The Sleepyhillock Cemetery in Montrose had 4 German airman buried in 1941 In around 1963, the airmen were interred and moved to Cannock Chase war cemetery. Any idea to find out a date they were moved, or how this was done, by whom and was there a reburial ceremony etc....
If you look up someone British buried there you sometimes see on the graves registration reports when the Germans were moved
1959 agreement with the Germans to do some concentration, with most of the work done in '63. I'd always assumed the work was done by CWGC or Volksbund (VDK), but the specific question interests me a fair amount (Cannock is a remarkable place). This says the VDK made the 'necessary arrangements'. Cemetery Details | CWGC CWGC annual reports appear to now be online. Might be worth delving into for more info.
Cemetery Details | CWGC As a CWGC site I assume that you will find a concentration report on those moved from elsewhere.
Is this the plane that was shot down ? If you can ID who the crew were it'd help. Museum seeks information over Nazi plane downed in north-east | Press and Journal "We think that the crew were buried locally with a military funeral."
You are going to need the date as well as there were several casualties in July 1941. I count 10 on a quick check. The most likely date seems to be 8th July where there are six casualties from which four might be from the incident mentioned. Cant spend much more on this hope this is of assistance. Just passing by. Sorry I cant be of more help.
I'd have thought more details will be in The Blitz Then and Now books (one of the few of that series I don't own). Failing that somebody may have access to the most comprehensive compilation of Luftwaffe losses - WingLeader - Aviation Books and Collectables
Hi All , thanks for the posts The crew on the aircraft were 21-year-old Leutnant zur See Eduard Erich Becker, 23-year-old Unteroffizier Gerhard Gebauer, 20-year-old Obergefreiter Fritz Otto Fose (noting his name has several variations of spelling in the records) and 24-year-old Unteroffizier Hans Steggemann). Crash date 14/7/41 Yes, the article in the paper is correct crash. I did look up the listing in the Blitz then and Now but not much info on there The crew did get a funeral full military honors (despite protests from local about Nazi flag draped coffins on gun carriages). The other of Becker visited the cemetery in 1954 also!
There was a discussion on Luftwaffe casualties sometime ago WW2 German Air Force CWGC Casualty List However I think that the VDK organisation German equivalent to the CWGC (but a voluntary organisation) could help with casualty backgrounds.They now have an English language version of their website with the Kassel HQ address to contact them Über uns Online grave search Individual grave tracing In English Cannock Chase Military Cemetery. Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery - Wikipedia Interestingly.I note that Becker was a Kriegsmarine officer and three crew identified from the information given in Post #1.
Thanks Alan Such personal information reveals a story from a tombstone....if only tombstones could talk!
Morning, They are in Cannock Chase War Cemetery (Graves 4.F.5 to 4.F.8) not Cannock Chase German War Cemetery. Leutnant zur See 73038/223 Eduard Becker from Berlin (observer), Unteroffizier 73038/229 Hans Steggemann from Gelsenkirchen-Buer (flight engineer), Obergefreiter 73038/231 Fritz Föse from Dessau (wireless operator) and Unteroffizier 73038/232 Gerhard Gebauer from Breslau (pilot) were the crew of a Junkers Ju 88A-1 (0717) of 1/Küstenfliegergruppe 506. At 4pm on Monday 14 July 1941 their aircraft, S4+HH, was hit by AA fire from a Flak ship off Montrose while on an armed reconnaissance on the Scottish east coast and crashed in flames at Lauriston railway station near Montrose, Tayside where it burnt out. The entire crew were killed in the incident and were initially buried in Sleepy Hillock Cemetery, Montrose, Angus , Gebauer in Grave 8.C.40, Föse in Grave 8.C.41, Steggeman in Grave 8.C.42 and Becker in Grave 8.C.43. Unfortunately I do have have the exact date they were reinterred. Regards, Graeme