Captured set of 4 wine glasses from a soldier in the 778th AAA W Battalion.
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Description
Tec -5 William Potter, Battery D, 778th Anti Aircraft Artillery -Auto Weapon Battalion, captured this set of 4 Bohemian engraved green glassware belonging to Kaiser Wilhelm II of Prussia. Exactly where these came from in the line of advance of this unit is unknown currently.
In early 1992, Mrs Wm. W. Potter, presumably the wife of the veteran, wrote to The Corning Museum of Glass, to inquire about her husband’s WWII souvenir glassware. A short letter from the museum, forwarded an address of the makers of the set, to J & L Lobmeyr, of Austria, who’s company made this set back in 1904. Lobmeyr referred to the glass as rhinewineglass, “out of our drinking set No. 173, cut and engraved, designed by Ludwig Lobmeyr about 1885. Your glasses were obviously made on special order in 1904, I can not find any special details in our archives, but the engraving must have been a present for the Kaiser of Prussia.” This letter of April 23, 1992, was signed by a Harold C. Rath, for the company, who forwarded a Postscript, “Should you ever think of selling the glasses, please be kind enough to offer also to Lobmeyr.”
The green glasses are 5 7/32″ high, are nearly perfect condition without any blemish that I can find. Only one of the glasses is engraved with the name of the Kaiser, but all of the glasses are identical as to engraving pattern. If nothing can be found in records that would indicate the occasion for this presentation set, then it has to be assumed it was a non official gathering/ meeting. The only entry for February 11, 1904, writing from Berlin, was The Kaiser wrote to Nicholas II, at the same time expressing concern over the “sad consequences for your brave navy” … and he assured the Tsar, “day and night my thoughts are occupied with you all!” This occasion was in regards to the Japanese -Russo War when Japan attacked the Russian Fleet at Port Arthur, prior to a declaration of war. Could these glasses have been used to toast for success for the Kaiser’s cousin, Nicholas II, in the inevitable war to follow?
William Potter’s small group of material accompanied these glasses. The group contains photos, insignia, 1 letter with envelope, and a memorandum to enlisted men facsimile signed by President Harry Truman. The brief letter written late in ’44, early ’45 reads, “For a while I was in Belgium, guess you heard quite a bit of the break though the germans made at Bastone, one of the most important Battles of the war. Thats were I was at the time its a little better where I am now. when we were in this country before our outfit shot down a Ju. 88.”
A nice background story as to the journey to the States for the glassware. I think anything held and used by heads of state of any period are significant finds. Wilhelm II (1859-1941), the German kaiser (emperor) and king of Prussia from 1888 to 1918. During WWI, he was mostly a figurehead, visiting troops, passing out medals, while top generals were left to determine Germany’s war. Popular unrest in Germany eventually led to the Kaiser’s abdication in 1918. Kaiser Wilhelm II died in the Netherlands at the age of 82.
Additional information
| Weight | 5 lbs |
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