Soldbuch Normandy KIA Story..1

[Daniele C]

This is the Story of Heinrich Christmann.
He was Born on 11.05.1907 near Kaiserslautern.
He was a Weaver in the civilian life , of Protestant religion and married.
He was Enlisted with the Army on 27.February 1943.

[Daniele C]

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[Daniele C]

He was Enlisted first with Res.Gren.Btl.456 and Then Sent to Gren.Rgt.868 part of the 355 Infanterie Division.
The Division was Formed in South of France in May 1943 and Then Sent In Krim in June.Fought there in July and Then it was Moved to Charkow.

[Daniele C]

He was Armed with K98 and was Given all the Equipment.

[Daniele C]

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[Daniele C]

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[Daniele C]

On 26 August 1943 he was wounded in kharkov grazed by a bullet in the forearm and hospitalized untill 28 September 1943 for a month.

He was then Sent to recover to Gren.Ers.Btl.195 for one month exactly untill 28.October 1943.

[Daniele C]

He will receive his only award in late 1943....the Wound badge in Black for the wounds he received While in the Kharkov front.

[Daniele C]

His Unit in November 1943 was disbanded after the heavy losses and Grenadier Christmann was transferred to the 1050 Grenadier Regiment that was part of the 77 Infanterie Division.
Formed in North France in January 1944 the 77Infanterie Division was made from the remnants of the destroyed 355 Infanterie division including the divisional staff.Christmann came with it.
After a few months he gets promoted to Gefreiter and his Division gets deployed between normandy and brittany.

[Daniele C]

In April 44 he gets 20 days leave to go back and see his family for the last time...

[Daniele C]

June 1944...
After the Invasion the 77ID starts moving toward the front in the Cotentin Peninsula to fight the American landed in the UTAH Beach sector.
The American push with the 9Th Infantry Division and elements of the 82nd Airborn Division to reach the western coast of the peninsula and cut in 2 the german forces in the Cotentin.
Christmann and his 77ID got cut off with other Units when the Commander of the 77ID General Stegmann decided,against the Fuhrer's order,to move South leaving the Cherbourg front to and join the other german units.
Christmann's unit tho,was one of the units of the 77ID that couldn't make it to march south and remained trapped.

[Daniele C]

On the 20 June 1944
Christmann Was running across one of the many Fields in the upper part of the Cotentin peninsula When he was seen by PVT.WERNER,An american Soldier From OHIO who fought with the 9th Infantry Division landed in UTAH beach only few days before.
PVT.WERNER Shot through an hedgerow and Killed Gefreiter Heirich Christmann,37 years Old Veteran of the Russian Front.

[Daniele C]

The body of Christmann remained for 3 days in that field under the Rain because a German Sniper was blocking PVT.WERNER's unit from moving.
After 3 Days PVT.Werner finally manged to get to Christmann's Body that Turned Black due to the exposure to the rainy weather and He took This Soldbuch as a Souvenir carrying it in his pocket untill the end of the war.

The Soldbuch As you can see ha s A bullet hole probably done by the bullet of PVT.Werner that Killed Christmann.

[Daniele C]

Today is exactly 64 years Since Gefreiter Heinrich Christmann Died.
Christmann will be buried in the German Cemetery of Orglandes with 2 immates where he rests in peace.

Pvt.Werner From Ohio will Die in 2004.He will Cry and Dream about when he killed Christmann many times during his long life...

[HouweTrouwe]

Thanks for the beautiful but sad story!
Nice research