Hermann Johann Friedrich Bottcher
July 13, 1909 -- December 31, 1944
         
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Note: Some of the files are quite large. With a few exceptions, most of the files in this archive are pdfs that can be opened with Adobe's free Acrobat Reader.

Bottcher Family Archive

These personal records and documents were provided by Hermann Bottcher’s cousin after she was located by Stephen Martin. At Stephen's suggestion, she and her husband graciously donated Bottcher’s medals and other personal effects to the Australian War Museum where they were eagerly accepted, recollecting that Bottcher fought beside the Australians in New Guinea and was remembered to this day with respect and admiration.

Lincoln Brigade Archive Records
Personal recollections (1 MB)
Press releases and tributes (816 KB)
Correspondence, news clippings, info on awards (2.3 MB)

Personal Recollections
Pfc. Phil Christ -- 1 (64 KB)
Pfc. Phil Christ -- 2 (348 KB)
Royale Steele -- 1 (1.5 MB)
Royale Steele -- 2 (972 KB)
Matt C. White (108 KB)
Lloyd Knutson (104 KB)
J Simpson (220 KB)
Sgt. John Rossen (112 KB)
Anonymous - regarding boats at Buna (39 KB)

Photos

Miscellaneous (news clippings, book excerpts, letters, etc.)

Yank Article - March 2, 1045 (1.4 MB)
Book excerpt - Maj. Gen. William H. Gill (164 KB)
Book excerpt - The Cleansing (384 KB)
Book excerpt - Red Arrow (200 KB)
American Battle Monuments Commission - Grave info (40 KB)
32d Division Bibliography (360 KB)
Request for info from Lee Allen (292 KB)
Bottcher drawing info (248 KB)
Pfc. Phil Christ letter 1 (740 KB)
Pfc. Phil Christ letter 2 (480 KB)
Pfc. Phil Christ letter 3 (1.8 MB)

Government Records

Combat Journal of the 126th Infantry, 32 ID
(This is the account of their long and difficult hike over the Owen Stanley Mountains, ostensibly in support of the Australians who were desperately fighting the Japanese on the Kokoda Trail north of Port Moresby. This critical record was recently obtained by Stephen Martin from the National Archives.)

Naturalization - Petition and Certificate (2.6MB)
32d Division G-2 Report - 1 (284 KB)
32d Division G-2 Report - 2 (624 KB)
32d Division G-2 Report - 3 (1.5 MB)
32d Division G-2 Report - 4 (788 KB)
32d Division G-2 Report - 5 (220 KB)
32d Division G-2 Report - 6 (456 KB)
32d Division G-2 Report - 7 (592 KB)
32d Division Patrol Reports (2.6 MB)
Hermann Bottcher Personnel File - Awards (4.4 MB)
Hermann Bottcher Personnel File - Casualty/Death Reports, Estate Settlement (3.2 MB)
Hermann Bottcher Personnel File - Service Record, Medical Records (15.9 MB)
Hermann Bottcher Personnel File - Requests for info (1.4 MB)
FBI Records (156 KB)

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Capt. Hermann Bottcher's 201 File (damaged by fire) (12.9 MB)

The documents in this section were recently obtained from the new National Military Personnel Records Center, NPRC, in St. Louis, MO, part of the National Archives Records Administration, by Stephen Martin who visited in May 2013. Previous to his visit and discovery of the documents, I had been told three times in writing that the 1973 fire had destroyed the documents. 

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Personnel_Records_Center_fire

Stephen's research skills and persistence allowed him to track them down with the assistance of a few of the very dedicated and professional archivists at the facility. It's truly an amazing story in itself.  As you can see from the burned edges on the documents they ALMOST did indeed perished  in the fire, but not quite. These color scanned documents really are remarkable as they provide a window into the difficult fighting by Capt. Hermann Bottcher and his troops of the 32nd Infantry Division and practically detail a who's who of the command staff of the theater, the names of which appear through the documents.  We can also see the front line company level administration, which took place on the battlefield during these campaigns in New Guinea and the Philippines during the Pacific war. Stephen Martin would welcome any comments or suggestions and may be reached at missionpurisima@yahoo.com

-Lee Allen