Collection: BECK WALTER COLLECTION

Three annotated photograph albums and loose postcard photos. 1. One album relates to service of the 74th Infantry Regiment of the Austro-Hungarian Army in Poland fighting against the Russians, winter-summer 1917. Album includes images of various aspects of trench warfare - draining of water, manning heavy machine guns, also in an anti-aircraft role; gas attack drill; lines of barbed wire in front of the trenches; military funeral of fallen soldiers of the regiment; queueing to receive food; field cinema and tearoom of the regiment; flamethrower unit; telephone centre; decoration ceremony; group photographs of the regiments' officers, including Walter Beck's battalion commander (Lt.-Col. Schwarzer ?) and regimental commander. Two locations are mentioned - Dubrowa and Nowy Poczajew (Poczajów), near Tarnopol. The regiment was very likely stationed in the area of the Wolhynian Marshes. 2. Two albums showing service of the 74th Infantry Regiment on the Italian Front following the German and Austro-Hungarian breakthrough in the Battle of Caporetto, between January and June 1918. Albums include: Destruction in various locations; Italian casualties; Austro-Hungarian artillery, including 305 mm Skoda mortars and 380 mm heavy guns; destroyed bridges across the Piave River; Austro-Hungarian strongpoints; dead Austro-Hungarian pilot who crashed his plane in the village of Madrano; destroyed Italian forts in Campolongo Pass and Varetta; Austro-Hungarian military cemeteries (with names of various nationalities of the Empire on crosses); hanged civilian in San Vito di Cadore; crashed Italian Caproni aircraft; regimental HQs in Canove; and in general all aspects of mountain warfare, daily life and duties in the front line. Locations in Italy and contemporary Slovenia are listed as follows: Civello, Treviso, Belluno, Sedico, Vittorio, Feltre, San Vito di Cadore, San Daniele del Friuli, Udine, Motta di Livenza, Fornace, Castelnuovo, Borgo Valsugana, Madrano, Roncogno, Asiago, Primolano, Canove, Roana, Caldonazzo, Varenna, Auzza (Avče), Codroipo, Busco, Ponte di Piave, Oderzo, Gorizia, Prevacina (Prvačina).