FJR6 II 8Kp Oblt. Heinrich Graf von Bethusy-huc

[Phil Eyden]

Hi,

This is my first post on your this truly excellent website. As a newbie to the subject of German military personnel research, I'd be very grateful if anyone could help me.

I am looking for any information relating to Dipl.Ing Architekt Heinrich Graf von Bethusy-huc. A veteran of Crete, the eastern front, Iron Cross I & II, and wound badge holder, he was appointed Oblt and Kompaniefuhrer of 8 Kompanie, II of FJR 6 on 8/6/44. He was wounded at the battle of Carentan and died on 25/06/44 in hospital as a result of his wounds. I believe him to be the son of a German diplomat, possibly to Czechoslovakia, Eugen Graf von Bethusy-huc. The family may also have been of Jewish ancestry.

I have obtained via a house clearance in a pile of unrelated books, a small booklet that belonged to him containing his hand-written thoughts, musings and poems mostly dated mid 1942. At the front of the book is an obituary piece consisting of a newspaper cutting noting his career and death and surrounded by a home-made laurel-leaf tribute. Inside the book was a letter by Baron von der Heydte, the Regimental Kommandeur of FJR6, to Heinrich's parents noting his death.

I would like to research as much information as possible about this soldier and would dearly love to find a photograph of this chap. Unfortunately my German is very poor so any help would be much appreciated.

Please find attached images of the cutting and a copy of Heydte's letter. It may be of interest to researchers that the few official records of Bethusy-huc on the net recorded that he was WIA on 25/06/44, but the book and letter I have proves he was KIA on that day.

Copies of the poems available on request!

Thank you in advance.


Shot at 2007-08-03


Shot at 2007-08-03

(larger image here

http://img461.imageshack.us/img461/4...rcolourgz4.jpg

[Fallschirmjaeger]

Some help maybe?

This link below has addresses for information and research you could try,the 2nd link you see his name and the wounding as you see for the officers of the II/FJR6.A picture may be very hard to find,i dont see him in any of my books or after a little search on the net.

http://www.feldgrau.com/contacts.html

http://web.archive.org/web/200605240...k/normandy.htm

http://www.ww2.dk/ground/fallschirm.html
May be hard to find on this as so much of it,and most likely if did just a name.



Also i remember in the FJ forum section where you could have asked this too that FJR6/Volker who wrote a book on the 6th FJ regt in link below,so he may be able to help you with more info on Heinrich Graf von Bethusy-huc and maybe even some pictures too?,pm or email him.

http://www.fjr6.net/books.html
The les lions de carentan fallschirmjäger regiment 6/1943-1945 book.
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...+carentan+book
Older thread about the book.

[Phil Eyden]

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply and provide the interesting links Fallschirmjaeger. The Normandy article is absolutely fascinating, it was interesting to note that vd Heydte was almost arrested for defeatism when withdrawing his troops from Carentan when they had practically no ammunition left and were facing overwhelming odds. The whole Carentan situation was rather more complex than shown on Band of Brothers!

In the second link I note that Bethusy-huc was mentioned as WIA on 25/06/44, when I have proof that he was in fact sadly KIA on that day. Martin Poppel has a one brief mention of Bethusy-huc in his book mentioning that Heydte appointed him as Kompaniefuhrer on 8/06/44, though oddly his name is spelt Bethusi.

There is a another letter inside the book that is handwritten, but the writing is too hard for me to attempt to decipher and appears to be in an old script. If anyone would be interested in seeing it or would like to see the poems, written by a Fallschirmjager, please just ask and I'l post a few images here.

I will contact Volker as you suggest, should I also post a copy of this in the FJ forum do you think?

Many thanks again.

[Fallschirmjaeger]

Alright

Yea i like to help a little if i can as know a few FJ sites that could help,like i have martin poppel's book to and tried looking through it but must have missed this info when i checked.
And yes von der heydte did the best he could do with what he had,he was realy out numbered,out gunned etc... a lot of the times on reading the info on the battles.And yes contact him,and i cant see why not to post it again there as might get some more info and better help by FJR6/volker and others there.

[Phil Eyden]

Thanks again for your help, Fallschirmjaeger. Bethusy is mentioned in passing on page 199 of the Spellmount paperback edition of the book.

As you may have seen I've posted a thread in the FJ section as you have suggested. I know a photo is highly unlikely, but there is no harm in asking...