My avatar is my grandfather, Otto-Ernst Schoop, 1909-1997. He was born German (9th of 10 to a prosperous butcher), but became a Danish citizen in 1922 when by plebiscite, the territory of Schleswig-Holstein was divided between Germany and Denmark. The northern and central provences chose to become part of Denmark; the southernmost part became part of Germany.
My grandfather served in the Danish Army from 1929-1933. Two more of his brothers served Nazi Germany. One a major in the Luftwaffe (I forget his name right now), whom my grandfather had to tell to stop visiting him in occupied Denmark as the neighbors were beginning to talk. The other brother served in the Wehrmacht (Edward) on the Eastern front, was captured, and escaped a Russian POW camp with three comrades and made it home, but was never 'right in the head' afterwards.
My grandfather's eldest brother, Karl-Heinz Schoop (1895-1916), joined the German Army and was killed at Verdun in 1916, aged 21. I've just found his listing in German Casualty Records.
The German casualty list for April, 1916
It reads:
Mine Launcher (mortar?) Battalion #4, 1st Group
Schoop, Karl - Hamburg (biggest city in southern Schleswig-Holstein) believed reported missing, killed in action
The picture is my grandfather in 1911; Otto was 2 and Karl was 16.
T
My grandfather served in the Danish Army from 1929-1933. Two more of his brothers served Nazi Germany. One a major in the Luftwaffe (I forget his name right now), whom my grandfather had to tell to stop visiting him in occupied Denmark as the neighbors were beginning to talk. The other brother served in the Wehrmacht (Edward) on the Eastern front, was captured, and escaped a Russian POW camp with three comrades and made it home, but was never 'right in the head' afterwards.
My grandfather's eldest brother, Karl-Heinz Schoop (1895-1916), joined the German Army and was killed at Verdun in 1916, aged 21. I've just found his listing in German Casualty Records.
The German casualty list for April, 1916
It reads:
Mine Launcher (mortar?) Battalion #4, 1st Group
Schoop, Karl - Hamburg (biggest city in southern Schleswig-Holstein) believed reported missing, killed in action
The picture is my grandfather in 1911; Otto was 2 and Karl was 16.
T
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