These cards were manufactured by a German chocolate company during WWI. They are featured here in a book made by the company to showcase all the cards in their series. The topic of these cards is “Junge Wehr auf Borkum” (“Youth Defense Group on the Island of Borkum”).
Description of the cards (left to right):
- A Guard at his Post. Off the East Frisian coast in the North Sea lies the island of Borkum. It was called the “green island” because of its beautiful green meadows. Members of the Youth Defense Group regularly patrol the beaches to identify suspicious activity along the coast.
- A Bike Patrol Underway. The Youth Defense Groups have their own headquarters on the island where they get their assignments every morning. From the headquarters the groups spread out over the entire island. The bicycle patrols that are part of the surveillance cannot go to all parts of the island
- Practicing Shooting in the Dunes. The Youth Companies usually perform their exercises in the dunes on the island that lie in the form of a horseshoe. The dunes, made of a fine-grained sand and covered with seagrass can get as high as 60 feet and cover many square kilometers. The young defenders find here an excellent battlefield to practice their skills.
- On the Attack. The Youth Companies on Borkum are led by an officer and are trained according to strict military rules.
- Rest after the Battle. After hours of conducting military exercises in the hot sun the trumpet calls everyone together. An evaluation of the maneuvers is given, then everyone puts their weapons together in pyramids and take a rest in the field.
- A parade on the Beach. It is always a happy occasion when the Youth Companies parade before their officers on the beach. Young men and young women parade in tight rows in their respective groups with their gun on their shoulders. Those who do not have a gun carry a spade over their shoulder for digging trenches in the sand. All of the tourists come to these events on the island’s parade grounds.