Words on the back of a portrait photo...

[Battler]

Hello

I found these words on the back of a german portrait photo.

Hans Metzger
geb. Stuttgart W. Vogelsangstr.17 I
3.9.1919 - vermifst Marz 1944
ein unteren Bug

What is the signification ? It is possible to have any informations about the death of this man ?


Thanks

[Jay Gillespie]

Wording

I'm not sure there's a lot to tell here. Hans was born in Stuttgart in 1919 and was declared missing in 1944. I think it's really nothing more than idetifying the picture. But if the picture just happened to show an officer rank, it might be remotely possible to find some additional informmation. Otherwise, it's just a portrait picture.

[Battler]

Thanks for your response.

The photo:



I have 150 photos taken by this man during the war and I would like to know the location of his grave if he had one..

[Jan-Hendrik]

According to the "Volksbund" OGfr. Metzger has no official grave , he is still MIA :

http://www.volksbund.de/graebersuche...22EF3AFD2677DE

Jan-Hendrik

[TWP]

Thanks for your response.

The photo:



I have 150 photos taken by this man during the war and I would like to know the location of his grave if he had one..

I would love to see more of your 150 photos frm this man.

[Simon O.]

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=headtabelle width="36%">Nachname:</TD><TD class=bodytabelle width="64%">Metzger </TD></TR><TR><TD class=headtabelle width="36%">Vorname:</TD><TD class=bodytabelle width="64%">Hans </TD></TR><TR><TD class=headtabelle width="36%">Dienstgrad:</TD><TD class=bodytabelle width="64%">Obergefreiter </TD></TR><TR><TD class=headtabelle width="36%">Geburtsdatum:</TD><TD class=bodytabelle width="64%">03.09.1919 </TD></TR><TR><TD class=headtabelle width="36%">Geburtsort:</TD><TD class=bodytabelle width="64%">Stuttgart </TD></TR><TR><TD class=headtabelle width="36%">Todes-/Vermisstendatum:</TD><TD class=bodytabelle width="64%">1944 </TD></TR><TR><TD class=headtabelle width="36%">Todesort:</TD><TD class=bodytabelle width="64%">Rshew, Witebsk, Smolensk
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Nach den uns vorliegenden Informationen ist die o. g. Person seit 1944 vermißt.

As you can see, your photograph actually has more information than the volksbund does. Your photo names the rough area of his death as being the lower Bug river in the Ukraine, that would tie in with the date of his death as the German Army Group A held a line along that part of the river at that time. It would also possibly explain the lack of grave as the Soviets were on the offensive. Many men killed in the fighting would have been left behind by their comrades and ended up being buried in unmarked mass graves by the russians.

The volksbund gives a huge possible area far to the North of the Ukraine, perhaps some of the photos hold more clues as to where he was and possibly whar unit he was with?

[Battler]

Hello (one year later)

Thanks for your informations

I post an another photo with the mysterious Hans Metzger.
This one was taken in Paris.

[Gerdan]

Hi Battler,

it's intersting but according the recent German phone book there is still a man named Christof Metzger living in Stuttgart, Vogelsagstrasse 83 B.

May be a coincidence, may be they changed the number of the house in the last 6o years.

Gerdan