location?

[mccooper]

Found this great photo on the Internet with no description. Looking at it, it appears to be taken in Koblenz during the Occupation.  The bridge in the background is the Pfaffendorfer railroad bridge. Initially I thought it was taken at Ehrenbreitstein, but in looking at the position of the bridge on a map realized that was not the case. Does anyone know that area well enough to approximate a location for the photo? My guess is that this is an MP group, based on the 1911s. Most without an overseas strip, several with one and two with a wound stripe. Would appreciate your thoughts and comments. Thanks.

 mccooper

[atb]

That might well have been taken Coblenz, but that sure looks like a painted backdrop in a photographer's studio to me.

[AustinO]

Looks like they're wearing 4th Division patches.  I wouldn't put any stock in the background as it's a painted canvas that the photographer probably traveled with.  Most likely the photo was taken in whatever town the particular unit was billeted in.  They could be a group of MPs, but could also be the Company pistol marksmanship team.  There were a lot of inter-unit marksmanship competitions happening in 1919.

[mccooper]

Thanks, guys, for your input. I had been vacillating as to studio or on-site but chose on-site due to the quality of the image. However, after reading your comments I do see a flatness to the image that says "backdrop." That makes the real location unknown, but the backdrop photo is the Pfaffendorfer railroad bridge, per these photos. And pistol team is a good alternative, as we know that there were many activities to keep the doughs busy. Still a great shot fpr the 1911 collectors!

 

mccooper