24.10.1920 – 28.10.2020.
Heinrich Buschhoff, one of the last living panzer officers who served at Stalingrad, and one of the 6000-odd men of 6. Armee to survive captivity, passed away last week, just 4 days after reaching the 100 milestone. He lost his wife, aged 95, just a few months earlier.
When my friend Oliver visited the Buschhoff farm back in 2014, 94-year-old Heinrich was still working outdoors – physical work out in the fields – at the head of his family. Over the course of a 5-hour interview, various sons and grandchildren came in to listen to his stories. It was apparent they were a close-knit family.
Herr Buschhoff’s Stalingrad experiences with Panzer-Abteilung 103 were used in our book “Panzerkrieg Volume 1”.
To honour his fallen comrades, he requested that instead of flowers, donations be made to the Volksbund, the German equivalent of the War Graves Commission.
IBAN DE23 5204 0021 0322 2999 00
Spendenkonto Trauerfall Heinrich Buschhoff
As a young recruit.
A freshly baked officer.
Manning an AA post.
His Panzer III short-barrel in the Stalingrad pocket.
Heinrich and his wife Christel in 2014 during the interview.
Despite his age, Heinrich had excellent recall of events from 75 years ago and occasional witticisms that produced some laughs.
