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A special Death Card and story of 2 young soldiers who will be memorialized forever

Article about: A very special update on a card I posted years ago. It’s a long post but worth it. This is 22 year old Gefreiter Leonhard Vorbuchner. He grew up on a farm in Bayern. Leonhard was drafted int

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    Default A special Death Card and story of 2 young soldiers who will be memorialized forever

    A very special update on a card I posted years ago. It’s a long post but worth it.

    This is 22 year old Gefreiter Leonhard Vorbuchner. He grew up on a farm in Bayern. Leonhard was drafted into the army and eventually sent to the Eastern Front, and would end up of all places....Stalingrad. However, Leonhard would be one of the “very lucky” few. He fell seriously ill with yellow fever, and was flown out of Stalingrad in one of the last planes leaving the kessel!! He spent time recovering in a hospital in Bad Neuenahr, Rhineland, but was then ordered to join the under-strengthened 116. Panzer Division “Windhund” as part of their panzer-artillerie regiment 146. The division was still not refitted after its losses in Normandy.

    By September 11, 1944, The allies had reached a corridor to the Ruhr, but standing in their way was the defended city of Aachen. The city of Aachen and its environs were protected by two lines of West Wall fortifications —one to the west, the Scharnhorst Line, and another, even thicker one, behind it to the east known as the Würselen Line. Leonhard defended the latter. Hitler had built up defenses here and told the defenders to hold it at all cost. Aachen was a tough nut to crack. The streets and alleys would provide very little maneuverability for either side, and were obviously heavily defended by the Germans.

    The approaches to the city and outskirts were defended by German tanks, infantry, and artillery, where US attackers had to move forward in stretches of open ground, low valleys, thick woods, and even a river. Leonhard and the Windhund Division took up positions in Würselen, near the Wurm valley and river, where the US 119th infantry Regiment were to attack.

    Part of this US infantry force was US Private Allison Ray Jackson, about the same age as Leonhard. He grew up on a tobacco plantation in Tennessee and had learned to read and write in the Army. He had landed in Normandy with the 30th infantry division on June 10th and fought his way through France, Belgium, and the Netherlands....to the outskirts of Aachen to the Wurm River.

    Fighting raged on for the next week of September for Leonhard and the Windhund Division. constant threats from allied artillery and US forces harassing them throughout the river and valley.

    Sadly this is where Leonhard’s war would come to an end. On September 18, 1944, Leonhard Vorbuchner was killed on the edge of the forest near the Wurm Valley, at Würselen. Pvt. Allison Ray Jackson was killed less than 2 months later at the age of 23, still fighting in the same area where Leonhard was killed! He was on patrol near a road, and was spotted by Germans who opened fired on him. He was seriously wounded and taken prisoner, where he died of his wounds that night, alone, in captivity. He was buried at Margraten cemetery until his family could have his remains brought back home.

    Leonhard found his resting place at a cemetery in Wurselen, where a modern monument would later be constructed for the fallen soldiers and civilians killed at the battle. Pictured together on the monument are Leonhard and Pvt Jackson.

    In the photos you will see Würselen resident, ww2 historian, and tour guide, Volker Dederichs at the constructed memorial cross.

    Wurselen residents and a special guest came to commemorate the cross and loss of life in this area during WW2. The special guest is none other than Leonhard Vorbuchners brother! This German helmet Volker is holding was found on the battlefield of the Wurm Valley in Wurselen in the same area where Leonhard was killed, which was presented to his brother at the ceremony.

    So here the memories and sacrifices of past soldiers and civilians killed at Würselen will stand as a remembrance and memorial to the losses caused by war. Hopefully we can learn from the past.


    (For anyone interested.....I have been in contact with historian Volker Dederichs, as I wondered if Leonhard’s family had their own copy of Leonhard’s death card, which they indeed do.)
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture A special Death Card and story of 2 young soldiers who will be memorialized forever   A special Death Card and story of 2 young soldiers who will be memorialized forever  

    A special Death Card and story of 2 young soldiers who will be memorialized forever   A special Death Card and story of 2 young soldiers who will be memorialized forever  

    A special Death Card and story of 2 young soldiers who will be memorialized forever   A special Death Card and story of 2 young soldiers who will be memorialized forever  

    A special Death Card and story of 2 young soldiers who will be memorialized forever   A special Death Card and story of 2 young soldiers who will be memorialized forever  

    A special Death Card and story of 2 young soldiers who will be memorialized forever  
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    Fantastic. Great research!!!
    "Please", Thank You" and proper manners appreciated

    My greatest fear is that one day I will die and my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them

    "Don't tell me these are investments if you never intend to sell anything" (Quote: Wife)

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    Amazing how just a little research can turn an ordinary item into something amazing like this. Thank you for sharing.

    Alex

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    100% Alex. Each little item is worth trying to research, especially since we are lucky enough to have the internet. It’s even cooler to know that people are out there still constructing monuments to this day

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    A special Death Card and story of 2 young soldiers who will be memorialized forever
    Name: Leonhard Vorbuchner
    Date of birth: 10.2.1922
    Death/missing date: 18.9.1944

    A Gefreiter in 3./schwere Artillerie Abteilung (mot.) 997





    Pfc. Allison Ray Jackson was born 20 December 1921 in Montgomery County, Tennessee. He was semi-skilled in mineral extraction before he enlisted 19 September 1942 at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. On the night of 6 November 1944 he was apart of a recon patrol from Co B., 119th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division searching for German positions around Würselen. Jackson and three others were wounded during a firefight with Germans from 3. Panzergrenadier Division. The four men were taken prisoner but unfortunately Jackson died of his wounds the following day. His burial location was not known until months later. He was originally buried at Margraten until he was repatriated in 1948. As of 1949 he now rests at Pleasantview Baptist Church Cemetery in Cumberland Heights, Tennessee.


    A special Death Card and story of 2 young soldiers who will be memorialized forever

    A special Death Card and story of 2 young soldiers who will be memorialized forever

    A special Death Card and story of 2 young soldiers who will be memorialized forever

  7. #6

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    "nice" story. full investigantion

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