During the Second World War, German soldiers’ identification tags were split into two on the event of a soldier’s death. One half would be kept with the soldier, while the other would be sent to German army authorities, which tracked German military casualties and would notify relatives of soldiers’ deaths.
The German War Graves Commission said the families of these two soldiers would have “waited in vain” for official notification of their deaths.
It said it had begun its investigation to find out the identities of the two soldiers, and that anyone who is still missing a relative can search for their names in its database, external.
It would take time, however, to determine who they were, as the commission will need to ascertain whether the identity tags and Kuban shield actually belong to the two soldiers found.
“The names of the original wearers can probably be found quickly, but that is only the first step,” the commission said. “Too many pieces of the puzzle need to be gathered, and the outcome is uncertain.”
Bone analysis would be a key way of determining the soldiers’ identities, it added.
The news of the soldiers’ discovery has gained much attention in World War Two-related social media groups.
“As bad as the low water level is, I am glad that bereaved families can once again be informed about the whereabouts of their relatives, and that the fallen soldiers can be given a dignified burial. Rest in peace,” said one person in a Facebook group where people share information about the fate of their ancestors who fought in WWI and WWII.
The soldiers are to be buried at the German war cemetery in Budaörs, just outside the Hungarian capital.
Budapest was the site of fierce fighting between the Soviet Red Army and the German Wehrmacht late in the Second World War.
Other remnants of World War Two have appeared in the Danube as of recent, including a broken-up hull near Prahovo in Serbia.
