Au Pays de Ardennes Museum, Bastogne. Interesting Exhibit

[HistoryMan]

While staying in Bastogne over Christmas during my Battle of Bulge Tour I attended the Au pays de Ardennes Museum located on Rue de Neufchateau.

It was only a quick visit, it was the last day before returning home and the main 101st Airborne Museum did not open until 10am.

There was an interesting exhibit on display, the personal effects once belonging to a German Fallschirmjager I believe, the remains of the soldier were recovered in 1995 near Recogne I think ?

The pictures are not the best I am afraid, the lighting was poor and I only had my mobile phone to hand, I found it a little creepy to be honest
Does anyone have more information perhaps ?

Cheers

[BlackCat1982]

Also remember seeing this at the museum. The unfortunate FJ was recovered after a storm had brought down some trees and forestry workers had found him, as far as I recall.

[Anderson]

Interesting relics, I assume they were from the one man. It appears by the way the rifle is beside the skeleton ( in last photo) that the unfortunate was buried, perhaps hastily. Though I see in photo 3 the rifle is not visible. Someone mucked up the forensic work?
But he was carrying a few blades; photo 7 shows a German type 1898 bayonet that's been ground into a fighting knife (minus finger guard too) and in photo 8 the Luftwaffe fighting knife, perhaps was attached to his belt. As he carried a rifle presumably he was also carrying a K98 bayonet.
Finding the remains of a WW2 soldier with a "field made" fighting knife is quite interesting. Finding WW1 (and earlier) era bayonets modified into fighting knives is not uncommon. But usually they are described and assumed to be WW1 trench knives. This find rather proves that German soldiers in WW2 were also carrying these "field made" trench/fighting knives, even apparently when the later purpose made knife was available.