![\"DSCN2806\"](\"http:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/godfreythomsonproject\/files\/2013\/10\/DSCN2806.jpg\")
<\/a>Thomson’s watch fob<\/p><\/div>\n
The watch fob bears the initials of Thomson’s student ‘verein’ or club, the M.N.St.V, (the mathematical and natural science student verein), which he described as a humble version of the expensive ‘Burschenschaften’, elite student clubs which exist to this day and often involve duals (or Mensur):<\/p>\n
In the Mensur…the fighters are protected by goggles and nose-piece, by mattress-like chest and arm protection, must not move or flinch, hold the straight pointed rapiers above the head, touching and at the word…strike at each other’s head and faces.\u00a0 Two seconds crouch with drawn swords and at the first touch they strike up the combatant’s swords.\u00a0 this is repeated until the referee gives a decision, or for a given number of rounds.\u00a0 Often one man gets all the cuts, and the other none.\u00a0 they are mostly on the head, but also on the forehead and cheek and chin, a ‘Durch-zieher’ cutting across both cheeks almost horizontally.\u00a0 Then senior medical students give hasty and not very sterile assistance and stitchings, and the heroes drink beer and swagger (if well enough) through the next few days.<\/em><\/p>\n The Education of an Englishman<\/em>, p.53<\/p>\n Physikalisches Institut, Strasburg, March 1906<\/p><\/div>\n The scarring resulting from the dual was, and is, seen as a badge of honour, and students often deliberately irritated the wound, packing it to ensure it was widened.\u00a0 In Thomson’s humbler club, duals were rare and usually in response to an insult or wrong doing.\u00a0 No uniforms were required, but members wore a watch fob with the verein’s arms.\u00a0 Thomson’s Leibbursch*, Carl Andriessen (whose name is engraved on the watch fob with Thomson’s) gave him his.<\/p>\n After World War I, Thomson lost contact with many of his German friends, many of whom were killed or missing.\u00a0 However, the inscription of one book in his collection, Das\u00a0Deutschland Buch<\/em>, shows he kept in touch with Andriessen:<\/p>\n Inscription from Das Deutschland-Buch<\/p><\/div>\n The book is inscribed with a message to Thomson and his wife Jennie, thanking them for their hospitality, and dated June 1931 – 25 years after Thomson left Strasburg.\u00a0 The more fluent among you might notice he refers to them as ‘Aunt’ and ‘Uncle’, which made me wonder if the giver was in fact Andriessen’s son, though he refers to them as old friends, which would suggest otherwise.\u00a0 It contains many beautiful images of Germany, a country Thomson loved his whole life, despite the ravages of two World Wars:<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>