Killed on 22nd Birthday

[Ralph J. Whitehead]

Musketier Adolf Heldenmaier, 3rd Coy, 180 I.R. was among the defenders of Ovillers-La Boisselle during the British attacks on 1 July 1916. The 3rd Coy held Sector P1, the right flank company that was adjacent to Sector C9 held by the 99th R.I.R. that included the Granatloch (Leipzig Redoubt). During the heavy fighting of the first day of the battle the 3rd Coy repulsed the enemy attacks against Sector P1 and eventually was called in to help block off the enemy penetration into the neighboring sector and contain the advance.

Fighting was intense in the area of the Granatloch and at one point during the day Musketier Heldenmaier was severely wounded, it was his 22nd Birthday. He was born on 1 July 1894 in Esslingen. Musketier Heldenmaier was carried to the rear where he then being transported to the nearest field hospital by Krankentransport Abteilung II. Unfortunately he succumbed to his wounds before they could get him to the rear. He was buried near the main dressing station but during the course of the fighting his grave was lost and his remains were lost. Unlike the impressive British Memorial at Thiepval the thousands of German dead lost during the Battle of the Somme have no known resting place and no monument where their names are remembered.

I only hope that his name appears on a local memorial in Esslingen. If any forum members get a chance to visit the city perhaps they could check on this.

Gone but not forgotten.

Ralph

[Desmond7]

It's good that he is remembered here.

Des

[dorrie]

Why is there no resting place for the german oldier who died with no known grave. They were only doing job

Dorrie

[dycer]

Dorrie,

We agree with your sentiment.

Unfortunately with the immediate post-War feelings,compounded I'm afraid to say by what happened 20 years later, Germany was not allowed to remember her casualties in the same way as the Victors.

Hopefully this Forum is going some way to address the injustice.

George