On another subject-the grouping pictured here was taken 1/2 mile north of Dead Man's Corner on 7 June, 1944. Retreating German troops circled a hill, which had a supply depot cut into the side of it. In it were crates of ammunition and canned meat. Barney Becker a paratrooper of 1/506th chased two Germans into this maze of crates and dispatched them with a B.A.R.
His buddy Rich Brinkley, thinking it was now safe, wandered in there and was fired upon by a FJ officer armed with a Luger. Brink shot him with a Thompson SMG and liberated the items shown here-a officer's peaked cap with bullion insignia, a pair of FJ gauntlets (he lost one side of the pair after the war), the officer's byf41 Luger with holster, and the officer's Luftwaffe issue wristwatch. Having no place to carry the cap, he crushed it and stuffed it into the cargo pocket of his jump trousers.
I own all these items now and much of the stitching in the cap is broken. Brink wore the dead officer's wristwatch for many years after the war and had the original straps replaced.
He also wore the officer's ring, which has since been lost.
Because we know the location and date this happened and we know the officer was a member of FJR 6 because of the FJ gauntlet, I'm hoping someone who attends the FJ reunions will be able to learn the name of this officer.
The 506th withdrew to Beaumont, France that night but re occupied the same area the following day. At that time, the three bodies had been removed, as well as the ammunition. The meat, which was in blue metal cans, was still there. We surmise that the 2 retreating Germans knew this officer was in amongst those crates on June 7th and they detoured in their retreat to warn him that American troops were about to overrun the area. This cost them their lives. There couldn't have been too many officers from the 6th Para Rgt killed that day, so, knowing the location and circumstances, it should be possible to discover his identity.

FJOffgrouping.jpg (46.47 KB, 771 downloads)