Absolutely brilliant thread! Excellent stuff! I will just add though that Dr Zahnartzt Koopman does not mean a first name, it means Dr of dentistry
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@ Patrick,Originally posted by Patrick W
I have corrected the text and photo to reflect your information. I should have read the title correctly because it said : Zahnarzt Dr. Koopmann und Frau. Thank you very much !
Regards,
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RobertComment
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Koopmann
Robert,
this is what the hobby should be about. The history of the person behind the award! And what a work you have done to revile the life of the German Cross in gold holder & Knight cross holder. It is a sort of looking at the DVD ‘The Heimat’. I’m speechless, thanks for sharing.
JeroenComment
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Jeroen,Originally posted by JRA
I was fortunate that there were still enough elements in the group to make it possible to create this thread, but the ones to be applauded should be the actors. Aren’t we all only observers looking at History through the eyes of those who lived it?
Best regards,
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RobertComment
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Robert
What you have put together in this thread is what I believe all true collectors must aspire to.
I have said before that we are simply custodians of history and you have proven yourself to be a responsible steward. You have done a tremendous job with maintaining the legacy of this family.
I commend your efforts and thank you for sharing this most remarkable thread with us.
Regards,
AndrewComment
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Andrew,Originally posted by Huntzman
Thank you very much for your heartwarming comments.
I was inspired to do this after reading “THE FACE OF COURAGE” by Florian Berger, I followed the same format, quickly going from one event to the other. The book relates the story of the 98 soldiers who received both the Knight’s cross ant the Close Combat, the subject came up at page 4.11;
“Although Erwin Koopmann served as a company commander, battalion commander and, in the end, as a regimental Führer at some of the hottest spots of the Eastern Front, winning bravery awards and finally succumbing to his fifth wound, there is no documentation within this konvolut about the awarding of any of the 3 levels of the Close Combat Clasp. It is striking to note that another well decorated officer; Major Helmut Wandmaker (one of only 98 German soldiers to be awarded both the Knight’s Cross and the CCC in Gold) had collected enough close-combat days (30) for the first two levels of the CCC during the fights near Bryansk, the Dnieper River and Kiev, while serving in the same battalion than Erwin and later under his leadership. On December 1st 1943, Wandmaker was awarded both the Bronze and Silver levels of the Close Combat Clasp at the same time….”
I was left wondering at the time if this front line officer whose “love of justice almost verged on fanaticism” could have withheld his own name from combat reports, I am hoping for some other opinions on this from the members here.
Even before I started to put together the elements of this thread, I had decided to incorporate something about “synchronicity” (page 4.9) and I would like it very much if you would give me your opinion on this part of the story.
Best regards,
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RobertComment
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Robert
The words of praise were certainly well merited. What you did was a great service to this man. Hopefully someone from his family will stumble upon it one day.
In asking the question, could it be possible he withheld his name. The answer is a definite yes. I can only speak from personal experience. The awarding of a medal is an outward sign towards others that you performed a specific deed or act of heroism. But at the end of the day, does it really matter if anyone else knows what you did?
In many instances officers, who are true officers, understand that it is the men under them who validate who they are. You can take a man like Sepp Dietrich, who has often been criticized for shortcomings, and yet his men loved him. Would do anything for him. On the flip side I am sure history knows the names of many officers who were much more capable, much more competent, who faded to obscurity because their men had no desire to follow them in combat.
If Koopmann was the type of man who led from the front. It would not be unusual for him to place medals at the bottom of the list. His men would have seen him there, would have known he was "with them" and he would have probably put them in for a medal before himself.
That's just my humble $.02 worth.
AndrewComment
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Andrew,
I am grateful that you took the time to post those insightful observations.
Regards,
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RobertComment
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Well spoken!Originally posted by HuntzmanComment
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Robert
No problem, more than happy to share.
Ludwig
Thanks for the kind comment.
AndrewComment
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Friedrich Karl Barner
With the help of Roger at www.20pzgrendiv.eu and the Volksbund site, we've been able to identify the officer that Major Koopmann replaced when he took command of his regiment during the Second Battle of Smolensk (I have edited the text on page 4.0).
- Grenadier Regiment 76 commander Oberstleutnant Friedrich Karl Barner was gravely wounded during the Second Battle of Smolensk (August 28th, 1943).
- Major Erwin Koopmann assumed command of G.R.76.
- OTL. Barner awarded the DKIG on October 25th, 1943.
- After his convalescence and shortly after returning to active duty, OTL. Barner was killed in action on November 14th, 1943 near Iwniza and lies buried in Winniza.
- OTL. Barner posthumously promoted to Oberst.
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RobertComment
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Thanks, really really thanks as you showed in which way it'is possible to do a great resarch job, a great presentation and shared with all of us a real life story.
I'll consider this thread as a model for my next research ...
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Benny,Originally posted by Benny57 View PostThanks, really really thanks as you showed in which way it'is possible to do a great resarch job, a great presentation and shared with all of us a real life story.
I'll consider this thread as a model for my next research ...
Thank you very much for all your nice comments.
Kind regards,
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RobertLast edited by Robert T.; 11-19-2008, 02:52 PM.Comment
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Resurrection
The total number of German soldiers who died in Flanders during the Great War has never been confirmed, the bodies of 126,168 known soldiers are buried in the four main collecting cemeteries of Langemarck, Vladslo, Hooglede and Menen. Of these, about 120,000 were killed within the province of Flanders, however many others just disappeared without trace in the abysmal mud, 90,000 soldiers are still considered "missing” and consequently one comes to a sum of about 210,000 dead.
Many German fallen were concentrated and buried in the Military Cemetery at Langemarck, not all soldiers ended up in a mass-grave; Hermann Koopmann got a semi-individual burial place (No.A/3936) and a gravestone with seven other names on it. Those brave men are guarded by towering oak trees whose roots are now intertwined with their remains, creating a bond between the Dead and the Living.
Filip Debergh, an author and renowned World War 1 tour guide from Belgium, has kindly provided me with several wonderful photographs depicting Hermann’s burial site. He contacted me after reading the article on Chris Boonzaier’s superb web site; http://www.kaiserscross.com/40312/179301.html.
Langemarck nowadays is a place of peace and quiet, the sound of the guns of two World Wars has long since faded away. People of many different nations, individually or on guided excursions are visiting what remains of the Western front. Some come to Langemarck just as curious tourists, others for historical research. Filip D. assured me that he will certainly tell Hermann’s story to his tour participants.Comment
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Hermann koopmann, kriegsfreiwilliger (war volunteer) † 18.11.1914Comment
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