UNTEROFFIZIER GEFREITER ERICH HERMANN, A SOLDIER IN THE GERMAN ARMY, WITH A FRIEND. ON THE ...

Place Africa: North Africa, Western Desert, Western Desert (Egypt), El Alamein Area, El Alamein
Accession Number P00740.005
Collection type Photograph
Object type Black & white
Physical description Black & white
Place made Germany
Date made c 1940
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Copyright

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

Public Domain Mark This item is in the Public Domain

Description

UNTEROFFIZIER GEFREITER ERICH HERMANN, A SOLDIER IN THE GERMAN ARMY, WITH A FRIEND. ON THE MORNING OF 31 OCTOBER 1942 QX7110 PRIVATE W 'BLUEY' VICKERMAN, 2/32 BATTALION, FOUND UNTEROFFIZIER GEFREITER ERICH HERMANN MORTALLY WOUNDED ON THE EL ALAMEIN BATTLEFIELD. SHORTLY BEFORE HE DIED HE GAVE PTE VICKERMAN HIS DIARY SOME PHOTOGRAPHS, INCLUDING THIS PHOTOGRAPH, AND OTHER PERSONAL PAPERS. AFTER THE WAR ONE OF VICKERMAN'S CHILDREN TOOK THE GERMAN SOLDIER'S DIARY TO SCHOOL TO A GERMAN LANGUAGE CLASS. THE TEACHER, RON WILLMOTT, READ THE DIARY AND WITH VICKERMAN'S PERMISSION TRIED SUCCESSFULLY TO CONTACT UNTEROFFIZIER HERMANN'S WIDOW. RON WILLMOTT SUBSEQUENTLY TRAVELLED TO GERMANY AND RETURNED THE DIARY TO HERMANN'S WIDOW. A COPY OF THE DIARY, PHOTOGRAPHS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS WERE SUBSEQUENTLY DONATED TO THE MEMORIAL AND ARE HELD IN THE PRIVATE RECORDS COLLECTION AT PR86/158.