sirjahn

It is my understanding that Frontstalag 221 was relavitely permanent as an organization in France. It appears to have originally set up in St. Medard to handle civilian PWs and in Bordeaux to handle military PWs under the same name. So a bit confusing there. Lazarette 133 was set up in Rennes in 1940 in an old French Army caserne to handle French Colonial PWs and the hospital was set up to support those PWs. At some point between 1940 and 1942 FS 221 took over administration of the hospital in Rennes as the St. Nazaire Raid wounded reported themselves as being in Stalag 221. St. Medard closed in 1943 and in June 1944 it appears that Lazarett 133 was either taken over by FS 221 and designated FS 221 W or the Lazarette 133 site in Rennes was divided and FS 221 W had half of the location to handle the influx of PWs after D-Day and Lazarette 133 continued to handle French Colonial PWs. The Allied PWs reported that there were still French Colonials at the site separated by a fence and they shared rations with the Allied PWs that were getting short changed on rations. So the stamps I have seen are from the period post D-Day and the German medical team in the hospital seems to have been from the Frontstalag 221 organization based on the Oberstabsarzt having been part of FS 221 in Bordeaux. I am just trying to validate the identification of the hospital as Ausstelle Rennes vice Frontstalag 221 W and clear up the organization confusion. My father was in the hospital there and when he wrote home they had him write his address as Front-Stalag 221 Rennes. And the letter was stamped from Stalag 218. So you can see that there was lots of possibilities.

I have several unclear shots of the stamp and was just trying to figure out if it did say Rennes. On another forum it was suggested and I think it more probable that the word at the bottom is Aussenstelle using an abbrevated form for the double 's' and the 'st'. Frontstalag 221 was based in Bordeaux and has a branch in Rennes for the hospital hence Aussenstelle and not the town of Rennes.

As a follow up the Doctor's name was Ernst Enzinger, born April 13, 1896, wife Minna. He was a veteran of WWI. I got this information from the Deutsche Dienstelle who have records of missing persons and German POWs from WWII

Okay I have gotten my hands on a POW Card for a medical orderly at Rennes and it has two stamps that could be the same stamp used twice. At close examination it appears that the upper arc does say Frontstalag 221 although the 2's look pretty crudely done. The lower arc is unreadable on one stamp but the other stamp looks like Rugend to me not Rennes or Bordeaux where 221 was located. Anyone have another guess?

Just a follow up on a signature identificaton posted earlier. The Oberstabsarzt for the Rennes Military Hospital (aka Frontstalag 221 W, Rennes EPS, Stalag 221) was Oberstabsarzt Dr. Ernst Enzinger born April 13 1896 posted to Frontstalag 221 in Bordeaux in 1943 and moved to Rennes in July 1944.

So should I post this in the French Section for their help?

Okay if the stamp indeed is for Front Stalag 121 why was it being used at Front Stalag 221 W? Front Stalag 133 was the camp used for the French Colonial POWs and subsequently the Allied POWs post-D-Day. I would have thought that a stamp from there might be used but Epinal is quite a distance from Rennes. Does anyone have a clear shot of a stamp from a Front Stalag that can be compared to the blurry ones I have?

Well the sources I have were that the hospital was called Frontstalag 221 W but I don't read that in the stamp. Nor do I read Rennes in the lower arc of the stamp. I agree the number looks like 121 which would have been in Épinal but it closed in late 1941 and this is 1944. Does anyone have any stamp examples from a Frontstalag to compare?

I am still researching the Allied POW hospital in Rennes (see German Signatures forum) and noticed in the Individual Death Personnel File (IDPF) for several POWs that a stamp was used on the Death Certificate. Unfortunately the stamping was not particularly clear in most cases. So can anyone give me a hint as to what is written around the edge of the stamp? These are the clearest shots I have so far. Any help that could point to a German Organization that ran the hospital would be great. http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2013/post-13976-0-99013600-1370019138.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2013/post-13976-0-47679400-1370019139.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2013/post-13976-0-81984300-1370019139.jpg

Well I got another one for an eagle eye to figure out. What is the name of this Stabarzt? The POW reports said Lumpp, an Army translator put it as Sumpf, but can anyone tell me what this doctors last name really is?

I am trying to identify the attached signature for the medical officer, Oberstabsarzt, in charge of the Prisoner of War Hospital in Rennes. I variously read this as Enziger or Enzinger. I keep seeing what looks like a V at the front. Does this mean Von Enzinger or just his first Initial?

I am searching for information on a couple of German doctors that ran the Rennes Military Hospital in 1944. I wonder if they are on your listing. I only have ranks and probable spelling of the last name. I have attached a signature sample. Oberstabsarzt Entzinger or Enzinger Stabsarzt Lummp or Lumpp Can you search your index for those names? Dale LTC USA (Retired)

I am the son of an 508 PIR/82nd AB paratrooper who was wounded and captured on 6 June 1944. After a series of near death experiences at the hands of Allied fighter-bombers he ended up in the German POW Hospital for Allied POWs in Rennes, France. This location seems to have many names Rennes Military Hospital, E.P.S. Rennes, Stalag 221, Frontstalag 221 W are most of them. I am seeking information on the German units that ran and guarded the hospital. I know where the hospital is on Rue Jean Mace'; I have visited it and additionally I have some period photos with the POWs. I have a likely unit for the Polish/Czech guards ( 4./ Sich.-Regt. 195, (Landeschützen-Bataillon (Ls.-Btl) 907)) but the German medical staff eludes me. I have a couple of officer names (Oberstabsarzt Enzinger or Enziger or Entziger or Entziger)(Stabsarzt Lumpp or Lummp) but no real information on their unit. From the 7. Armee Order of Battle there is a couple of Kriegslazarett units (Kriegslazarettabteilung 612, Kriegslazerette 948 (S)) with no location that could be suspects but I have no information. Anyone have any information on the POW Hospital? I have the Oberstabsarzt signature from a couple of sources if someone has a better eye for determining his name. Any help would be appreciated. Dale LTC USA (Retired)