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In Memory of

Hermann Hillebrecht

My grandfather Hermann August Wilhelm HILLEBRECHT was born on 7th October 1893 in Esebeck, now a suburb of Göttingen. He died on 24th September 1916 in the vicinity of Courcelette during the battle on the Somme in France, aged only 22 years.

He passed away too early to leave any lasting signs behind in his family or in the community. These lines shall commemorate him.

Hermann came out of a family of weavers that moved to Grone, also a suburb of Göttingen. He started his occupational career  in a textile mill in Göttingen. However, this was soon interrupted through his military service and the following first world war.
 
 
 

He married Luise Dorette Friederike Johanne Emma BEINHORN  in Grone.

Shortly before the outbreak of the first world war their son Walter Hillebrecht, my father, was born on 7th July 1914. On the occasion of their son's second birthday Luise Hillebrecht had a photo taken of herself and Walter and sent the picture to her husband on the western front. It was the last picture that Hermann saw of his wife and son. Shortly after he was killed in action.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

As a signal man in the  Infantry Regiment 393 he shared the fate of more than a million soldiers on the Somme who died in this largest of battles in the 1. World War. On the German side the losses amounted to 400 000 dead, wounded and missing. The allies suffered 600 000 casualties. Alone on the first day of the infantry attack (1st July, 1916) the British lost 60 000 men, amongst them 20 000 dead.

During the five months of the battle the territorial gain of the allies was just 12 kilometres (eight miles) at the deepest point of penetration. On September 15 and 16, tanks were used for the first time to end the stalemate of trench warfare. With these the British gained possession of the small village of Courcelette on the road from Albert to Bapaume. During the following days German troops tried in vain to recapture Courcelette. It was here that Hermann Hillebrecht died in action.

A Canadian Expeditionary Corps as part of the British forces was heavily engaged in the fighting around Courcelette. The Canadians  also suffered great losses: 30 000 soldiers for 6 kilometres of muddy soil, churned up by millions of grenades.

We shall remember them.