MelPack Posted 1 September , 2014 Share Posted 1 September , 2014 The remains of a German soldier were found at Cumieres-le-Mort-Homme in late June. The soldier was easily identified as Ernst Hilgendorf because of the near pristine condition of his ID tag. Press story here: http://www.verdun-meuse.fr/images/pages/DesrestesdunsoldatallemandretrouvesER28062014.pdf Artefacts found with the remains: and the ID Disc: If only the British state had issued similar discs of quality and durability to its own soldiers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelPack Posted 1 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 1 September , 2014 A similar discovery was made in March at Haumont-près-Samogneux en Meuse of 19 year old Hans Winckelman of the 5th Company, 111th RIR killed in August 1917. The press story here: http://www.verdun-meuse.fr/images/pages/laplaquesalivresessecretsER23032014.pdf and ID Disc here: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 1 September , 2014 Share Posted 1 September , 2014 Not Parli Vouing Francais does the article say just what were the circumstances of the finding of this man and are there any details of the planned interment?. I would use Google translation but it sometimes gives unpredictable results.. Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombadier Posted 1 September , 2014 Share Posted 1 September , 2014 The remains were found by a forestry worker whilst he was clearing some woods. He found a "pointed helmet" and other artefacts including the identity disc. He took the disc with him when he went to notify the relevant authorities. Good move as the helmet had gone when they returned. Nothing mentioned about re internment. Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 1 September , 2014 Share Posted 1 September , 2014 Thanks Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
depaor01 Posted 1 September , 2014 Share Posted 1 September , 2014 R.I.P. Ernst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 2 September , 2014 Share Posted 2 September , 2014 Of Course Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelPack Posted 2 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 2 September , 2014 Norman Egbert kindly checked the German media for any news of the reburials of the two soldiers but nothing hitherto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Holstein Posted 5 September , 2014 Share Posted 5 September , 2014 Thanks to the efforts of a local Frenchman, an former gendarme, permission has been given for Hans Winckelman to be buried in the German cemetery of Romagne sous Montfaucon, where his brother is also buried. Christina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 5 September , 2014 Share Posted 5 September , 2014 Thanks to the efforts of a local Frenchman, an former gendarme, permission has been given for Hans Winckelman to be buried in the German cemetery of Romagne sous Montfaucon, where his brother is also buried. Christina Christina. Would that be the cemetery just off the road between Cunel and Nantillois? I think I've visited it; I vaguely remember the contrast between it and the American Meuse-Argonne cemetry. It would be worth a visit again now I think. Thanks for the update. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth505 Posted 6 September , 2014 Share Posted 6 September , 2014 Thanks to the efforts of a local Frenchman, an former gendarme, permission has been given for Hans Winckelman to be buried in the German cemetery of Romagne sous Montfaucon, where his brother is also buried. Christina Beautiful backstory. Thanks for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechhill Posted 6 September , 2014 Share Posted 6 September , 2014 [...] where his brother is also buried. It gets you every bl.... time, doesn't it? Wish my phone would let me do one of those poppy thingies. /Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Holstein Posted 7 September , 2014 Share Posted 7 September , 2014 The German cemetery is just outside Romagne on the west side of the road from Romagne to Bantheville. It was very overgrown but it's recently been cleared and looks better. I think permission has actually been given for Hans W to be buried in the same grave as his brother and I'm not sure whether it's happened yet. The chap who finally managed to get permission had quite a struggle with bureaucracy in order to get it. The original plan was to bury him in a German cemetery out of the department, over towards the Moselle, and the authorities didn't quite seem to see the logic of laying him to rest with his brother. Christina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth505 Posted 18 September , 2014 Share Posted 18 September , 2014 Isn't this the town with the splendid local museum of artifacts recovered within a 5K radius? Where Patton was injured and where he based his first command in WWII (good enough to end the first in...)? Is the 'chap' the fellow who runs the museum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Holstein Posted 21 September , 2014 Share Posted 21 September , 2014 Romagne is the place with the splendid museum of WWI artefacts, run by a Dutchman named Jean Paul de Vries. The man I'm talking about is an ex-gendarme from the Verdun area. Christina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 22 September , 2014 Share Posted 22 September , 2014 A similar discovery was made in March at Haumont-près-Samogneux en Meuse of 19 year old Hans Winckelman of the 5th Company, 111th RIR killed in August 1917. The press story here: http://www.verdun-meuse.fr/images/pages/laplaquesalivresessecretsER23032014.pdf and ID Disc here: id disc.jpg Hello, I checked the regimental history: Hans' death date is given there as 21 August 1917 (his unit was 5/RIR 111 and not the 3rd Company as mentioned in the article). Strange that Laparra didn't check the regimental history. According to the regimental history, Hans Winckelmann was from Britzenberg (which is somewhere in Staufen or Münstertal in Baden). The Kriegsstammrollen of Hans Winckelmann are normally still available in the archives of Karlsruhe. Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ph0ebus Posted 24 September , 2014 Share Posted 24 September , 2014 :poppy: Rest in peace, Hans and Ernst...in from the cold at last. -Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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