Günter was the only son of Martha Emilie Böttcher. He started working as a clerk in a furniture company in 1933, but it went bankrupt in early 1936. In October 1936, he had to work or enlist, so he enlisted in the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). In November he went to basic training in Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland). In April 1937 he was transferred to Barth on the Baltic Sea, and worked as a military clerk. He was later promoted and transferred to nearby Peenemünde, where he wrote technical reports. On Sept. 1, 1939 the war began. That year he also met and fell in love with Irene Jebram. In November he was transferred to Fliegerhorst Giebelstadt (a Luftwaffe airfield) near Würzburg. Soon after, he took Irene to Berlin to meet his (adopted) parents, Otto Hermann Böttcher (Boettcher) and his wife Elise Maria Martha (Paesch) Böttcher. Günter and Irene were married August 2, 1940.
During his early service, he was stationed in Brest, France; Laupheim, Germany; and Obertraubling, Germany. In Feb. 1943 he was transferred with his unit to the Isle of Krim (Crimean Peninsula). Their main work was to get the wounded German soldiers ready to be returned home. His unit was there for four months, and he said the food was scarce and "terrible."
Günter then returned to Obertraubling, followed by a move to southern France where the invasion of England was being planned using the Lastensegler (large transport gliders) The food in France was scarce too. In the spring of 1943, he was transferred to Ostpreußen (East Prussia) to the V-1 flying bomb training center. Next he went back to France with the V-1's and "fifteen battalions." He stated that he only did administrative work during the war.
From France his unit marched to Holland where the V-1 was used against Antwerp. In June of 1944, the American and English invasion started. In early 1945, the Allies reached Boizenburg on the Elbe River, near his unit, and the Royal Air Force bombed nearby Lübeck. On May 2, 1945, the British soldiers confronted his unit near the Ratzeburger / Bad Oldesloe autobahn, and they became Prisoners of War. Since they had given up with little resistance, few were wounded.
Günter and his fellow soldiers had to walk back to Lübeck and had to build themselves places to live. They used old clothes, and everything available to make tents. Later, they had to walk twenty miles to Mölln, where the British provided quarters for them. They were guarded very carefully, and there was hardly any food. Some of the German soldiers worked, mainly as drivers.
After time in Mölln, they were driven to Eutin / Schleswig, a huge prison camp. The prisoners slept in the barns, and the British soldiers stayed in the houses. The prisoners were allowed a 10 kilometer zone to walk and move around in. This camp was his 'home' until the fall of 1945.
When the British asked for volunteers for the prisoner's hospital, he volunteered and got an office job. The food was much better and he was soon put in charge of the office.
In January of 1946, all prisoners who had worked as volunteers were released by the British. On March 26, 1946 Günter and a friend gathered some food, got their papers, and went by train to Goslar. From there they wanted to try to walk to Berlin, but they were picked up and had to go back to Goslar.
Then they were successful in getting a train from Nordhausen to Fürstenwalde, where his friend got off. Finally, Günter managed to get on a train to Berlin. In the end of April 1946, he reached Berlin and rejoined his wife. They hadn't seen each other for many months.
They then both lived with his parents in the Kreuzberg area of Berlin. As soon as he was settled, he went looking for a job, and was hired as a clerk by a leather company. Sometimes he was sent on business trips to western Germany. When the "Währungsreform" (change of money) took place in 1948, he was in Hamburg and had great difficulty returning to Berlin, which now was officially divided into East and West. [The Soviet Union's blockade lasted June 1948 to May 1949. The Allies response was the incredible "Berlin Airlift".]
At the end of 1949, he applied for a job with the West Berlin Police Force, and worked as a policeman for fourteen years. In 1955 the Böttcher's were finally able to move into their own apartment in Friedenau (Berlin). Later, Günter worked with AEG-Telefunken, a large electrical company, until his untimely death from a heart attack.
During his early service, he was stationed in Brest, France; Laupheim, Germany; and Obertraubling, Germany. In Feb. 1943 he was transferred with his unit to the Isle of Krim (Crimean Peninsula). Their main work was to get the wounded German soldiers ready to be returned home. His unit was there for four months, and he said the food was scarce and "terrible."
Günter then returned to Obertraubling, followed by a move to southern France where the invasion of England was being planned using the Lastensegler (large transport gliders) The food in France was scarce too. In the spring of 1943, he was transferred to Ostpreußen (East Prussia) to the V-1 flying bomb training center. Next he went back to France with the V-1's and "fifteen battalions." He stated that he only did administrative work during the war.
From France his unit marched to Holland where the V-1 was used against Antwerp. In June of 1944, the American and English invasion started. In early 1945, the Allies reached Boizenburg on the Elbe River, near his unit, and the Royal Air Force bombed nearby Lübeck. On May 2, 1945, the British soldiers confronted his unit near the Ratzeburger / Bad Oldesloe autobahn, and they became Prisoners of War. Since they had given up with little resistance, few were wounded.
Günter and his fellow soldiers had to walk back to Lübeck and had to build themselves places to live. They used old clothes, and everything available to make tents. Later, they had to walk twenty miles to Mölln, where the British provided quarters for them. They were guarded very carefully, and there was hardly any food. Some of the German soldiers worked, mainly as drivers.
After time in Mölln, they were driven to Eutin / Schleswig, a huge prison camp. The prisoners slept in the barns, and the British soldiers stayed in the houses. The prisoners were allowed a 10 kilometer zone to walk and move around in. This camp was his 'home' until the fall of 1945.
When the British asked for volunteers for the prisoner's hospital, he volunteered and got an office job. The food was much better and he was soon put in charge of the office.
In January of 1946, all prisoners who had worked as volunteers were released by the British. On March 26, 1946 Günter and a friend gathered some food, got their papers, and went by train to Goslar. From there they wanted to try to walk to Berlin, but they were picked up and had to go back to Goslar.
Then they were successful in getting a train from Nordhausen to Fürstenwalde, where his friend got off. Finally, Günter managed to get on a train to Berlin. In the end of April 1946, he reached Berlin and rejoined his wife. They hadn't seen each other for many months.
They then both lived with his parents in the Kreuzberg area of Berlin. As soon as he was settled, he went looking for a job, and was hired as a clerk by a leather company. Sometimes he was sent on business trips to western Germany. When the "Währungsreform" (change of money) took place in 1948, he was in Hamburg and had great difficulty returning to Berlin, which now was officially divided into East and West. [The Soviet Union's blockade lasted June 1948 to May 1949. The Allies response was the incredible "Berlin Airlift".]
At the end of 1949, he applied for a job with the West Berlin Police Force, and worked as a policeman for fourteen years. In 1955 the Böttcher's were finally able to move into their own apartment in Friedenau (Berlin). Later, Günter worked with AEG-Telefunken, a large electrical company, until his untimely death from a heart attack.
Günter was the only son of Martha Emilie Böttcher. He started working as a clerk in a furniture company in 1933, but it went bankrupt in early 1936. In October 1936, he had to work or enlist, so he enlisted in the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). In November he went to basic training in Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland). In April 1937 he was transferred to Barth on the Baltic Sea, and worked as a military clerk. He was later promoted and transferred to nearby Peenemünde, where he wrote technical reports. On Sept. 1, 1939 the war began. That year he also met and fell in love with Irene Jebram. In November he was transferred to Fliegerhorst Giebelstadt (a Luftwaffe airfield) near Würzburg. Soon after, he took Irene to Berlin to meet his (adopted) parents, Otto Hermann Böttcher (Boettcher) and his wife Elise Maria Martha (Paesch) Böttcher. Günter and Irene were married August 2, 1940.
During his early service, he was stationed in Brest, France; Laupheim, Germany; and Obertraubling, Germany. In Feb. 1943 he was transferred with his unit to the Isle of Krim (Crimean Peninsula). Their main work was to get the wounded German soldiers ready to be returned home. His unit was there for four months, and he said the food was scarce and "terrible."
Günter then returned to Obertraubling, followed by a move to southern France where the invasion of England was being planned using the Lastensegler (large transport gliders) The food in France was scarce too. In the spring of 1943, he was transferred to Ostpreußen (East Prussia) to the V-1 flying bomb training center. Next he went back to France with the V-1's and "fifteen battalions." He stated that he only did administrative work during the war.
From France his unit marched to Holland where the V-1 was used against Antwerp. In June of 1944, the American and English invasion started. In early 1945, the Allies reached Boizenburg on the Elbe River, near his unit, and the Royal Air Force bombed nearby Lübeck. On May 2, 1945, the British soldiers confronted his unit near the Ratzeburger / Bad Oldesloe autobahn, and they became Prisoners of War. Since they had given up with little resistance, few were wounded.
Günter and his fellow soldiers had to walk back to Lübeck and had to build themselves places to live. They used old clothes, and everything available to make tents. Later, they had to walk twenty miles to Mölln, where the British provided quarters for them. They were guarded very carefully, and there was hardly any food. Some of the German soldiers worked, mainly as drivers.
After time in Mölln, they were driven to Eutin / Schleswig, a huge prison camp. The prisoners slept in the barns, and the British soldiers stayed in the houses. The prisoners were allowed a 10 kilometer zone to walk and move around in. This camp was his 'home' until the fall of 1945.
When the British asked for volunteers for the prisoner's hospital, he volunteered and got an office job. The food was much better and he was soon put in charge of the office.
In January of 1946, all prisoners who had worked as volunteers were released by the British. On March 26, 1946 Günter and a friend gathered some food, got their papers, and went by train to Goslar. From there they wanted to try to walk to Berlin, but they were picked up and had to go back to Goslar.
Then they were successful in getting a train from Nordhausen to Fürstenwalde, where his friend got off. Finally, Günter managed to get on a train to Berlin. In the end of April 1946, he reached Berlin and rejoined his wife. They hadn't seen each other for many months.
They then both lived with his parents in the Kreuzberg area of Berlin. As soon as he was settled, he went looking for a job, and was hired as a clerk by a leather company. Sometimes he was sent on business trips to western Germany. When the "Währungsreform" (change of money) took place in 1948, he was in Hamburg and had great difficulty returning to Berlin, which now was officially divided into East and West. [The Soviet Union's blockade lasted June 1948 to May 1949. The Allies response was the incredible "Berlin Airlift".]
At the end of 1949, he applied for a job with the West Berlin Police Force, and worked as a policeman for fourteen years. In 1955 the Böttcher's were finally able to move into their own apartment in Friedenau (Berlin). Later, Günter worked with AEG-Telefunken, a large electrical company, until his untimely death from a heart attack.
During his early service, he was stationed in Brest, France; Laupheim, Germany; and Obertraubling, Germany. In Feb. 1943 he was transferred with his unit to the Isle of Krim (Crimean Peninsula). Their main work was to get the wounded German soldiers ready to be returned home. His unit was there for four months, and he said the food was scarce and "terrible."
Günter then returned to Obertraubling, followed by a move to southern France where the invasion of England was being planned using the Lastensegler (large transport gliders) The food in France was scarce too. In the spring of 1943, he was transferred to Ostpreußen (East Prussia) to the V-1 flying bomb training center. Next he went back to France with the V-1's and "fifteen battalions." He stated that he only did administrative work during the war.
From France his unit marched to Holland where the V-1 was used against Antwerp. In June of 1944, the American and English invasion started. In early 1945, the Allies reached Boizenburg on the Elbe River, near his unit, and the Royal Air Force bombed nearby Lübeck. On May 2, 1945, the British soldiers confronted his unit near the Ratzeburger / Bad Oldesloe autobahn, and they became Prisoners of War. Since they had given up with little resistance, few were wounded.
Günter and his fellow soldiers had to walk back to Lübeck and had to build themselves places to live. They used old clothes, and everything available to make tents. Later, they had to walk twenty miles to Mölln, where the British provided quarters for them. They were guarded very carefully, and there was hardly any food. Some of the German soldiers worked, mainly as drivers.
After time in Mölln, they were driven to Eutin / Schleswig, a huge prison camp. The prisoners slept in the barns, and the British soldiers stayed in the houses. The prisoners were allowed a 10 kilometer zone to walk and move around in. This camp was his 'home' until the fall of 1945.
When the British asked for volunteers for the prisoner's hospital, he volunteered and got an office job. The food was much better and he was soon put in charge of the office.
In January of 1946, all prisoners who had worked as volunteers were released by the British. On March 26, 1946 Günter and a friend gathered some food, got their papers, and went by train to Goslar. From there they wanted to try to walk to Berlin, but they were picked up and had to go back to Goslar.
Then they were successful in getting a train from Nordhausen to Fürstenwalde, where his friend got off. Finally, Günter managed to get on a train to Berlin. In the end of April 1946, he reached Berlin and rejoined his wife. They hadn't seen each other for many months.
They then both lived with his parents in the Kreuzberg area of Berlin. As soon as he was settled, he went looking for a job, and was hired as a clerk by a leather company. Sometimes he was sent on business trips to western Germany. When the "Währungsreform" (change of money) took place in 1948, he was in Hamburg and had great difficulty returning to Berlin, which now was officially divided into East and West. [The Soviet Union's blockade lasted June 1948 to May 1949. The Allies response was the incredible "Berlin Airlift".]
At the end of 1949, he applied for a job with the West Berlin Police Force, and worked as a policeman for fourteen years. In 1955 the Böttcher's were finally able to move into their own apartment in Friedenau (Berlin). Later, Günter worked with AEG-Telefunken, a large electrical company, until his untimely death from a heart attack.
Inscription
Ruhestätte Böttcher (resting place).
Gravesite Details
NOTE: The family gravestone existed from 1976 to 2020, but as the space is no longer being paid for, it will be reused, as per Berlin's custom due to insufficient space.
Family Members
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