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Soldatenfriedhof, La Cambe

Allein! wieder allein! Einsam wie immer.
Vorüber rauscht die Jugendzeit in langer, banger Einsamkeit.
Mein Herz ist schwer und trüb mein Sinn, Ich sitz' im gold'nen Käfig drin.

Es steht ein Soldat am Wolgastrand, hält Wache für sein Vaterland.
In dunkler Nacht allein und fern, es leuchtet ihm kein Mond, kein Stern.
Regungslos die Steppe schweigt, eine Träne ihm ins Auge steigt:
Und er fühlt, wie's im Herzen frißt und nagt,
wenn ein Mensch verlassen ist, und er klagt, und er fragt:
Hast du dort oben vergessen auf mich? Es sehnt doch mein Herz auch nach Liebe sich.
Du hast im Himmel viel Engel bei dir! Schick doch einen davon auch zu mir.

Das Wolgalied, the song of the Ostfront. Click here to listen to the MIDI file.

SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann and his crew were finally laid to rest in the Soldatenfriedhof (military cemetery) at La Cambe in Normandy, located just off the Route Nationale (RN) 13 between the towns of Isigny-sur-Mer and Bayeux. Directions to the cemetery are well-signposted; simply exit off the RN13 at the junction marked La Cambe and then follow the directions to the Soldatenfriedhof, which is in the opposite direction to the actual town of La Cambe.

Located next to the cemetery is an extensive information centre which also houses a small museum and a permanent exhibition dedicated to peace. The information centre is also equipped with an interactive computer system that allows the user to locate any specific grave within the cemetery.

By far the largest of the Second World War cemeteries in Normandy with some 21,500 graves, the Soldatenfriedhof at La Cambe by its very expansiveness provides a striking illustration of the sheer extent of the losses suffered by the Germans, particularly the Panzer divisions of the Waffen-SS, during the Normandy campaign. The central stone memorial monument, located on a small knoll, adds to the sombre mood, as does viewing the hundreds of rows of grey stones from the viewing platform.

Michael Wittmann's headstone at La Cambe. In the same location can also be found the shared headstone of his crew who perished on 8th August 1944. (Thanks to Paul Reed for this image).

Michael Wittmann's grave, which is one of three stones adorned with the names of the Panzer commander and all four crewmembers of Tiger 007 - driver Heinrich Reimers, gunner Karl Wagner, loader Günther Weber and bow machine-gunner/radio operator Rudolf Hirschel - is the 120th of row 3, block 47.

• SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael WITTMANN
  22.04.1914 Vogelthal, Landkreis Beilngries, Oberpfalz, Bayern.
  08.08.1944 near St. Aignan-de-Cramesnil, Basse-Normandie, Calvados, France.
• SS-Unterscharführer Heinrich REIMERS
  11.05.1924 Schnepke, Grafschaft Hoya, Provinz Hannover.
  08.08.1944 near St. Aignan-de-Cramesnil, Basse-Normandie, Calvados, France.
• SS-Unterscharführer Karl WAGNER
  31.05.1920 Eppisburg, Landkreis Dillingen a. d. Donau, Schwaben, Bayern.
  08.08.1944 near St. Aignan-de-Cramesnil, Basse-Normandie, Calvados, France.
• SS-Sturmmann Rudolf HIRSCHEL
  03.01.1924 Gleiwitz (now Gliwice), Provinz Schlesien.
  08.08.1944 near St. Aignan-de-Cramesnil, Basse-Normandie, Calvados, France.
• SS-Sturmmann Günther WEBER
  24.12.1924 Sprockhövel, Landkreis Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, Provinz Westfalen.
  08.08.1944 near St. Aignan-de-Cramesnil, Basse-Normandie, Calvados, France.

The cemetery at La Cambe, like the many other German war memorials around the world, is maintained by the German War Graves Commission (Volksbund Deutsche Kreigsgräberfürsorge, VDK), an organisation financed by some 1.3 million members and donors. From the UK, cheques can be sent to:

Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e.V.
Werner-Hilpert-Straße 2
34112 Kassel
Germany

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