I found these photos today in a drawer of my father's that hasn't been opened for a long time. Looks like they're date March 6th (or June 3rd), 1941.
A fine collection of photo's. Often noticed that many German war graves seem to have both a rustic and handmade quality to them.
Mühlheim , Baden 1941 . This later became part of the French occupation zone and was used by the French army unti lthe 1990s
The printed quote is about taking measures (but where? ) the debris are the results of a bobm attack on May 16th (bomanngriff ) Regarding the graves , you need scan the pictures with a high definition in order to read names and dates. The helmets apprear to be M-1942 models. For instace I have several Johann Kunze, but I'd need a date to identify the place. Here is the sit eto identify the soldiers http://www.volksbund.de/graebersuche.html
This is the tempory German cemetery of Kushminitschi. Obergefreiter Karl Obenauer died in a field hospital 10km from Kusminitschi: Nachname: Obenauer Vorname: Karl Dienstgrad: Obergefreiter Geburtsdatum: 20.12.1917 Geburtsort: Langbeckerhof Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 16.06.1942 Todes-/Vermisstenort: Feldlaz. 10 km Kusminitschi Pionier Heinz Kollewe also died at the same place the a few weeks earlier . Nachname: Kollewe Vorname: Heinz Dienstgrad: Pionier Geburtsdatum: 14.05.1921 Geburtsort: Neustrelitz Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 15.05.1942 Todes-/Vermisstenort: Kusminitschi
Ok I found more about Kusminitschi . There was a Organisation Todt group there. There was also a small wooden church for the German soldiers , a field hospital and even a priest. The Priest was called Josef Perau, so one could expect he is the one who attended the burials. http://kirchensite.de/index.php?myELEMENT=36473 The building pictures with the measures could have been taken there too (to be confirmed ) . The area is west of Moscow , 85km from Juchnov
I agree. I remember visiting the cemeteries in Luxemburg years ago, both American and German. The contrast of the two was amazing. Like most American military cemeteries it was vividly white and open. In contrast the German cemetery was darker, cloaked in trees. The stones were also very rustic. Both were equally beautiful, just very differing approaches.
This confirms this is the very same man . Note his speciality (Werkstaffel = workers bataillon) which confirms the presence of O.T units in the area.
I have to look further. I found one August Seibel who fell at Stalingrad on January 1st 1943. I have to see whether it matches. what puzzles me is the absence of snow. The picture could have been taken by a pow or a relative on a pilgrimage , or by a Russian. but I'd be tempted to thik there is another Seibel . Allow me a couple of hours. Ohte rnames I have : Oskar Kress, Johann Fison, Johann Hölschen, Nikolaus Fridrich, Johann Kunze, Karl Linkohr, Georg Hössler Heins Barle Walter Schmiett August Seibel Heinz Winkelhoff.
This pic is not from the Wehrmacht but from the RAD. See the Uniform of the man taking the measurements. Unterfeldmeister was a NCO rank with the Reichsarbeitsdienst.
You're right, That particular picture is RAD with the Spaten symbol visible. The others (in Russia) are O.T. the rank on the graves mention "Arbeits Bataillon" One mentions "Werk battaillon" and some of the regular units are Pioniers. Iwouldn't be surprised if RAD recruits actually were sent there too.
This is possibly the grave of Gefreiter Nikolaus Friedrich. To be noticed he has no official burial place, so his temporary burial place could be interesting. His place of death Slynka isn't too far from the others and the 1944 date refers to the German retreat there, so it would be normal to get 1942 and 1944 casualties together. Nachname: Friedrich Vorname: Nikolaus Dienstgrad: Gefreiter Geburtsdatum: 25.12.1913 Geburtsort: Großrosseln Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 14.03.1944 Todes-/Vermisstenort: Slynka
