WWII motorcycle and two unidentified German soldiers found in Danube

A Wehrmacht motorcycle and the remains of two German soldiers were recovered from the Danube River in central Budapest, where they have lain for more than 80 years. The German War Graves Commission announced the discovery in August, noting the vehicle was found this summer. Officials identified the heavily corroded motorcycle as a DKW NZ 350-1, a model considered particularly robust and reliable at the time. Despite the mud and rust, the frame, wheels, fuel tank, and storage boxes remained largely intact.

The commission attributed the preservation of the motorcycle and associated identification tags to harbor mud mixed with gas oil. During the recovery, officials also found the remains of two German soldiers alongside two well-preserved identification tags that were still intact. Diane Tempel-Bornett, a spokesperson for the German War Graves Commission, explained that typically one half of a fallen soldier's tag is left with the body while the other is sent to the Wehrmacht Information Office to notify the family.

Tempel-Bornett cautioned that the presence of the tags with the dead does not definitively prove they belonged to them, though she acknowledged it is quite possible. She stated that the intact condition of the tags could indicate that the soldiers were never recovered or officially accounted for after their deaths. The identification process is described as long and painstaking, with even small details offering potential clues. Investigators analyze the remains for physical characteristics such as height, age, and possible origin, while also examining personal belongings like wedding rings, glasses, jewelry, and papers.

These findings are compared against military records and other historical evidence. The commission works closely with the German Federal Archives in Berlin to conduct these comparisons. Tempel-Bornett emphasized that a person's fate is only considered clarified when all available evidence fits together. The final stage involves reaching out to any relatives of the deceased. Tempel-Bornett noted that inquiries from relatives make this step easier; otherwise, colleagues attempt to locate families through residents' registration authorities.

As of now, the identities of the two soldiers remain unknown, and the circumstances leading to their presence in the Danube are still under investigation. Tempel-Bornett stated that investigators can only speculate on the cause of death, listing possibilities such as attempting to cross a frozen Danube, falling, being shot, or drowning. She confirmed that these questions will only be answered after the soldiers' fates have been fully clarified.