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Help to diggers and soldiers left behind

Article about: Hello. I'm a Scandinavian who lives in Russia. I have a request to diggers especially in Russia or Eastern Europe. I have a good contact at Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge. I know th

  1. #1
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    Default Help to diggers and soldiers left behind

    Hello. I'm a Scandinavian who lives in Russia. I have a request to diggers especially in Russia or Eastern Europe. I have a good contact at Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge. I know that sometimes diggers stumble upon remains of German soldiers, and maybe these diggers not always know how to return them because of the language barrier. What i in short would like to say is, that if anybody knows people who is or might get in a situation like this, i will be more than happy to do the work for them and establish the contact to Volksbund in Kassel. I can provide the contact or handle it myself. Does'nt matter how to me.

    Conditions is: Remains must be found in a single grave or clearly seperated from other remains, i.e by a uniform. Foto documatation and note of the area it was found. Dog tag which can be identified. Relatives of the found soldier will pay for the return.

    Maybe some will think this is a stupid offer/idea. But why not try?

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Help to diggers and soldiers left behind

    I Need to clarify some of what you have said as a result of my own experience !! Firstly the Volksbund has a representative in each country i take it that one of the representatives in Russia is your contact ?

    Many remains are found in graves with others or in combat posistions where they are mixed in with fallen Russians , in my experience the Volksbund is also interested in these remains which can also be reburied in the Soldatenfriedhof even as unknown ?

    Finding a dog tag to identify the soldiers is not a prerequisite of the Volksbund taking the remains for reburial. ?

    Never heard of relatives paying for the return of the remains , although an offer is sometimes made to diggers by the Volksbund ? Most remains are not retirned to Germany but are buries with their Kameraden,

    regards

    Paul
    The gates of hell were opened and we accepted the invitation to enter" 26/880 Lance Sgt, Edward Dyke. 26th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers , ( 3rd Tyneside Irish )

    1st July 1916

    Thought shall be the harder , heart the keener,
    Courage the greater as our strength faileth.
    Here lies our leader ,in the dust of his greatness.
    Who leaves him now , be damned forever.
    We who are old now shall not leave this Battle,
    But lie at his feet , in the dust with our leader

    House Carles at the Battle of Hastings

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Help to diggers and soldiers left behind

    Ok Paul i will take it from the top and down.

    It's a representative in Kassel Germany.

    Here is what she says about some of the conditions: "The very first condition is that we have found the soldier in a single
    grave and have a definite identification mark. All applications and costs
    have to be managed by the applying family. Transports have to be done by
    certified firms". Of course they can also receive unidentified remains, but different procedure. They could also be helpful with contacts to places of burial in Russia or other places.

    Yes there is a possibility for soldiers to be buried in cemetery's where both Russian and German is put to rest. I think one of them is in Rzhev. Correct me if i'm wrong.

    My request was simply just an offer to people who for some reason would not like to take contact to authorities. Would be a shame if soldiers would not be put to rest just because of that. Hope this clarifies your questions. If not, please ask.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Help to diggers and soldiers left behind

    Not knocking your offer mate , hopefully some of the Russian diggers who don't deal properly with remains will take you up on it !! Unfortunatley for all the diggers working legitimately for the Volksbubd and Russian war graves there are many more who are " Black Diggers " . Do you have any contact with any of the diggers in your area ?

    It's just that as a result of my own experience with the Volksbund the conditions set by your contact in Kassel are not the ones being used on the ground as it were , i needed to clarify that in fact unidentified remains are recovered and then reburied.

    The conditions she is referring to are the identification procedure for a positive identification of a persons remains ie if 3 bodies are found and only one tag is present it will depend on other evidence to determine which body the tag belongs to not the conditions for overall recovery,

    I must admit i have had contact with families of the MIA /KIA we have found and they have never had to pay anything for the recovery.

    cheers

    Paul
    The gates of hell were opened and we accepted the invitation to enter" 26/880 Lance Sgt, Edward Dyke. 26th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers , ( 3rd Tyneside Irish )

    1st July 1916

    Thought shall be the harder , heart the keener,
    Courage the greater as our strength faileth.
    Here lies our leader ,in the dust of his greatness.
    Who leaves him now , be damned forever.
    We who are old now shall not leave this Battle,
    But lie at his feet , in the dust with our leader

    House Carles at the Battle of Hastings

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Help to diggers and soldiers left behind

    Thank you mate. Seems like procedures can differ somewhat. Yes i have contact with diggers here and that is why i came up with this idea. I'm quite sure she meant that if one finds a soldier with tag and all they would contact his relatives.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Help to diggers and soldiers left behind

    Quote by Datrus View Post
    Thank you mate. Seems like procedures can differ somewhat. Yes i have contact with diggers here and that is why i came up with this idea. I'm quite sure she meant that if one finds a soldier with tag and all they would contact his relatives.
    I wish you luck with this project , hopefully more of the diggers will recover remains if they know they have a contact with the Volksbund who can help them with the procedures , a good idea indeed !!
    The gates of hell were opened and we accepted the invitation to enter" 26/880 Lance Sgt, Edward Dyke. 26th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers , ( 3rd Tyneside Irish )

    1st July 1916

    Thought shall be the harder , heart the keener,
    Courage the greater as our strength faileth.
    Here lies our leader ,in the dust of his greatness.
    Who leaves him now , be damned forever.
    We who are old now shall not leave this Battle,
    But lie at his feet , in the dust with our leader

    House Carles at the Battle of Hastings

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Help to diggers and soldiers left behind

    Thank you very much for that. Hope so too.

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