Jock Auld Posted January 25, 2015 Posted January 25, 2015 Guys,This Gunner managed to stay the course with his main unit as such until his death in the run up to the BB? I am sure it states Eifel as the area where he was killed.
Bernhard H.Holst Posted January 26, 2015 Posted January 26, 2015 Hello Jock. As stated before by Rick. The battle of the Bulge began on 16.December 1944 through the Eifel area and was a surprise attack. Preparations were kept back from the frontlines until very shortly before the start of the offensive. While this soldier was deployed on the Eifel frontline and found his death i doubt any connection with the forthcoming offensive. Bernhard H. Holst
hucks216 Posted January 26, 2015 Posted January 26, 2015 (edited) Very nice example to a unit (Art.Rgt 272) that is actually fairly sort after. He was killed during the fighting in the Hürtgen Forest although his specific place of death is not listed in the Volksbund Database whereas it does appear to be listed in the Wehrpass. There is a decent entry in Lexikon for Art.Rgt 272. Just scroll down the linked page to the relevant unit... Art.Rgt 272 Here are the burial details for him... Karl-Heinz Böttcher ruht auf der Kriegsgräberstätte in Schleiden-Gemünd-Kriegsgräberstätte. Endgrablage: Grab 110 There is a very good book on 272 VGD and the fighting in the Hürtgen Forest by Doug Nash... Victory Was Beyond Their Grasp: With the 272nd Volks-Grenadier Division from the Hurtgen Forest to the Heart of the Reich I've just noticed the signature for the Ost Medal on Page 23. It is that of Harald Schultz who won the DKiG in 1944 with Art.Rgt 205 and the RK in April 1945 as the Commander of 24 Infanterie-Division. He finished the war as a Generalmajor and was released from Russian captivity in 1955. Edited January 26, 2015 by hucks216
hucks216 Posted January 26, 2015 Posted January 26, 2015 Another point of interest is that in 1940 216 Infanterie-Division was the main occupation force for the Channel Islands until April 1941 when 319 Infanterie-Division took over that responsibility.
Paul R Posted January 26, 2015 Posted January 26, 2015 His final rank was Obergrefeiter? Also were his only two awards the East Medal and the KVK2? I am surprised that he does not have a Flak or GAB for all of that action.
Jock Auld Posted January 26, 2015 Author Posted January 26, 2015 Paul.Yes that was his final rank, all is now clear (see pic) when one reads his trades, looks like he started as a 'bleep' and then became a cook, he probably qualified for enemy awards?
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