You might be referring to La Cambe cemetary.
The remains of Michael Wittman and his crew are interred there. When I visited in 2014, there was a surprising number of floral tributes at his/their grave.
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- Thread starter jwhc
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You might be referring to La Cambe cemetary.
The remains of Michael Wittman and his crew are interred there. When I visited in 2014, there was a surprising number of floral tributes at his/their grave.
"Child Soldiers" of the Third Reich.
On a weekend trip through the Arnsberger Wald (largest forested area in Germany) on the German Day of Remembrance, my German wife and I stumbled upon a German WWII cemetery. There was an open mausoleum with an open brass bound book on a pedestal.
I asked her to translate, and it stated that the dead were not killed there, but gathered here after the war and re-interred. Walking amongst the grave markers was a sad experience due to the ages of the buried - from young teens to men in their 60's and 70's, the "Volksturm", Germany's last ditch fighters.
The memorial plaque said that it was a tragedy that so many died in the final days of a war that was already lost. German families were starting to arrive and I felt conspicuous with my Canadian Army haircut and licence plates, so out of respect, we discreetly left.
On a weekend trip through the Arnsberger Wald (largest forested area in Germany) on the German Day of Remembrance, my German wife and I stumbled upon a German WWII cemetery. There was an open mausoleum with an open brass bound book on a pedestal.
I asked her to translate, and it stated that the dead were not killed there, but gathered here after the war and re-interred. Walking amongst the grave markers was a sad experience due to the ages of the buried - from young teens to men in their 60's and 70's, the "Volksturm", Germany's last ditch fighters.
The memorial plaque said that it was a tragedy that so many died in the final days of a war that was already lost. German families were starting to arrive and I felt conspicuous with my Canadian Army haircut and licence plates, so out of respect, we discreetly left.
Cemetery is about 1.5km south of Neuville Saint-Vaast, and about 4.5km sw of the Vimy Memorial. Not far away is a very large French Cemetery, and a smaller British one. When I was there in 08, it seemed that the most of the French had fallen in the first few months of the war
French and British cemetery at Neuville Sain-Vaast
Wittman's headstone was reported stolen by persons unknown last summer.
My preference was to visit the Canadian cemeteries at Beny sur Mer and Cintheaux during my visits to Normandy which include 5000 Canadian graves. When I visited the British cemetery at Tilly sur Seulles, about half-way between Villers Bocage and Bayeux, I was surprised to see quite a number of German graves in a separate section of the cemetery.
My preference was to visit the Canadian cemeteries at Beny sur Mer and Cintheaux during my visits to Normandy which include 5000 Canadian graves. When I visited the British cemetery at Tilly sur Seulles, about half-way between Villers Bocage and Bayeux, I was surprised to see quite a number of German graves in a separate section of the cemetery.
Took a weekend all too quick side trip to Flanders, Vimy, and Verdun last summer when I was at the 2015 Schützenfest in Switzerland. I wish I had been able to visit Flanders and Verdun later on as some of those sites were undergoing renovations for the 100th anniversary commemorations. The Verdun Museum was closed but got a great visit to the Verdun Ossuary and Fort Douaumont. Most of the Flanders Commonwealth cemetaries were in great condition due, I am sure, to the constant care of the Commonwealth War Graves commission. However the Langemarck German cemetary was in a state of major renovations which was great to see it being cared for, but a bit disappointing for my visit.
Langemarck:
Andenken der kindermord
Depressingly common grave marker.
Sechs unbekannte deutsche Soldaten (Six unknown German soldiers)
Verdun Ossuary
Known graves looking SE
Known graves looking SW
Ossuary
I looked into a couple of portholes that show the crypts in the Ossuary and it was totally surreal. Piles of bones that were at one point intact bodies. I looked into a couple and had to stop. It was a very disturbing feeling.
Langemarck:
Andenken der kindermord
Depressingly common grave marker.
Sechs unbekannte deutsche Soldaten (Six unknown German soldiers)
Verdun Ossuary
Known graves looking SE
Known graves looking SW
Ossuary
I looked into a couple of portholes that show the crypts in the Ossuary and it was totally surreal. Piles of bones that were at one point intact bodies. I looked into a couple and had to stop. It was a very disturbing feeling.
Dark Alley Dan
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Verdun is apparently still part of "Zone Rouge", a no-go zone for settlement, agriculture, or industry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_rouge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_rouge
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Verdun is apparently still part of "Zone Rouge", a no-go zone for settlement, agriculture, or industry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_rouge
A source I read (Weapons of World War 1) said that the Germans fired some 22 million artillery shells, and the French returned some 15 million, during the Battle of Verdun. If even a tiny percentage of them were duds, that is still one hell of a lot of unexploded (and unstable as hell 100 years later) ordnance.
X2.... Couldn't agree more//
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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Nice pic, Gibbs! 
This is smaller and grainier, but a nice one of a "Beutepanzer-ised" version:
Not sure where they got them all, but it appears the Panzercorps rather liked them:
This is smaller and grainier, but a nice one of a "Beutepanzer-ised" version:
Not sure where they got them all, but it appears the Panzercorps rather liked them:
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A source I read (Weapons of World War 1) said that the Germans fired some 22 million artillery shells, and the French returned some 15 million, during the Battle of Verdun. If even a tiny percentage of them were duds, that is still one hell of a lot of unexploded (and unstable as hell 100 years later) ordnance.
Dud rates were around 10% so thats a lot. 3.7 million uxo
Nice pic, Gibbs!
This is smaller and grainier, but a nice one of a "Beutepanzer-ised" version:
Not sure where they got them all, but it appears the Panzercorps rather liked them:
I can't imagine that they could keep those vehicles in service for very long without a source of spare parts.
Good point, and all I can say is that it is something I read many years ago, which I may not have remembered correctly, or which may have referred to some particular part of the battlefield such as the area around Fort Douamont or the Butte de Vauquois.
I think that the problem arises when a figure like numbers of wounded/dead, or numbers of shells fired are given per meter of front, or, per meter advanced/lost etc, and the next person in line writes it as numbers per square meter. I've seen this kind of thing in books about the First World War also, but when you stop and think about it, they are so obviously wrong
Nice pic, Gibbs!
This is smaller and grainier, but a nice one of a "Beutepanzer-ised" version:
Not sure where they got them all, but it appears the Panzercorps rather liked them:
American cqvaly scout doctrine stated that patrols could dismountvfrom the vehicle for close recon. If bumped during a dismount they didn't always get back to the vehicle. Plus the 106th Cavalry lost almost all their M8 due fuel shortages in the Bulge.
