Alois was the rank of Obergefreiter. Throughout his military service he was awarded the War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords. Alois was with a supply company serving in North Africa specifically near Marsa Matruk when on September 1st 1942 he was killed by a low flying aircraft. I’m assuming it was a Strafing Run. He is buried in the military cemetery in El Alamein. Any additional info on him is greatly appreciated. From my collection
Is German/Italian Marsa Matruk the same location as English Mersa Matruh? Occupazione di Marsa Matruk. L'occupazione del campo trincerato di Marsa Matruk - Google Arts & Culture Steve
Yes it is. If he was in Supply Coy 33 he was with 15. Panzerdivision, but the company may well have been on detached service then or maybe picking something up in Mersa Matruh. The main supply point for 15.PD seems to have been el Daba, further east. All the best Andreas
Do you think that he was maybe killed during the Battle of Alam el Halfa? The dates would add up. “The night of 31 August – 1 September brought no respite for the Axis forces, as the Albacore and Wellington bombers returned to the attack, concentrating on the Axis supply lines.”. He was killed on September 1st, and also worked with the supply company. And this battle took place south of El Alamein. And wasn’t super far from Mersa Matruh. And he was also buried in El Alamein. I guess the only thing is, if he was killed during this battle which was closer to El Alamein, I don’t know why they’d list him as being killed near Mersa Matruh.
I believe El Alamein would be a re-burial when the German dead were concentrated there after the war. The contemporary files agree on Mersa Matruh, which was the most forward port for the Axis. I haven't got it's port director war diary, but that for Bardia a bit further east notes a low-flying attack the same day at 12.30 hours. So no reason to doubt this I would think and highly unlikely he was at Alam Halfa. El Alamein, German war cemetery All the best Andreas
So do you think it was more of a spontaneous air attack that he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time or was there a specific battle he was a part of?
No, just pure bad luck. Caught in a daytime strafe of the harbour or the road is my guess. It should be possible to identify the culprits with some research. All the best Andreas