Some items removed from SS Obersturmbannfuhrer Christian Tychsen, acting commander of the 'Das Reich' 2nd SS Pz Div. Tychsen was ambushed on 28 July, 1944, while riding in a kubelwagen with this driver and Ordnance officer near Cambry, France (s/of Coutances. Lt John Cleveland of the CCB traffic sqd, 2nd Armored MP Co. was among those present who looted Tychsen's remains and divided the souvenirs. The Mauser .25 was found in the small holster worn on Tychsen's back. A tank driver got Tychsen's RK & Eichenlaub while another GI got his DK in gold. Others got the remaining insignia, dogtag, Soldbuch, etc. Contrary to legend, his panzer wrapper tunic was NOT taken at that time. Remains of it were found when his body was exhumed for identification purposes in 1967. On it was a disintegrating rank tab with four pips and one shouldeboard for a field grade officer. Since he was hit in the left side of his neck by a bullet, those two items were presumably not taken, because they were too bloody to deal with at the time. Because he was stil wearing tall jackboots when buried, he was initially interred as a unknown German officer. The 7 tooth bridge installed after a Russian grenade mutilated his jaw in 1942 was the means by which his remains were properly identified in 1967. The photo of RK trager Hans Weiss is ink-signed TO Tychsen, which poves that this grouping does not just pertain to him, but was owned by him.
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