Hans Christian Romerud with skull
In the first photo, dated 1942, the Norwegian volunteer SS Hans Christian Romerud holds in his hands the skull of a soldier of the red army, from which, according to eyewitnesses, was going to make a candle holder or ashtray. This place is North Karelia (USSR).In the next photo, already skull of Romerud, discovered on 25 June 2006, 62 years after his death. On 24 June 1944, received a wound in Romerud shot himself in the head, so as not to get captured by the soldiers of the regiment 571 205 Polar rifle division of the Soviet army. The photo clearly shows - the bullet hole in right temple, a shell casing and a personal dog tag.
Skull of Hans Romerud
According to survivor on that day a non-commissioned officer Yader in the first minutes of the battle killed the battalion commander and the company commander. This fact, in his opinion, reduced the chances of success in this battle. Besides, Yader, took command, faced with disobedience: a group of Norwegian soldiers, having sat in a storage dugout, three times refused to take up arms, stating that for them "the war is over". According to the estimates of researchers and search engines on the site of the battle on the area of about three square kilometers died on both sides more than 600 people: 400-450 soldiers of the red army, 142 Norwegian volunteers were killed or went missing (38 men were captured). Significant losses suffered Germans who trying to come to the rescue of the besieged.
Death certificate