大象传媒

Introduction

During the Battle of Normandy many German families lost sons, brothers or husbands in the same way as families of Allied servicemen or French civilians. During my research I have learnt of the experiences of people who by force of circumstance found themselves in Normandy between June and August 1944.

In many ways the experiences, thoughts, aspirations, sadness and joy were similar regardless of which 鈥榗amp鈥� they were in. This article looks at two aspects how German people have been affected by events that happened in the summer of 1944. These are the visit to the Caen Memorial Museum on Sunday 6th June 2004 by the German Chancellor Gerhard Schr枚der and the story of a young German soldier Otto B眉gener who is buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery at Cheux-Saint-Manvieux.

Service of Reconciliation, Caen Memorial, Sunday 6 June 2004

Exactly 60 years after the first Allied Landings in Normandy, a German leader was invited to take part in the official commemorative services of D-Day. On Sunday 6th June 2004, the Chancellor of the German Federal Republic, Gerhard Schr枚der, was welcomed to a moving and solemn ceremony at the Caen Memorial by the French President, Jacques Chirac.

Chancellor Schr枚der and President Chirac both had personal reasons to remember World War Two. Gerhard Schr枚der鈥檚 father was one of the millions of German soldiers who died on the Eastern Front during the latter stages of the war. In fact, Gerhard Schr枚der grew up with no personal memories of his father. However, Gerhard Schr枚der has reportedly always had a photograph of his father on his work desk alongside one of his wife and children. Jacques Chirac was a young man with personal memories of the dark days of the war. He also regards himself as following in the political footsteps of the Free French leader, General Charles de Gaulle.

At the entrance of the Caen Memorial, the two leaders exchanged words of friendship and reconciliation. Chancellor Schr枚der stated that everyone present should profit from this historic day and continue to work together for peace.

Inside the main entrance of the Memorial Museum, a commemorative tablet was unveiled as a visible and permanent sign of the day. Like other visitors to the Museum, Chancellor Schr枚der and President Chirac signed the Visitors Book next to the entrance.

Words remembering D-Day and the Battle of Normandy

During 2004 the Caen Memorial Museum mounted a temporary major exhibition commemorating D-Day and the Battle of Normandy entitled 鈥楧-Day Words鈥� (鈥楶aroles du Jour J鈥� in French). This exhibition included letters, diaries, journals and memoirs of people who witnessed the events of the Normandy Landings and the following battles. It drew mainly on documents previously donated to the Museum鈥檚 Archives either by the people who wrote them or their relatives.

The exhibition was presented in three languages: French, English and German. I had previously read some of the documents in the Memorial Museum Archives as part of my research. I received an invitation from the Museum to attend the opening of the exhibition in March 2004 but unfortunately I was unable to attend at that time. However, I was able to visit the exhibition during the summer of 2004. I am pleased to acknowledge the excellence of this exhibition by the Museum in its attempt to increase the understanding of how people coped during the Battle of Normandy.

Among those whose words were used in the exhibition were Iris Carpenter, Gwen A毛l Bollor茅, Franz Gockel and Dr E.R. 'Peter' Hargreaves. These four people were fortunate to survive the war. However, the Museum also tells the story of another young German soldier who died during the war at the age of 18, Otto B眉gener.

Otto B眉gener, a German casualty in Normandy

Reading the words that Otto wrote while in Normandy to his parents back home in Germany in June 1944 they seem to be very similar to those that might have been written by British, American and Canadian soldiers to their parents. The Museum has a photograph of Otto in his military uniform. Although he was 18 years old, he could easily be mistaken as being in his early teens.

On the morning of 6th June 1944, Otto wrote to his parents that his unit had received their orders to take up arms during the night and how intense was their joy when the alarm was sounded: 鈥淭his is the moment we have awaited for so long鈥�.

Otto was full of confidence that the Germans would be victorious in the forthcoming battle when the order to advance was given. Nevertheless he was still mindful of what his parents would be thinking: 鈥淒on鈥檛 worry about me, I am going to rise to the task ahead of me and I will come back to you shortly. An hour ago, we were read the F眉hrer鈥檚 orders and we know that this will be a battle for Germany and for Europe鈥�.

Of course, history proved otherwise and Otto was killed on 27th June 1944. I have discovered where Otto鈥檚 grave is. He is buried in the St Manvieu War Cemetery at Cheux, approximately 10 kilometres to the west of Caen. Otto is one of 556 German soldiers buried at that cemetery, along with 1627 Commonwealth burials. His grave can be found to the left of the 鈥楥ross of Sacrifice鈥� in Plot 17.B.2.

One of the French residents informed me that most of the German burials at the cemetery only took place in late 1957 or 1958 when it was decided to open up the unidentified or mass burials of German soldiers and give them a proper burial in a decent grave. One can only have the utmost respect for the unknown persons who carried out this work so many years after the war had ended.

Thus, it was more than 14 years after he died that the young soldier Otto B眉gener was eventually identified as being killed in action. This was during the unsuccessful defence of Cheux against the 15th Scottish Division during Operation Epsom.

As a further act of reconciliation, a religious ceremony was held to commit the remains of the German dead to the ground and their relatives were invited. The grave of Otto B眉gener will be cared for in perpetuity by the same gardeners that look after the Allied soldiers who died in the same battle for Cheux. Death does not distinguish between race or creed during a war. In 1944 by circumstances forced upon them, these young men and boys were destined to become soldiers of combat. Fourteen years later they had become 鈥榮oldiers of reconciliation鈥�, lying at rest in the same cemetery. This was the beginning of a process that perhaps was only fully realised with the invitation of Gerhard Schr枚der to attend the 60th Anniversary commemorations at the Caen Memorial.

Conclusion

Chancellor Gerhard Schr枚der suffered the loss of his father during World War Two and was never able to know him. This fact made his visit to the Caen Memorial on 6th June 2004 at the invitation of President Jacques Chirac even more poignant. It was a time to both remember the war and to reaffirm the need to continue working for peace.

The family of Otto B眉gener also suffered the loss of a son and brother. One reason I researched Otto鈥檚 story was when I saw he was an 18 year-old who was killed in action during the Battle of Normandy on 27th June 1944. I already knew the story of Private Joseph Casson, another 18 year-old soldier who died on the same day. However, Joseph was in the British Army and came from my home town of Whitehaven in the county of Cumbria.

Families from Britain, France, Germany, Canada, the United States and other many other nations suffered the loss of loved ones. In the words of Gerhard Schr枚der at the Memorial on 6th June: 鈥淲e promise that we will never forget the victims鈥�.

Many families during World War Two were united in personal tragedy during 鈥淭he People鈥檚 War鈥�. This article is dedicated to those who lost relatives or friends in the war regardless of their nationality and to the Memorial Museum for Peace at Caen for their promotion of peace and reconciliation.

(NB 鈥� The translation of the quotations used in this article was done by me)

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