1940-45
Kap løjnant
Translation:
Uncle Volf
as air = water leader (possibly referring to a role involving water supply or logistics)
Bagdanshop in the War 1940-45
Captain Lieutenant (a military rank, likely in the navy or air force)
It appears to be a handwritten note describing the person in the photo, their role, and rank during World War II.”
Uncle Jolle as airforce commander
That’s the first part. The last part is a place I can’t make out
Edit: it’s signed by a captain something
Uncle ???
Anti aircraft artilleri (leader?)
???????
War 1940 to 1945
Rank of Captain
Here’s my guess:
Onkel Volf som luftværnsleder …???… I krigen 1940-1945. Kaptajnsrang(?)
Uncle Volf as an air defense leader …???… in the war 1940-1945. Captain’s rank(?)
Det er nok luftværnsleder
Here’s what I get:
Uncle Volle[?} as airforce leader.
[Something starting with B] in the War 1940-1945
Captain Rank
Uncle Joe…
I think the top part says “Onkel Voll som luftværnsleder” -> Onkel Voll as air defence commander.
The bottom part I have trouble reading but something like: … in the war 1940-45 captain …
No idea about the uniform.
I think it says: ‘uncle Volle (?) as air defense commander Bagdamshøj (?) in the war 1940 – 1945’ and the last Word is captain-something 🙂
*Onkel Volle som luftværnsleder*
*BlegdamshøjX (?)*
*i krigen 1940-1945*
*KaptajnsXang (?)*
It is a rather scrawled handwriting, so some letters are difficult for me to discern (indicated with X above).
It seems to say
“Uncle Volle as airforce leader” (not sure that is the correct translation of the title, so I translated it literally)
“<some place name?>”
“In the war 1940-1945”
“Captain-<something>”
I Think it States the location to Blegdams (either road/hospital/barrack)
Could be “Blegdamshosp” = short for Blegdamshospitalet
A “værnsleder” is a pretty high ranking military leader in the danish military under the German occupation in WW2. He was the leader of the danish air force in that period. This is a description of a “værnsleder”:
A værnsleder was the title for the highest-ranking leader of each of the three branches of the Danish military during the German occupation (1940–1945). When Germany occupied Denmark on April 9, 1940, the Ministry of Defence was effectively sidelined, and instead, each branch—the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force—had its own independent værnsleder, who reported directly to the War Ministry (for the Army) and the Navy Ministry (for the Navy and Air Force).
This system was introduced to comply with the demands of the German occupation forces while maintaining a degree of Danish military self-governance. However, after the end of Denmark’s cooperation policy on August 29, 1943, the Danish military was interned and effectively dissolved by the Germans, bringing the role of the værnsleder to an end.
Onkel Volle som luftværnsleder
Blegdamshop i krigen 1940-45
Kaptajnsrang
Onkel Volle
som luft-
værnsleder
Blegdamshosp
u Krigen
1940-45
Kaptajnsrang
Uncle Volle (probably short for Volmer) as airforce leader. The hospital Blegdam in Copenhagen during the war 1940-45. Rank of Captain.
The hospital is probably the location where the photos were taken.
There is a shortening at the ending of “Blegdamshospitalet” because of the paperwith.
The stand alone “u” is a typical danish short for “under”,
Hard to tell, but the three stripes on the shoulder may look like an air force captain.
“Onkel Vollo som luftværnsleder. Blegdamshosp[italet] u[nder] krigen 1940-45. Kaptajnsrang.”
“Uncle Vollo as air defence leader. Blegdams-hospital during the war 1940-45. Rank of Captain.”
“Uncle Volle as air force commander
Blegdams.. (possible hospital)
in the war 1940-45
Rank of captain”
The Blegdams Hospital was functional during that period as a hospital for infectious diseases.
To give context: As it says luftværnsleder, he was probably in “Statens Civile Luftværn” (The States Civilian Air Defence) which was a precursor organization to Beredskabstyrelsen (Danish Emergency Management Agency). It was an organization tasked with with protecting civilians during bombings.
I happened upon this picture when googling: [https://arkiv.dk/vis/6276161](https://arkiv.dk/vis/6276161), of a meeting of leadership of this organization. Several of the people there wear the same hat identified as “Captain” in the text which supports that the last line at the back is indeed Kaptajnsrang (Rank of captain). I am not entirely sure captain of what, but the army reserves would be a decent guess seeing as he had another job (being luftværnsleder).
Danish: impossible to understand both spoken and written🤣🤣
Is this Volmer Gyth? There is a uncle volle in this movie.
Kodenavn: Storfyrstinden | DRTV https://www.dr.dk/drtv/episode/kodenavn_-storfyrstinden_-hemmelig-kontakt-til-england_491359
I think people here are confused by the title luftværnsleder, which sounds like a very high military leader.
Its probably more alike to an English Air Raid Warden; Volle was probably in the organistation known as “*Statens civile Luftværn*” est. 1939, today The Civil Defense. They still today has military-like uniforms and ranks, but are not miliary.
There is a danish drama movie called “The Only Way” made in 1970 about the jewish escape, with scenes from a hospital, not Blegdammen though but Bispebjerg. It’s in english and available on Youtube if you’re interested in the story.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM7D4W7FNvo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM7D4W7FNvo)
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