Battlefield Burials

[cyberia]

Hungarian troops bury their dead on the Ostfront

[vitara]

been trying to find some pics of . australian field burials .. but no luck as yet
will keep trying haven't gave up yet .. cheers mark

[Holly6]

Originally Posted by Jim O

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Jim,
In the top photo there is a cross with a covering of wood at 90 degrees. Do you know the significance of that?

[Jim O]

That's a Tyr rune, perhaps a combination of a Tyr rune with a crucifix. Tyr is a Germanic/Norse God of war, giver of victory and protector from harm. Common on SS gravesites.

[Holly6]

Originally Posted by Jim O

That's a Tyr rune, perhaps a combination of a Tyr rune with a crucifix. Tyr is a Germanic/Norse God of war, giver of victory and protector from harm. Common on SS gravesites.

And thus I glean another bit of knowledge to pass on to the students. Thanks much. Do you know if this was a policy of burial? I understand the need for speed to bury bodies after major battles, but with the elitist position of the SS, are you aware of a desire to set their losses apart in seperate sections of cemeteries when time allowed?

[Jim O]

I really don't know the answer to that one. Perhaps either Tom or Paul have more information on that.

[cyberia]

As a matter of fact I do. Give me a little time to look up two photographs, Hal.

[cyberia]

Originally Posted by Holly6

And thus I glean another bit of knowledge to pass on to the students. Thanks much. Do you know if this was a policy of burial? I understand the need for speed to bury bodies after major battles, but with the elitist position of the SS, are you aware of a desire to set their losses apart in seperate sections of cemeteries when time allowed?

I have a set of photographs I can't lay my hands on at the moment that shows the difference between Waffen SS and Heer burials. When I locate them I will post them.

For most part battlefield burials were handled by the units the fallen served with. So Waffen SS units would have buried their own, when possible, and therefore probably separate from Heer units operating even in the same sector.

In the beginning of the war there were even divisional and battalion battlefield cemeteries that had unit symbols attached to either individual grave markers or fashioned into elaborate center pieces.

Of course all of this must have changed was the war wore on and casualties grew to enormous numbers.

One thing I found interesting as I sorted through the nearly two thousand photographs for the Ostfront collection, was that three out of every ten were of either graves, cemeteries or burial ceremonies.

It would seem the manner in which they buried their brothers in arms was something very important to these men.

[cyberia]

German battlefield cemetery in Rshew, Russia-1943

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by cyberia

German battlefield cemetery in Rshew, Russia-1943

That's an interesting photo as the man appears to be lying in a stretcher around "landscaped" graves. His knees are flexed so most likely he is moving. One can only imagine the story behind it.