The Hell where Youth and Laughter go - WWII German cemetery exhumation

A hundred and fifty two German soldiers killed on the Eastern Front are exhumed from a village cemetery where they had been lying in unmarked and forgotten graves since 1945. Of note were two bodies with amputations, some bodies with splints and tourniquets, bodies with severe war wounds, numerous ID tags as well as a few wedding or military rings. The bodies were exhumed in order to be reburied in a large centralised German military cemetery under the care of the Volksbund.
A more in depth analysis of the signs of first aid and surgery visible on some of the bodies can be seen in this follow up video: • Sawbones 1945 - Archeo...
For free help researching WWII veterans or named items, contact me at [e-mail]
battlefieldarchaeology.blogspo...
findthemia.blogspot.com/
Exhumation de soldats allemands tués en 1945 sur le front de l'est afin de transférer leur corps dans un cimetière militaire.
Ausbettung von Deutsche Soldaten die in 1945 an der Ostfront gefallen sind.
A Crocodile Tears production documentary
Some of the more thoughtfull comments:
"Somebody loved each of these skeletons and cried when they didn’t come home. Very sad."
"mangled bones, horrific fractures, holes, splintered sculls and permanent grimaces of pain...this is what wars are all about..."
"War, you start out young and strong off to serve your country and end up seventy five years later as a collection of dirty shattered bones in a garbage bag. What's left of you was dug out of some obscure foreign graveyard to be taken to a clean military cemetery with flags flying and patriotic words on marble signs. All of it to deflect from the senseless waste and suffering of war . and try to make right the life that was taken from you."
"We all learn about war, especially ww2 in school. We all have specific picture in our head of how it must have looked like. But seeing theese pictures right here, dead soldierd just lying there and looking up to the sky. This picture alone tears apart my whole point of view. All these wounds, the pain and horror is unfiltered visably and shows you how grose all this is. People dying in the most brutal ways just for politics… i just cant get this in my head…"
"When I was in school, we had always thought of the German WW2 soldiers as evil and sub human... this is an excellent video showing that they were men, the same as everyone else. The one that had been married just prior to the war tugged at my heart."
battlefield archaeology - identification tag - dog tag - mass grave - metal detecting - plaque d'identité - erkennungsmarke - 1944 - wehrmacht - red army - nazi - hitler - partisans - gunshot wound - shrapnel wound - fragmentation - blast - war surgery - forensic medicine - 1939-45 -détection - prospection - Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori - meatgrinder - cannon fodder

[@MGood-ij1hi]

War, you start out young and strong off to serve your country and end up seventy five years later as a collection of dirty shattered bones in a garbage bag. What's left of you was dug out of some obscure foreign graveyard to be taken to a clean military cemetery with flags flying and patriotic words on marble signs. All of it to deflect from the senseless waste and suffering of war . and try to make right the life that was taken from you.

[@thodkats]

I mean, they were Nazis. They went to genocide Innocent people for imperialist and expansionist purposes.

[@leocan3659]

Os alemaes não estavam servindo seu país e sim servindo a interesses de lunáticos racistas e genocidas!

[@toothlessrage282]

The truth you say is more precise than a surgeons scalpel.

[@maritimezhang]

Many generations have said the same thing before you. But the reality is this. Every generation have exact same individuals with their ambitions. As a result, even more individuals are willing to try and make that ambition come true, or at least try. It’s just the same cycle.

[@edwelndiobel1567]

@@maritimezhang Thats why governments love young and dumb troops!

[@occidolumen2185]

In a village in Romania there is a 98 years old woman who still waits her husband to return from the second world war. She just refuses to believe he is dead cause she didn't see his body.

[@Unvfgbvc]

Pe bune?

[@midnightq69]

Where does she think he is? Poor lady.

[@occidolumen2185]

@@midnightq69 she thinks he just didn't die, but rather stayed in Russia after the war was over.

[@midnightq69]

@@occidolumen2185 either way he ghosted her.

[@melodymacken9788]

Oh my goodness. That is so sad. She'll meet him again when she passes on.

[@zombiemom6701]

Somebody loved each of these skeletons and cried when they didn’t come home. Very sad.

[@User-fx6dl]

@@daleburrell6273 Those people died many years ago, i would call it evens with these dead soliders

[@daleburrell6273]

@David Ludwig AW, BULLSHIT!!! GERMANY STARTED WW2 IN EUROPE- AND YOU KNOW IT!!! THE ATTACK ON POLAND WAS THE RESULT OF A COOKED-UP BORDER INCIDENT: "OPERATION CANNED GOODS"!!! HITLER AND RIBBENTROP BOTH KNEW GODDAM WELL THAT THE POLES WERE BLAMELESS FOR THE ATTACK ON GERMAN TERRITORY- BECAUSE THE GERMANS THEMSELVES SET THE WHOLE THING UP!!! I'M NOT BUYING WHAT YOU'RE SELLING- I'M A LITTLE TOO SMART FOR YOU-!!!

[@daleburrell6273]

@David Ludwig 1- EVEN IF EVERY BIT OF WHAT YOU SAY IS TRUE, IT DOESN'T EXCUSE WHAT THE GERMANS DID- AND YOU DAM WELL KNOW IT!!! 2- LET'S TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE POLES WHO WERE KILLED BY THE GERMANS DURING WW2- AND LET'S TALK ABOUT ALL THE DESTRUCTION THAT GERMANY INFLICTED ON THE CITIES IN POLAND DURING WW2!!! 3- IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT SEVERAL OF THE NAZI DEATH CAMPS WERE LOCATED IN POLAND?! 4- THAT'S AN OLD COMMUNIST TACTIC: "IF YOU CAN'T REFUTE WHAT A PERSON SAYS- THEN ATTACK THE PERSON WHO IS SAYING IT!!!" 5- DON'T TELL ME HOW TO TYPE MY POSTINGS- AND I WON'T TELL YOU HOW TO TYPE YOURS, 6- PUT THIS IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT: I HAVE A HECK OF A LOT MORE SYMPATHY FOR THE POLISH PEOPLE THAN I HAVE FOR THE GERMANS- AND I HAVE A HECK OF A LOT MORE SYMPATHY FOR THE CZECHS THAN I HAVE FOR THE SUDETENLAND GERMANS- AND FOR A LOT OF THE SAME REASONS!!! AND 7- BLOW IT OUT YER OLD WAZOO-(!)

[@dcmirk]

All of these soldiers and their families were racist by the very definition of the word, and hated anyone of another color or cultural background. No sympathy for holocaust perpetrators.

[@dcmirk]

@@daleburrell6273 your comment does remind me that most Americans were racist during and after WW2 also, and didn't like Jews either. 🤔 Maybe it's not entirely fair to judge individuals by the actions of their governments 🤔

[@HRHooChicken]

I can't describe why but it really hits deep seeing skeletons with evidence of emergency first aid. Like you're in a small way transported back to their final minutes with their comrades trying to save them.

[@CrocodileTear]

Exactly, you are transported back.

[@davef3356]

My Grandfather was a young doctor at the eastern front, he said he amputated arms and legs all day long. After he gets a shot at the helmet at the front Lines he was injured badly and gets home. Till the end of his life you could feel shrapnels under his head skin. He dies in 2011 with 94years. At his funeral they came hundreds of people for saying goodbye. He gets a brillant Surgeon after the War and saved many lives.

[@samholdsworth420]

Still a nazi

[@fidelcatsro6948]

🤔

[@nickgray6305]

So your grandfather was a Nazi doctor? That’s lame.

[@linda.kopecka.guttfreund]

Hmm...And You want /expect some Gratitude....???

[@AlphaChinoz]

@@linda.kopecka.guttfreundwhat's up with you? You seem offended, somehow...

[@barngirlhannahhannahstewar1177]

It’s so crazy to think about how all these skeletons were once living and breathing. They all have unique stories to tell. They all have family’s. They have all seen and experienced so much. All the information and knowledge that we will never be able to get from them.

[@pikapikanomi2312]

Yeah it makes you think at the end of the day we’re all just bones and pieces of meat and a jelly-like brain that we have is the only thing keeping us alive and what makes all of us unique as human beings. When we die, there’s a good chance we fade into nothingness and are forgotten in 200 years. Live your life to the fullest, everyone.

[@tr1ppyh1ppy]

@@pikapikanomi2312 fr in 100 years we will mean nothing unless we create something greater than us

[@katpage9378]

@@pikapikanomi2312 Unless after 200 years there’s some giant disaster that wipes it all away, detailed documentation of us will be accessible since we live in the age of smartphones

[@Luna-ii4mx]

Its sad

[@kdegraa]

@@tr1ppyh1ppy my dad built houses and they exist after physically he is ashes. He is memories though most of those memories will be gone when my sister and I are dead. The houses my father built will exist after I’m dead. I have a nut orchard I planted. The trees will exist after I’m dead. Naturally in this day & age I make videos of our orchard planting and upload them to utube. If utube exists in thirty years those videos will be there after I’m probably dead. This is life.

[@JStryker7]

The sad part about seeing the splints/tourniquets is that it shows the person initially survived and doctors/medics tried to save them but ultimately failed

[@DanielAnderssson]

@Rick Jess More times than people realize, death is often very slow and very painful. The body never wants to die even if you are ready.

[@jasoncook2232]

They would have been killed by allied captors anyway.

[@TexasRivermedic]

Doctors/Medics didn’t fail. 'We don't save lives, God does. It's our job to keep our patients entertained 'til He makes up His mind.' Dr James “Red” Duke.

[@JStryker7]

@@TexasRivermedic says one doctor. I’m sure the ones that worked on these men didn’t feel that way.

[@TexasRivermedic]

@@JStryker7 I know that some people feel that they failed, but when a patient doesn’t make it, I don’t feel as though I failed because I didn’t. The devastation and destruction that took place, took place before we laid our hands on them. Sometimes, it was more severe than the good we could do for the patient, but we didn’t fail them, we succeeded at doing our best!

[@billybop65]

My uncle is buried in a war grave in Eritrea, in a way he was lucky as his remains were exhumed near the battle site after the war and reburied in a commonwealth war cemetery with a gravestone to mark his resting place. All these boys deserve the same respect.

[@FuzzyWuzzy75]

"Only the dead have seen the end of war." - George Santayana

[@maryshanley329]

Yes, there will always be war. People consumed by the darkness of evil.

[@stomper5432]

he did not make thst quote

[@FuzzyWuzzy75]

@@stomper5432 are you saying the man never uttered that phrase?

[@stomper5432]

@@FuzzyWuzzy75 no just not the one who made it up

[@FuzzyWuzzy75]

@@stomper5432 I suppose you are right there.

[@fdlman93092]

When he pulled out the ring with a finger still in it at 28:24 my heart broke. I saw myself, and thousands of other young men, who left wives, children, and homeland, never to return.

[@AmishHitman73.Archive]

rihanna would never be the same

[@seeker296]

And its happening again. Powerful men never learn

[@lothar29]

im cry for those young and same millions soldiers never not return in his home...

[@u.s.militia7682]

You never returned?

[@Sergio-kd9wm]

Calm dow it’s not you 🙄

[@alq4263]

I feel so bad for these soldiers, and for all soldiers no matter where they're from, fighting a war they didn't cause, and dying for other men's greed.

[@HelloKitty-jz5gm]

They were Nazis and deserve no sympathy. Pick up a history book and educate yourself on the atrocities they committed.

[@falseflaag]

they were German nazi murderers - got what they deserved, fool.

[@williamkeefer4140]

God in the heavens knows every one of them and also knows the judgement

[@falseflaag]

@@williamkeefer4140 As always - but for us, men on the earth, they all were bandit scum.

[@renstimpy3767]

would you still have pity if the naziz had his country and gas your family??

[@rickwheeler6569]

I’m an American Vet who served in Hanau, Germany in 1986-1988. I made many German friends and respect all people in the utmost love. Thank you for your hard work giving these soldiers marked graves and respect while exhuming their remains. ❤

[@hawkhillfalconer3529]

Hey, I was in Hanau then, too. Fliegerhorst kassern

[@edkennedy2956]

Rick, I was in Frankfurt at the same time. I was in Friedberg 88-89.

[@CocoEmmet61]

G'day mate. Thank you 4 your service. I was born in Limburge in the Netherlands in 1961 just that's very close to the German and Belgium borders, however I've lived in Australia from the age of 9. Most people don't seem to realize that without those such as you we would be living in a very different world today.

[@OwneyMadden430]

Wait What you’re a veterinarian too? Do you know Dr.Pol?

[@rickwheeler6569]

@@hawkhillfalconer3529 We were bivouacking there from Pioneer Kassern a few times. 😀

[@margaretWestminster]

The pain these young men went through is heartbreaking.all wars are dreadful. You made a wonderful record for these former soldiers. I hope the wedding ring was able to go back to his bride. Thank you so much

[@schmo7777]

Bride is like dead long ago. Sad regardless. Cursed be the greedy leaders.

[@kairatsaukumbekov9933]

Она его так ждала 😭, это сарказм, не думаю что она дождалась его, слишком много времени прошло

[@gerlagerweij]

If anyone's wondering where the title's from: "I knew a simple soldier boy Who grinned at life in empty joy, Slept soundly through the lonesome dark, And whistled early with the lark. In winter trenches, cowed and glum With crumps and lice and lack of rum, He put a bullet through his brain. No one spoke of him again. You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye Who cheer when soldier lads march by, Sneak home and pray you’ll never know The hell where youth and laughter go." -Siegfried Sassoon-

[@mueltenius6952]

Thank you, i am grateful to now know, slightly sad. Many, realitys are not pretty

[@MI-mx3rh]

Woah

[@george2113]

Thank you for the rest of the poem

[@shawnastephens1536]

Hauntingly sad.

[@canadiancoyote410]

So many of those soldiers were smashed. They tell the tale of unimaginable pain and suffering in that hole.

[@yakikadafi745]

Don’t trust your government it leads to death and misery

[@Alienatedvasion]

Please stop war Jesus. If everyone on the planet could eat mushrooms with psilocybin in them, then everyone would find jesus and that heaven and hell are ON EARTH. What do you want?

[@NotSure1313]

@jasmatk 🤡

[@Catmomma]

Imagine how the jews felt.... in my opinion a lot of them Germans who agreed with Hitler deserve a lot worse than being in that hole

[@theclubvids]

@jasmatk not really. Just normal soldiers like in every side

[@Nurse_Izzy_Gonzales1989]

It’s amazing how you can still see all the injuries they acquire from the battle. May they all rest in peace 🙏🏻

[@m42037]

That's because 77 year's ago isn't that long ago, human life is very short, even more so for millions during the war

[@rafaelpontes8739]

yes rest in

[@user-iv9kq4pp2y]

ты тварь фашистская раз говоришь им покойся с миром Когда они развязали эту войну и убили миллионы мирных людей

[@gunnut603]

Rot in hell Nazi trash

[@roadmaster720]

yep, rest in piss, you Hitler minions. these krauts had no mercy in killing 6 million jews. @@rafaelpontes8739

[@jq5609]

So incredibly sad to see the injuries inflicted. These young men must have been in so much pain. RIP

[@linajurgensen4698]

As a German, thank you so much for returning these bodies home. My Grandmother lost two of her brothers during the war. Thanks for treating everyone with respect.❤️

[@rafaelpontes8739]

Muito triste

[@marcinniedzwiedz9705]

they were nazi scum shit . glad they are dead . they probably raped and killd many jews

[@nativeamerican8845]

Every veteran deserves respect, especially the dead. My heart goes out to your grand mother. I hope they find your family members and repatriate them home for proper burial. I am a vet and have lost family in 5 wars. Just lost a brother in Afghanistan. He's MIA presumed dead!! Again I hope you get your family members returned to Germany for proper burial.

[@DannyPepprs]

There it is again As a this as a That , stfu its not about you

[@olds394]

@@nativeamerican8845 I'm sure the families of murdered civilians beg to differ.

[@andreaohne26]

I am from Germany and both my granddads were in WWII. My Dad's Dad was wounded earlier on in Russia (Wjasma/Brjansk) by a shrapnell at his right hand, which left him disabled but he was "okay" with it. The last years of his life he would tell us some things of the war and sometimes cry. This was heartbreaking. My Mom's Dad was responsible for the horses that carried heavy...things. He loved these animals dearly (I inherited his love for animals and passed it to my son). Some of these poor creatures blew up in front of him to bits and pieces. He was in russian captivity (is this the right Word?) for some years. When he would hear marching music at any place he would salute, with his right hand to his temple (not the nazi salute, thank god). He was far away then... And history repeats and repeats itself. Thank you and the people working to recover these pour souls and bring them to a proper burial place! They were sons, brothers, dads and husbands after all. I hope this does not sound all to stupid or anything.

[@leestimis9264]

No this doesn't sound stupid. So many innocent didn't have a choice to fight for the insane.

[@deeboo519]

Not stupid at all... Most of the Soldiers didn't have a Choice... The Whole fucking War was not a Choice from the people. I do alot of Research for families Living in Americans and England wondering whatever happend to their relatives in the ww2 and Germany are still being hush hush about information... Becous yes they also made mistakes in their paper Works. Im sorry your Family had to endure this all.... Ty for sharing your story

[@jennyjohnson9579]

Your comment warmed my heart! Such compassion! It will stay with me forever....it was so beautiful! Thank you so very much for sharing! ❤

[@snakemansnakes1]

My maternal Grandfather survived WW1 and told me about a sad incident he witnessed while under attack in the trenches. His commanding officer ordered the company Seargeant to go "over the top" while under fire and attack the enemy machine guns that were shooting at them. The sergeant obeyed and was immediately blown to pieces by an enemy stick grenade. My Grandfather was a Private soldier and the commanding officer turned to him and ordered him to go and " bring back the pieces of the Sergeant". My Grandfather refused to do this and said to the officer it would be pointless.The officer remained silent, turned around and went back to his quarters behind the lines. No action was taken against my Grandfather. Just a small incident highlighting the folly of war,

[@chadplow824]

Thank you for your comment.

[@pulsar8356]

I am german and i want to say a deep thank you guys for doing this. Vielen Dank .. Nach so vielen Jahren kommen sie nach Hause. So nice, thx.

[@AmbivertFellow]

The Russians are hated for this to this very day...

[@sirchromiumdowns2015]

It makes one realize how vulnerable we are as human beings.

[@AmazingVideos-qf5ed]

Yes, I agree

[@iWaterBuffalo]

I loved when you spoke to the older gentleman who witnessed what happened. And the fact that the evidence you found (tourniquets, splints, amputation) absolutely backs up his first-hand account.

[@Warriorcat49]

@Max Powers Probably because that’s how many of them were as they were being treated in the hospital. You can’t see a wound that is underneath clothes.

[@zackgrainger7510]

This isn't a hospital, this is a field hospital on the eastern front in ww2. Their clothes are the tourniquets that you see on their brothers wounds, their warmth was blankets that get repurposed. Not to mention these woefully undertrained surgeons are working 135-160hours a week and in this time dealing with gun shots/fragmentated bodies/burnt bodies/crushed limbs/fatal illness/amputation/even the likes of brain surgery all in record times after being awake under intense pressure for 2 days, because you have 7 guys waiting on you that could be dead in the next 3 hours. Remarkable effort these men should be recognised.

[@zackgrainger7510]

And women

[@danielpiguillem9251]

Me da mucho dolor eran Jóvenes, con muchos sueños Que en paz descansen🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@JustDinosaurBones]

It is remarkable that the older gentleman was 11 when he witnessed those soldiers dying, and then, decades later, he is still alive, living nearby, and can recall the events clearly.

[@zzzleepyhead9101]

Just came in for a quick peek and stayed for the whole thing. The amount of respect and professionalism you all have during digs like this is amazing. That comment at the end of the woman’s grave really struck me…Can’t wait to watch more.

[@patcardiff2563]

Thank you for looking after the bodies of these dead men what a waste of life for the greed of countries a soldier is a soldier no matter where they came from and was someone’s son or husband so sad for all

[@patcardiff2563]

God bless them All And God Bless You for recovering them after all this timexxx

[@r.j.k.7925]

5:10 pair of limbs sticking out of a bucket. 5:37 having beer? Looks quite ironic rather than professional 🧐

[@grantdraus7449]

Well how else should they be transported? Who are you to criticize the beverages as well, they seem to be doing their jobs quite nicely. I don't hear any of the buried complaining​@@r.j.k.7925

[@cookingstarlady]

I appreciate your candid, factual explanations because it’s important to hear and see the horror of war in this way. But I also appreciate the empathy and respect threaded in because you dignify and humanize this process. Thank you for doing this over and over and not losing that compassion. It’s heartbreaking to see this and imagine the pain that was suffered but I think we need to remember this. Thank you for your channel.

[@CrocodileTear]

Thank you. I am trying to set up my next video but youtube has it censored already before it even has received a single view :)

[@edjones7709]

Tears in my eyes. These are not 'just' the enemy, they are men who served their country and died from their wounds in that service. Brothers-in-Arms.

[@kasie680]

The enemy depends on what side your on, all sides are always fighting the “enemy”

[@beachbong853]

Calm down man..they were fighting for the Nazi cause.

[@donimpractico579]

@@beachbong853 Some of them were forced to fight.

[@LikeZoinksGangWay]

Lots of young men died not knowing ehat they were fighting for. Even still this is still senseless death caused by the ideals of the select few who hold power above us. ​@@beachbong853

[@NakedOwl501]

​​@beachbong853 As much as you don't want to admit it, it still makes them human. Plenty of Soviet soldiers died for "the Soviet cause", we don't disrespect their lives simply for that.

[@craftylittlerthings]

I had one Grandad who fought in WW1 and my other Grandad in WW2. I once asked both of them separately about the wars and they both gave me the same answer about the men they had to shoot at. They both said "They were just young lads like us, not knowing why we were shooting each other, when we didn't really want to, but had to. We were sent there and told it's us or them." Then we went back home to digging in damp dark conditions as coal miners another man's hell back then

[@deee5520]

😢

[@ShoeF1end]

It’s the never ending story of young boys going to fight and die over disagreements of old men

[@craftylittlerthings]

@@ShoeF1end Not just men, women were there also. The Queens Own Imperial Nurses. I was in the Queen Alexandras Royal Army Nursing Corps (QARANC, the name was changed from Imperial Nurses), and they are also sent to the war zones, thoughI still agree with what you put, just thought I'd add the ones that folk either didn't know about or forgot.

[@robertobradford3968]

Wait, I'm confused. Were your grandfathers teachers or soldiers?

[@ShoeF1end]

@@robertobradford3968 I was confused at first too I was like they were teachers big deal lol but then after seeing the 2nd misspelled word I was oh she must have meant fought

[@tombaxter2879]

And to think these were once lovely children laughing and playing who had mothers that loved them and whom they loved. War is horrible, but sadly, often necessary.

[@fradiavolo11]

War is necessary when you are not willing to live peacefully alongside your fellow humans.

[@janeappleseed2154]

They are as you will be, soon, too.

[@jessieh.8443]

@@fradiavolo11 sometimes there is no choice. Not everything is roses and dandy lions

[@marcocastellani8348]

@@jessieh.8443 Dandy lions? Do you mean big cats unduly concerned with looking stylish and fashionable? Or are you trying to tell me you are too uneducated to conceive of living peacefully with your fellow beings?

[@ninbeh5453]

If leaders want war they should fight on their own without forcing peoples children

[@tanhelmet]

As a former Infantryman I'm impressed of your knowledge. I love how you describe the injuries and you are not squeamish at all. The most remarkable are the badly healed botched injuries and repairs, just to go back to their battles and subsequent deaths. Keep it up.

[@philharmonicwittgenstein9662]

I served for 20 years full time service in the Australian Army. I joke that I joined in the greatest outbreak of peace in our history.. I didn't deploy to Afghanistan with my friends because I was discharged by then. They didn't face anything like the horror of the Eastern Front in WWII but they still came back very changed men. When I look at your videos and run that with the history I have read about the warfare in that region, your videos detail so much more for those who are unable to comprehend what actually happens when men fight each other with terrible weapons. Your work is so valuable and it also is hard for people to understand. God bless you all for the things you do. I will sit with wet eyes and a heavy heart.

[@tracymesser296]

Thank You For Your Service Sir.

[@peternicholsonu6090]

People admire one type of gun versus another. But do they comprehend what a bullet does to a living body? Many chose with open eyes to kill others for whatever reason they felt worthwhile at the time. I opted to go to Court in 1967 and not go kill in Vietnam. It took more courage for me to do that than just go along with the mob. I chose to sponsor myself into PNG as a missionary which meant I was exposed to life and death situations and came close to losing my life. Gained lifelong friendships with many of those people. There is more to this life but we must choose to seek it out and not just go along with the mob.

[@philharmonicwittgenstein9662]

@@peternicholsonu6090 I am with you on that Peter. Life is good men doing good things, not Bad men driving good men.

[@tonyc.4528]

Thank you for bringing soldiers home.

[@empat8052]

They will be reburied in the same country unfortunately but in a military cemetery

[@darkwolfstudios2813]

Yeah thanks for bringing our boys back!

[@joeparker846]

Nazi's***

[@nobodyinparticular709]

@@joeparker846 soldiers, regardless of ideology. Remember many were conscripts with no choice.

[@empat8052]

@@joeparker846 Most of the Wehrmacht soldiers were not nazis.

[@berjo77]

Your work is very appreciated, your kindness and respect you gave these young men’s remains was noticed. These young men are no one’s enemy now. Thank you.

[@Republic3D]

It's good that you guys are being respectful, and that these fallen soldiers will get a more dignified final resting place.

[@philharmonicwittgenstein9662]

You guys are wonderful. The care you take and the reasons why is wonderful. I lost three Uncles on the Eastern Front, One was captured at Stalingrad and never heard from again, one at Demyansk, and the last at Kursk. I don't think they will ever be found. Regardless, I hope the bodies you find can be reunited so their next of kin get some closure from your work. Peace out.

[@idontlikecommunists9677]

I feel ya brother, I had a great grandfather who died in a gulag in 1950

[@treystephens6166]

We Know Who was Right!

[@markrowley2739]

Let's hope in spirit they're not as despicable and inhumane as they were in life. R.I.P

[@philharmonicwittgenstein9662]

@@markrowley2739 Good men are sent to War by bad men whom they trust. This is the lesson of War. Let us never fight for the Politicians but only for our families. Better still, let us not fight. Peace out.

[@philharmonicwittgenstein9662]

@@markrowley2739 Dear Mark, I will never argue the atrocities committed by all Armies in WWII or any other war. Who are the despicable ones? The men on all sides who lost their lives, or the ones that sent them there? The only despicable people are the Politicians who make war and then commit good men to fight. I served for 36 years and I know what I am talking about, please consider your comments before you post them. I appreciate your note of remembrance, but we, as men, need to stop falling for the falsehoods generated by Governments that do not care about anything other than their own power. Peace out mate.

[@chrismunz8127]

Thousands of such graves exist all over Europe. These are usually located where a „Feldlazarett“ used to be during battle. Its where the medics brought the wounded to treat them. When number of casualties wounded grew while logistics collapsed they created such mass graves in a massive scale. The small caliber bullet in a surrounding of a field hospital is also typical. It was often fired from a german gun, when soldiers died horribly slow but no more treatment was possible nor were opioids available. It was called „Gnadenschuss“.

[@vidar5130]

Literally translates into "Mercy Shot"

[@Oakleaf700]

Regarding ''Mercy'' shot.. In Falkland's War, a soldier { Ken Lukowiak} wrote of finding a severely wounded Argentine conscript. {'A Soldier's Song, true stories from the Falklands'} The young man was 17 that day according to his I.D. Ken was getting morphine ready to dose up the poor kid, who was asking for his Mum. However, he was ordered to step away by a 'Superior'' whop then shot the poor kid in the back. Lukowiak wrote about this and said ''When you are with a dying man, hold his hand, don't shoot him in the back' It gave Lukowiak nightmares afterwards. Often the 'Opposing sides' do support each other when injured. WW1 pictures exist of 'Enemy' combatants arm in arm helping each other in times of injury.

[@andrewboyddotcom]

"Vengeance is Mine says the Lord; I will repay". Pity the war mongers who were responsible for this war. They will be weighed in the balance and found wanting.

[@Rozebunny14]

(the pistol wounds)I wondered if that's what they did.. To end the suffering..I do feel like there is a reason some are buried on their stomach. An order or punishment by a higher ranked officer perhaps? I hope that's not the case but wouldn't doubt it considering who they were fighting for

[@bogbody9952]

Mercy shot... ironically humane. I'm sure those who received that cure were more than happy for it. At least in their dying situation. How sad.

[@Cwswb]

This is one of the coolest videos on KZbin. I love that the creator is actually walking us through their discoveries and not just doing a facile overview.

[@pascalwalther2647]

This whole video is morbidly fascinating and informative. It’s incredible how much is preserved in the ground with the bodies. What I found most peculiar is the that the roots at 16:22 grew where the brain once was. So in a way you could say this soldier, in his death, gave way for new life to grow. All in all this is very fascinating. It’s also good to know that these fallen finally returned back to a home they never saw again in life, back to their motherland to find the final rest they deserve for their service.

[@CamaroBrad]

Unbelievable video. So much detail. I can’t even imagine the pain and suffering these guys had to go through. Seeing the tourniquets, splints, amputations, fractures, holes… you guys do amazing work.

[@FreeIsraelll]

Eye for an eye

[@chucklee347]

@@FreeIsraelll it had been written an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth under the old law but when Jesus Christ came he said to love your enemies and do good to them that did wrong to you if you get smote on one cheek turn to him the other cheek also and don't fight evil for evil for insufficient is the evil there of. God bless you.

[@FreeIsraelll]

@@chucklee347 eye for an eye...Dresden🥂

[@a_lbymccool1478]

un-used condoms ;( truly sad

[@kenfryer2090]

@@chucklee347 no... do good to evil makes you a victim. In Ukraine they would be murdered like pigs if they followed that gay approaches. Kill evil... destroy it! These nazis deserved all the pain and suffering they got. Watching this movie made me glad that such monsters suffered at least. Really enjoyed it! 😁

[@Chiller01]

The wire in the bone is called cerclage wire in that it forms a circle around the bone. It’s used to compress fragments together and is used in conjunction with larger implants like rods or in modern day plates. The lump in the bone is called callus and is a result of new bone laid down to heal the fracture. That fracture is well healed and the bone looks to be in good alignment. It likely occurred at least a year before his death.

[@madeleinesuzette]

Is there a Doctor in the house? 😃 Perhaps an Orthopaedic specialist?

[@nikiTricoteuse]

Very interesting. Thank you.

[@juanitosantos8004]

@@madeleinesuzette p

[@juanitosantos8004]

@@madeleinesuzette l

[@Chiller01]

@Max Powers The tourniquets are made of rubber and are more resistant to decomposition than the cloth of the uniforms.

[@maria36900]

I am so sorry to see the buried bodies and soldiers in rows with wounds. No matter they were good people or not, at least they were human!💐❤

[@williamwhite2113]

I saw this video on my thread and stsrted to watch and couldn't stop til the end. How fascinating and yet sad because these men didn't survive the war. Many thanks for working on this project and to give these men a proper burial.

[@samengels1649]

We all learn about war, especially ww2 in school. We all have specific picture in our head of how it must have looked like. But seeing theese pictures right here, dead soldierd just lying there and looking up to the sky. This picture alone tears apart my whole point of view. All these wounds, the pain and horror is unfiltered visably and shows you how grose all this is. People dying in the most brutal ways just for politics… i just cant get this in my head…

[@Cool20xis]

And now we have the same thing happening in Ukraine because Putin the Fat Bastard is too concerned with politics to care about sacrificing hundreds. thousands, and soon with nukes, millions of lives just to show off his useless strength. Pray for Ukraine, that we do not see Hitler V2.0 when Russia decides to screw the world.

[@eileenpritchard9154]

ABSOLUTELY, this breaks my heart to think of all these wonderful men , for what did they all perish for , why I ask myself I have no answer, GOD BLESS them all.🙏🙏🙏🤲🤲🤲

[@bpp325]

War is brutal. War is extremely violent.

[@olliberliner7545]

Und seit dem zweiten Weltkrieg, hat Amerika fast jeden Tag weiter in der Welt Kriege geführt, bis heute! Es heißt immer Deutschland sei die schlimmste Nation was Kriege betrifft, ich denke da ist Amerika, England und Frankreich um Längen schlimmer! Jeder Krieg und jede Nation die einen führt, sollte zur Rechenschaft gezogen werden. Allerdings geschieht das nicht, da Amerika und die NATO, nur "GUTE" Kriege führt. Wie absurd ist die Welt!

[@invinciblecucumber]

You have to remember that this "poor" soldiers were there to occupy and kill innocent people. They ended how they deserved.

[@pellefishermans]

I am very glad that you are treating these human remains with respect. I have seen some videos of amateur ‘archaeologists’ excavating German woII soldiers like they are stuff such as a helmet or something. But you are doing this carefully and to bring them back to Germany. Also, I think its great that you give so much explanation, you clearly know your stuff about physical anthropology.

[@alexscott730]

F#ck those Nazis🖕🖕🖕🖕

[@drkresearch2945]

So brave.

[@zaydracoo3674]

Well bro they werent good people

[@pellefishermans]

@@zaydracoo3674 you don’t know that

[@jackburnell3209]

The helmets are worth more than any German soldiers remains. They should be plowed up and dumped into a septic pond. No German soldier could possibly believe that invading a dozen foreign countries and murdering millions of people could be a just cause.

[@jayden1402]

Imagine if every single body found came with a movie of their life, through happiness and sadness up until they passed or lost their lives as if your got to witness their life flash before your eyes. Imagine the rollercoaster of emotions you'd go through getting to know them up until their deaths. 😢

[@snowwolf2951]

MAY EACH of these young germans rest in peace and may the world learn to care a bit more for the Fallen germans of WW2 for they are someones son and deserve full military honors

[@sarahprice1375]

Yes they do! I'm half English half German and all men fought their Governmrnts wars

[@toddalan5603]

Lots of respect to you gentlemen. I’m half German my family left right before the war and was never talked about, ever. As an OIF veteran from the USMC I know the hell of war and politicians.

[@viking90706]

Semper Fi! Alan

[@michaelhaederle8054]

Every one dead soldier or serviceperson, no matter which army from, should be remembered - at least - as a human being! THANK YOU SO MUCH for your service!!! As a grandson and a nephew of german soldiers who died during WWII I want to thank you for every identification tag - it means that another family might finally know where and approximately when their loved ones died in this horrific nightmare... NO WAR!

[@juxie9229]

Wehrmacht? Luftwaffe? ...Shulzstaffel?

[@CrocodileTear]

listen to what is said about the ID tags

[@bradshdy456]

@@juxie9229 yes because we dont know how many of them were forced into it. and could you imagine your son goes to war 18 years old bc he loved his country and he just gets buried in another country in a mass grave?

[@Trve_Kvlt]

@@juxie9229 Most of the Wehrmacht was composed of conscripts, this includes more specialized groups like the Schutzstaffel, Fallschirmjager, etc. Yes, while they all did terrible things, and it's possible that one of the soldiers they dug up has, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve proper burial.

[@westerlywinds5684]

My dad fought the Nazi’s in the trenches in Holland. He had zero use for them. They weren’t human beings! I will save you guys from the rest of the stories.

[@garys8754]

God bless you for making it possible for these brave men to finally tell their last stories. Incredible footage….. you have become their voice and they can now rest in peace.

[@tony12165]

No matter what country or friend or foe, a warrior is a warrior. And deserves respect after the ultimate sacrifice for their beliefs and country. Rest in peace all the worlds soldiers.

[@beaterbikechannel2538]

RIP

[@Zerbey]

No matter what side these men fought on, they all belonged to someone. Thank you for helping them get home.

[@forkliftcertifed123]

Yep… and these belonged to Nazi Germany

[@Curry_Communist]

I agree. We have clowns in the comments calling them nazis

[@shanemwood]

They were on the right side in my German opinion. The truth about WWII is available for everyone to see... if they can handle it.

[@johannesbauer4490]

We fought for the Intl. bankers that supported the murderous communist regime. Look at us now.

[@kojack57]

@@Curry_Communist Clowns?! What are you talking about you clown. They were and still are Nazis. This is what they signed up for. Do you think the Wehrmacht were any less guilty of crimes aginst humanity than the SS or Waffen-SS? Read a history book you moron.

[@spidyr2k]

Humanity's greatest weakness is our proclivity to waste our collective potential over lines on a map.

[@judyd5011]

Cg

[@pyro7358]

Weakness to what? You think aliens don't have wars with eachother too?

[@paulaporter778]

The generals sat...and the lines on the map... moved from side to side

[@dieseltu1035]

Maybe when communist and socialist governments stop devaluing the currency and making properties so valuable it's worth invading for ,,then it will. stop.

[@pauls9433]

It was more of a war than just lines on a map. It was also a very demented collective belief in superiority. Everyone suffered at the hands of nazi ideology. They believed in the slaughter. That it was right and most likely those soldiers felt the same. Zero sympathy from me.

[@537h]

Man, I would love to get involved. Y'all are actual time travelers, rescuing those that thought they had been forgotten and left in time. Thanks for the life goals.

[@channinggibson4358]

Fascinating…. Such a great job gathering personal items. Throughly enjoyed the video-thank you.

[@Bowhunterohio]

I’m happy to hear that these soldiers are going to be going home to Germany. Each one has their own story. During the war these men seen their own horrors. I could imagine the chaos at that field hospital. This video is one of a kind and the narrator does a great job trying to paint a picture on what happened to each soldier. This video shows the sad truth behind war. Each one of these men probably had no clue that when they joined the German military that they would be buried in an unmarked grave. It’s sad but there are thousands maybe millions just like this that may possibly never be found. Great video.

[@gunnut603]

These krauts killed tons of woman and children, feed them bones to animals

[@sanchopnancho]

don't forget condoms too

[@frankcasey7423]

Amazing! Your work is so important in remembering all these forgotten about soldiers and finally giving them the proper burial and remembrance they deserve no matter what side they were on and I’m sure the families of these soldiers are extremely appreciative. I like when you show each soldier wounds and explain what injury they may have suffered or died from, also showing the possessions that were with them as well. Your videos should be seen by school classes to explain history and show what these men went through during war. Excellent work and I appreciate your work, time and patience to show these types of videos to all of us. Take care and I look forward for more to come. Take care now! Frank from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

[@vincenthorsechief5274]

P

[@mothersmucker1]

Those nazis deserve nothing, they are responsible for the death of millions of jews and thousands upon thousands of my people. Let them rot where they lie.

[@philharmonicwittgenstein9662]

@@mothersmucker1 Why do you tar everyone with the same brush Sir? You are missing the point of these fine peoples work. At some point, we must all move on - until the next travesty occurs... Rinse and repeat. Sad days.

[@SA-5247]

@@mothersmucker1 The German army weren't nazi's. Educate yourself about events that apparently effect your life.

[@gargouenzene]

@@SA-5247 they all obeyed to Hitler, they deserve no respect at all. Understood ???

[@sugandhakohli]

Thank you for doing this... It's a rare insight into the past and most people won't care enough to share it with others, but you knew its value and made this wonderful documentary for us to watch. So Thanks again. Now what's sadder I just realised watching this, is that these are the graves the Germans kept a list of during the war most probably because they were brought here from a field hospital but there would be so many more who were buried at various places throughout the front with no marking or record surviving whatsoever... And those soldiers would never ever get to return to their country like these did...

[@CrocodileTear]

Here you can see a video I made about one of the unmarked graves, where the Germans had been buried by civilians: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWLRhZeFaJWDn9E

[@sugandhakohli]

@@CrocodileTear Sure will do!

[@high1voltage1rules]

Extremely interesting. Really enjoyed this. Thank you so much for sharing this video. 👍👍👍👍👍THUMBS UP👍👍👍👍👍

[@LavenderValley777]

The pain these soldiers had gone through with those wound and their last memories of their families and those families who waited for these guys.... Couldn't imagine this sorrow...

[@user-rb25]

Especially the guys who was shot in the head

[@george2113]

@@user-rb25 sometimes a quick end is better than drawn out suffering

[@mif4731]

Almost every time when there is construction here in Poland it is delayed because they find a lot of mass graves from WWII they are usually really close to homes, roads, shops, and some we might never find, but its weird to think that you might live close to places like this one.

[@fantasycamp4000]

No matter what side of the war you were on, you deserve proper identifaction and burial. In times of war it's hard to see that through. I commend the people for doing this work to restore the reburial and respect to these bodies. It's too bad it took so long. Peace to all who inhabit this earth.

[@cellocat-sm8lx]

❤

[@charleshaggard4341]

You guys are doing great work. They brave soldiers have waited a long time to go home.

[@marc_d.357]

Thank you for putting so much work into this. There are probably millions that will never be found, but every single one you recover and whose story can be told is an important reminder for the living.

[@CrocodileTear]

Exactly. Thank you. There were millions of casualties diring WW2 but most people couldnt name one of them.

[@jennyjohnson9579]

Amen!

[@davewilson9772]

Humbling. These poor souls died for the the delusions of a madman. Thank you for reminding us of the real cost of war.

[@davewilson9772]

@@BasementEngineer I think you may have had the History book upside down.

[@davewilson9772]

@@BasementEngineer Well there are a lot of morons in the world. Seems many of them believe that that the Allies were the problem and Hitler was really a nice guy. I lost family in the war so you'll have a hard time convincing me that he wasn't a psychopathic axehole. But some people are gullible, and very easy to lead. And that's why we have wars. I hope you have some smart friends that will keep you from doing stupid things.

[@haroldsprague7900]

My father was an American Army soldier in World War II and served in Europe. My mother was from Germany. Her 2 brothers fought in the German Wehrmacht. My father enlisted in 1939 and retired in 1960. My mother's brothers were both KIA. Albert was killed in Ukraine and Heinrich was later killed in France. She lamented and grieved for her brothers until her passing in 2011. Albert served in the Africa Cops, was wounded, recovered, sent to the Russian front where he was killed, and is buried in a mass grave in Ukraine. Heinrich was killed in late 1944 in the Alsace and is buried in a marked grave. I spoke to my parents about the war and the impacts that it had on them. I have also spoken to former WW II German soldiers in my mother's home town about the war and others that I have met in life.

[@quincyileh3250]

Born into two families of racist wow that must be an achievement

[@venkataramananrengan1913]

I have no words. To describe this horror. Everyman is once baby loved so much by parents, siblings, friends. Here they lie, without flesh and skin and life.briken and rotten bones. Life cut short by a piece of metal. And after witnessing all these horrors still we are engaged in fights.

[@SP-ny1fk]

Because people confuse who they are with where they are born.

[@PatrickPierceBateman]

A little late for the government to decide to do this. Most of these soldiers' immediate family members died a long time ago, never knowing the fate of their loved one. Very sad.

[@guestuser1671]

It's never too late! My grandfather died in a little forest in Russia that's still full of landmines so none of the Russian and German bodies have been recovered. It's still closed, no one is allowed in. My grandmother died still hoping that some day he could be buried properly. One day...

[@peternicholsonu6090]

The Germans were very good record keepers and the narrator referred to a record kept from the hospital. Therefore their families would know where and why they were there. Young men cry and die because old men in smoke filled clubs could not agree.

[@mikkel066h]

@@peternicholsonu6090 No they werent when it came to dogtags. Their dogtags only had what unit they completed their training in, their number and bloodgroup. And mistakes still happened with the numbers, thus leaving whatever soldier to never be identified. And if you want to identify someone you had to call the Berlin archives for them to look through thousands of files. Simply a mess, which the allies were way better at with the Soldiers name, rank, bloodgroup, service number and religion. Thus having a much easier time to identify the person in question

[@davepowell7168]

Subconsciously it creates anti-Russian sentiment in the ignorant.

[@peternicholsonu6090]

@@davepowell7168 Dave, I have brothers in Russia and in Germany and favour no government which sends young men to war because the old men couldn’t agree sitting in their warm leather chairs back home. When one looks at a graph of population growth I see the first and second billion people were before my time but thereafter over my 75 years I saw those years clearly. The line from 1 billion to 8 billion is not difficult to draw. It started as a gentle rise then became steeper quite suddenly. If that were the rise of a Boeing full of passengers well it will soon be going vertical and even ignorant people know what happens next. If governments stopped war and spent resources allowing the natural processes of this planet to recover major documentaries show the earth could not only survive but easily feed and house everyone. But Dave there is no government able to do that is there?

[@gerohentschel6974]

Danke für Eure Arbeit! Danke dafür, daß Ihr Schicksale bestätigt, den Angehörigen Gewissheit und diesen jungen Toten ihre Würde zurückgebt...💯❤❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@OwneyMadden430]

i agree 1000% Gero , i cry for these brave german soldiers, they fought there hearts out , they fought in the most appalling conditions and never stopped fighting for each other purely out of the love those young men had for each other!! These German soldiers where the world’s last great hero’s we will ever see .

[@cc9z]

i had many German cousin die in this war

[@adamoneale4396]

All the respect to you guys, bringing these chaps home after so long. Chaps who for the most part were young, and had no choice in the regime which they served under. A stark reminder of what war causes, and what peace and freedom costs. Thank you for what you are doing. God bless you all

[@bartperry1262]

I was told to come watch this video. I got to see the Id tag of my grandfathers best friend in this video and he being exhumed . Our family was notified of his friends return home but never knew how he was returned. Thank you. I now live in the USA, moved to the USA when I was 12 and remember Germany so well. Nuremburg, Heidelberg, Stuart Gard, Schweinfurt, and most of all the Rein river and finding so many german war artifacts as a child. When I came home with grenades my father had a fit and made me stay away. So many tunnels all over Nuremburg we used to play in as children that had old Nazi vehicles in them, weapons, ammo, etc. Fond, but also bad memories.

[@saltyXrice]

Thank you for sharing B.P

[@amadamad5621]

Bin aus Stuttgart

[@Luna-ii4mx]

13:23 I found this especially moving. To see the carved in A he did while he was still alive and probably worried that he would get injured or worse :'(

[@royklopfenstein5278]

Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him well ...

[@hinduwarrior123]

Excellent documentary: awesome work🙏

[@tberd1649]

Fascinating and also sad. Thank you for doing what you do.

[@koizumiizumi5426]

nearly 80 years later, we're still reccovering lost soldiers, even knowing so much about world war 2 i still cant fathom the depths of hell that these poor souls went thru

[@Blessinsz]

man... its insane. it really was hell

[@aloysiusjones3985]

One a week. 🇦🇺👍🍺

[@gwhunter07]

76 million people died in WW2, both civilians and soldiers. Thats an unfathomable number.

[@george2113]

Odds are some will never be found

[@hellomikie92]

We may never find them all.

[@66kbm]

I have been following this channel for a number of years. I find the Archaeology fascinating but also remembering the fact that these people are not that long dead and have close relatives, that is the sombre part of all of this. I commend you all on your actions to bring fallen Soldiers in War back to where they belong. I thank you all for your efforts and long may you all continue to do this good work.

[@CrocodileTear]

Thanks a lot!

[@AmishHitman73.Archive]

@@CrocodileTear im sure he answered it just got deleted. it went something like this, "hey no problem thanks for all the hard work of filming when you are working, you have a great day" then thumbs up to be respectful to you after you took this time to read and acknowledge the comment

[@jamieholland3853]

The sobering part for me is that I look at the skulls buried in the dirt and realise they were just humans just like me, millions of lived wasted, ended horribly

[@rickymartinis8530]

@@CrocodileTear was this in Bosnia or in Croatia ?

[@CrocodileTear]

@@rickymartinis8530 Croatia

[@islandi9303]

Fascinating to see how the roots of the trees grow especially strong in the brain cavitys. Quite symbolic

[@joshuarainey6796]

Nothing but applause for what you guys do,much respect!

[@paulgibby6932]

Noble effort, both the digging and the filming. Thanks to you and the team for your humanity and work, and sharing your knowledge.

[@wingsclippedwolf]

I knew a simple soldier boy Who grinned at life in empty joy, Slept soundly through the lonesome dark, And whistled early with the lark. In winter trenches, cowed and glum, With crumps and lice and lack of rum, He put a bullet through his brain. No one spoke of him again. You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye Who cheer when soldier lads march by, Sneak home and pray you'll never know The hell where youth and laughter go. -Siegried Sassoon, Suicide in the trenches For years after returning from Iraq, whenever anyone said, "welcome back", or thanked me for my service I thought of this poem.

[@katye6383]

They need to mandate free therapy resources for vets. 100+ years is long enough for the government to know they can’t send people to deaths door & expect for them to come back okay mentally.

[@wingsclippedwolf]

@@katye6383 By the end of the wars they WERE mandating a form of exposure training...by having adrenaline-pumping fun! That's right, re-training the soldiers that having an adrenal-response can be FUN decreases PTSD from manifesting in a group of returning vets by 19%. I have erased four different continuations before writing this sentence, but no. Contrary to what seems to be a popular opinion, combat veterans aren't all broken human beings. What does "mandate free therapy RESOURCES" even mean? The Veterans Affairs Office exists and the quality of services they provide is wildly inconsistent from location to location. The VA is already taking taxpayer money, but for what it is worth, they have lost this soldier's trust.

[@CocoEmmet61]

One of my Uncles never came back, as far as we know he vanished in Russia! His younger brother walked from Poland, mostly at night, trying to get back home but he and another guy that traveled with him got caught somewhere in I think it was France. He was sentenced to 18months of labor in Borneo cleaning up what ever mess was created during the war there. As a family member who was born after the war (1961) I have often wondered wtf was going on in their heads, but ultimately I'll leave the judgment up to one much smarter than me! You wouldn't believe me if I told you that it could easily happen again simply because youth are so poorly educated when it comes to human history.

[@mtlicq]

@christinasmith6921 - You sure got that right! _"youth (and adults) are so poorly educated when it comes to human history"_ We are not taught history in school or in media, just get extremely biased narrative and propaganda to say the least.

[@mtlicq]

Did you ever think of trying to track the history of your Uncle's specific unit? You and I are almost twins as far as the story in your comment.

[@MarvinHartmann452]

My grandfather did 5 years of forced labour in the soviet union after the war. I don't remember if it had a trial of if they just sent him after the war. He die in 1996. His brother was a somewhat famous airman. He had a long career after the war. I never knew him personally.

[@steventollefson5418]

So many words, and none will suffice. No matter where you are from, this shows the reality of war.

[@abdulqayyumchannel1678]

that wedding ring😢😢😢

[@philharmonicwittgenstein9662]

I agree with Frank. Your detailed explanations of the wounds received and most probable cause of death makes this gruesome tale of a period of time so much more poignant and real. These fellows, the fallen you have found so far, tell us so much about the horror of War and the impact of combat, the attempts to save lives in terrible conditions, with scant medical resources - but they tried nonetheless. My only wish is that more people could see and understand this travesty and come to the conclusion - anyone who makes War is a criminal. It is not the people who are forced to fight, it is those who send them.

[@JRyan-lu5im]

It also adds substance and context to the graves in a personal way - it's not just an amateur videographer digging up rusty grenades and helmets in the woods and saying, "oh look at this, fascinating!" It shouldn't be a war enthusiasts curiosity. As you said, there may be living family who these bones belong to, and these may have been fathers and husbands who never returned to thier families, who never had any closure. This is significant and sensitive work.

[@paulfaulkner6299]

I absolutely agree with this statement _Anyone who makes War is a criminal. It is not the people who are forced to fight, it is those who send them._

[@mikha007]

all started by evil people and evil ideology

[@philharmonicwittgenstein9662]

@@mikha007 Peace to you my friend.

[@Mike1Lawless]

" It is not the people who are forced to fight, it is those who send them." I both agree and disagree with this statement. If not for people that believe things and follow others blindly, no one would be empowered to even wage a war. The enablers of hierarchy and believers of things create this inevitable and eternal problem. Never again is a joke, as it can only refer to a single lifetime! :(

[@catherinecoffey4351]

Thanks for sharing with us

[@Onedown5ups]

Craziest thing I’ve seen in along time. The amount of human suffering in such a small area is insane.

[@markmoil3012]

Close to the town Karpiasy (approx 60km from Kobryn) Belarus you will find an organized Wehrmacht field cemetery from July 1944.The graves were marked with crosses then. Soon the Soviets took the area which remains rural to this day .The cemetery is still there ,unmarked and forgotten... and my grandfather ( a Hauptmann) lies among them.

[@stokiestewpotter7956]

R I P .

[@teekey1754]

@@user-hx1cp7pz8t Bravo !

[@yomisma12]

💚

[@cohoking1532]

God bless your grandfather

[@markmoil3012]

@@cohoking1532 Thank you .I have done some research and also have some of his medals, Wehrpass ,photos ,letters etc.His name is Paul Wichmann.I wish I could have met him.

[@OSTARAEB4]

Thank you for your dedication. I’ve seen pieces like this referred to as the diggers in Russian forests, villages where bodies of Russians and Germans are being discovered to this day. It’s amazing how the earth cements these young men into eternity. Whether German, Russian, American, French, British the uniforms basically disappear and become One. What hits for me is I’m considerably older than these young men frozen in time. They had their lives ahead of them while mine is mostly behind me now. I appreciate your honoring the madness they endured and I’m not a strong enough man to be able to do this. It’s a gut wrench and mind blowing these soldiers’ children are elderly or passed themselves and even family grandchildren are elderly too.

[@lindaoneil5085]

I'm sure there are still a lot of clandestine graves from WW2 scattered across Europe; they just haven't been found yet. 😢

[@45324me]

Thank you for all that you do.

[@bettyhair5007]

This video should be shown to every student in school before they graduate. War is just a concept and a story to most and seeing what happens to actual humans would give everyone pause. Very interesting presentation here.

[@vincentadams9569]

To think these were all young men, most under the age of 30!!!! Youth we would see today drinking in a bar dating young women all in the prime of their Lives!! Put in a situation of sheer horror in conditions not even fit for an Animal and the insanity of what they were witnessing only described in a nightmare we pray None of our SONS OR FRIENDS EVER SEE!! Not a GAME PLAYED ON A COMPUTER SCREEN!! So many beautiful lives just lost so much talent lost!! The death toll in the Millions and in the end for WHAT??? Only to be dug up some 80 years later!! So Sad if the world and regardless of friend or foe!! It seems so Unnatural especially when we see the difference between people of the same age today living life in a different way!!! GOD GRANT THEM ALL ETERNAL LOVE AND REST!!!

[@maywalker997]

History is repeating itself, for example see Ukraine and Russia. Mass graves are being dug in Ukraine every day and many of these will probably not see the light of day again for years. Hell, there are mass graves from the Bosnian wars which are still yet to be excavated. The world can be a very cruel place. We must wise up to modern politics before we become anymore polarized.

[@vincentadams9569]

@@maywalker997 I couldn’t agree with you more!! And it’s so Horrible how Governments of all nations treat lives of those just beginning to live it!!! Just a chess piece a number drawn from a Draft Board as if the number they picked was not a HUMAN BEING but a Lottery Ticket!! I’m so glad I am now in my life’s WINTER!!

[@peterross4333]

Ö

[@Zensor0815]

"Hast du, toter Soldat, mal ein Mädchen geliebt? Sicher nicht, denn nur dort, wo es Frieden gibt, können Zärtlichkeit und Vertrauen gedeihn. Warst Soldat, um zu sterben, nicht um jung zu sein." Hannes Wader - Es ist an der Zeit "Have you, dead soldier, once loved a girl? surely not, since only where is peace tenderness and trust can flourish. You've been a soldier to die, not to be young."

[@skwalka6372]

Hitler seduced the German people and they offered their young to him for him to do with them as he pleased.

[@privateer177666]

In memory of those who gave their lives for the causes they fought for. Rest in Peace.

[@HDCAMAN]

Very interesting and informative video. No moments wasted.

[@genaddi1234]

There's something poetically sad to reading the inscription inside a dead soldier's weding ring as rain starts falling.

[@floralovespringandflowers6227]

I can tell you that the generation who lost their fathers and brothers in this merciless war never stopped suffering and what great trauma this war did give everyone, even the 2nd and 3rd generation after it ended. I have a cousin of my mother who is in his eighties now. The loss of his father at the Eastern front changed his whole life and he never overcame the trauma of it out of multiple reasons. 1. His mother remarried and the stepfather was a ruthless piece of crap who treated his two stepchildren like garbage. This would not have happened with their father being alive. Then the mother of my aunt-in-law who had a brother she lost to the war. For a long time, they did not know where he died and when they finally knew about his fate, it meant so much to them. I think he was not older than 17. His sister never forgot him and not knowing what happened to him was a traumatic thing for her because she had loved her brother so much. Germany started the war and brought great evil to many people and nations on earth but these people, sadly being my ancestors too, also brought a hell lot of suffering to themselves and their own nation. And to their offspring who had to live with what the war did to their mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grantfathers, sisters, brothers etc. Cause 1. living under a dictatorship where every wrong word could mean death to you and your family and 2. seeing such a brutal war and be part of it, does unthinkable damage to the soul. And that damage never fully heals especially because back in the day, you would rarely seek the help of a psychiatrist. That means that you had to deal with your pain alone and that you rarely could overcome it. It is common in the home of the elderly that the old people there are having nightmares with/ because of warflashbacks. They also often aren't able to speak about their trauma untill high in their ages. They scream often, especially the ones who are already suffering from dementia, and you can tell that there is a lot of never looked at trauma. That is the reason why keeping peace should be everyones first goal! War is hell. It has no glory. Just suffering and sadness.

[@jimmywhitlow2012]

OIF Vet here. Believe me, just because we can talk to a psychiatrist, it doesn't take the pain and damage away. We are just given drugs to make us numb, but the pain remains, and until they can erase our memories. It always will.

[@hopinondeeznuts350]

@Private you’re right, Germany wasn’t killing millions of innocent people

[@hopinondeeznuts350]

@Private so you’re telling me you’re a holocaust denier?

[@theman1526]

@Private I'm usually agreeing with ppl who say the media is full of lies and all but Germany definitely started this war.

[@hopinondeeznuts350]

@Gorgeous George yea seriously. And not just a war between neighboring lands, but war to try to take over the world. Twice, lol. And it’s amazing that with all of the literal video and photo evidence of mass genocide and unthinkable human experiments, people still want to deny it ever happened lol. If someone wants to dispute certain things, fine. But it’s 100% factual that Germany exterminated millions (tens of millions) of innocent people.

[@badvoodoo4044]

I just happened upon this video. Truly special work you men did here. It must be such a unique feeling knowing that those ID tags left with these soldiers were left in hopes you would find them years later. Thank you so much for posting this, it`s incredibly moving.

[@zacharychebuske3797]

It’s crazy how in all that chaos those records survived and so many years later they are still accurate

[@bananagirl5118]

Love the explanation behind the injurys.

[@Tam0de]

Such devastating, horrible wounds on those soldiers, jeez! Unbelievable how much damage, pain & suffering we can inflict on one another...

[@ObamAmerican48]

Really admire you guys for doing this so cautiously and respectfully.

[@hildaschleich2323]

Thank you so much for your work to bring them home.❤

[@Crabbyjack]

All Governments in the World should see this video, and see just how senseless war is.