Bernhard H.Holst

Hello readers. I am posting some extracts from the flight log of Uffz. Lorenzen. These entries list missions flown to support the encircled strong point Cholm by supplying the garrison and bombing attacks.on the encircling soviet forces Also the transport of high ranking general officers. Here are pictures of some documents of decorations Uffz. Lorenzen earned: Here are the decorations Uffz. Lorenzen earned. All mission clasp documents are for Bombers , not Transport. Of note: above is the document for the Gold Bomber Mission Clasp with Pendant which he also wears on the picture above which dates the photo as later than June 1944. The Honor Goblet is kept separately. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello readers. The following pertains to Unteroffizier Ernst August Lorenzen whose military estate is in my care and who served as observer on bord of a He 111 mainly during warfare in the east. Uffz. Lorenzen was born on 3.May, 1921 and died on 27 August, 2000. Based on the flight logs his pilot during most of his combat missions was the later Lt. Georg Juditzki, born 24 October 1919 and died on 1 July 2007. He received the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 November, 1944. Here are pictures of the two: Uffz. Lorenzen , based on his flight log # two began flight training in June 1944 but it is unknown whether he completed it as no pilot certificate or pilot insignia is contained in his estate. Uffz. Lorenzen summarized his combat deployment thus: 301 missions totalling 549 hours of which 48 supply missions, mostly low level; 39 armed recognizance flights, single plane missions; 44 low level attacks; 12 difficult other single plane missions; 38 night attack missions. His plane made three emergency landings of which one in partisan controlled area and made three return flights on one engine only. His plane occasionally transported high ranking generals and a fieldmarshall probably based on the crew quality. Uffz. Lorenzen was wounded on 27 December 1942 and his log does not list resumption of combat missions until November 1943. In an additional post I will show some pages of his log book and some document copies of his awards. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Rick. Makers Mark on the Hindenburg is very faint but appears to be "W" under magnification. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello> A little but interesting medal bar consisting of the Albrecthts Kreuz, Comm. Medal 1870/71, Comm. medal for Non-Combatant 1871/71 and the Cent. Medal. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello: For your viewing the following is a non-combatant bar with the Prussian War Help Cross, Prussian Red Cross medal 3rd class, Oldenburg Friedrich August Cross on Non-Combatant Ribbon, Mecklenburg Schwerin Military Merit Cross likewise on Non-Combatant Ribbon, Hindenburg Cross/Non Combatant version, Austria Comm. Medal and Austria Honor Medal in Bronze of the Red Cross with war device. I have no information as to the recipient but consider the bar somewhat of a rarity. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello readers: Following is the former Obstlt. Schweisfurth's curriculum vitae. After 1933 unable to find work as teacher because not a Partymember choose to reenter the army. To note is his assignment to ordonance related duties following frontline deployment in the Poland and France campaigns, in the Spring of 1941. Several times admonished what he called incorrect measures that was followed by threats of court martial. He calls himself a "unbequemer Untergebener" or inconvienient subordinate and for reasons of conscience requested a transfer. He was assigned to the supervision of some POW camps in Austria. He describes difficulties with Generals and Gauleiters in his efforts to be fair and impartial ect.Anticipated a court martial proceeding on account of his actions and therefore reported for front duty which he received as commander of the Gren.Rgt. 663, 182 Inf.Div. That unit was dissolved soon after and he was assigned to the Waffenschule ( an army training school).See last document posted. Of note are his continuing promotions and decorations. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Rick. Among his papers is his "Lebenslauf" which explains or so it seems his checkered career. It could also be construed as his attempt to secure a post-war position in civil service . In my opinion towards the end of the war scraping the bottom of the barrel he was reassigned to troop command. But then off with him on the day of capitulation. I will post it. As to gazetting note the day of award, it probably got lost in the days of upheaval in Berlin. Bernhard H. Holst BTW: the I.C.I. cl is vaulted and marked 935.

Hello readers. The later Oberstleutnant Emil Schweisfurth was decorated with the Knights Cross of the Hohenzollern House Order with swords with date of 18 October, 1918. Following are pictures of the document thereto as well as pages from his Soldbuch of WW II during which he salso served. Unfortunately only the Hohenzoller document survived together with the Soldbuch and some other misc. papers. But his decorations did and are shown. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Rick. I remember well the old veterans who were minus limb(s). The terrible inflation in the twenties until Schacht instituted the Rentenmark.WW I with the artillery deployment especially at Verdun. I have another booklet , wounded in the first few days of the war and an invalid. BTW: my godfather ( KIA Italy April 1945) went through apprenticeship for mason and butcher also. I could spent some days with him before the war which I enjoyed very much. My two girl cousins were so little that they never got in the way... Bernhard H. Holst

Hello. From time to time one sees that recipients of Saxon or Bavarian decorations give their own state's medals precedence over Prussian ones. Here is an example of a Saxon recipient of the Silver St.Henry -and the Silver Friedrich August medals as well as the Prussian Iron Cross II.cl.giving his state's medals precedence. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello: Here are copies of pages contained in the unit kept Nationale for Musketier August Lohmann who was severely wounded during the Battle of Verdun. These wounds resulted in his classification of 70% inability to perform his trades ( he was a mason and butcher by trade or mason during good weather and butcher in winter when hog slaughters took place). The booklet lists his decorations as the Iron Cross II.cl. He was later issued a certificate entitling him to a low level civil service position. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Chris: I was wondering why it took so long for his training on the MG 08/15. Bernhard H.Holst

Hello Rick. The documents in my care do not give any indication of him reaching officer's rank. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello: The following documents and medals belonged to the later Vizewachtmeister Fritz Gautzch , Feldartillerie Regt. Nr.48: The Statutes for the Saxon St.Henry Order and Gold and Silver Medals are also in his military estate The documt for the Hindenburg Cross shows the recipient as "Steinbruchbesitzer" or quarrt owner, so a well to do man. He enlisted as a Einjaehrig Freiwilliger which mode of enlistment was available only to parents who could well support junior Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Chris. See your document pictured in Nr. 16. I had problems reading Nr.15 but 16 makes it clear that he spent time in a military prison however it is not clear re. as inmate or what. That stint is followed by a discharge from the army. In my opinion if inmate he would most likely become ineligible for civil service. Bernhard H.Holst

Hello: Thank you for showing this. As you know the Freikorps subject is still today a much disputed matter, Patriots or merely for hire , no good for anything else ... Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Claudius. Thank you for showing this impressive group. Because it pertains to a member of a Hanoverian regiment it is of special interest to me. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello readers. Another of the Kriegsmarine officers who provided essential services throughout the waters Germany was able to utilize during WW II. Here the Black Sea. K.Kptn. (Lt.Commander) Helmut Drechsler born in 1899 was in training in 1917/18 to become an officer in the Imperial Navy. After the war he served in formations which greatly assisted in the preservation of the eastern borders and the maintenance of law and order in 1919 and in the 1920's. Served in Upper Slesia and in his home town Bremen where he also had employment. His Wehrpass unfortunately does not give many details so I used : W.Lohmann and H.H. Hildebrand "Die Deutsche Kriegsmarine 1939-1945" ( obtained from our Paul Chepurko) which gives the following data : commander of minesweeper in the 19. Minesweeping Flotilla Sep.1939 to June 1942; commander of 31.Escort Flotilla June 1942 to May 1944 in conjunction with command of escort matters to the Crimea and Caucasus. Commander of 2. Coastal Protection Flotilla based on Constanza, Romania June 1944 to Aug.1944 ( when Romania split from the Axis), Military liaison with German Army Sep.1944 to Dec.1944; command of 8.Sicherungs Fl.( Protection/Covering Flotilla) Jan.1945 to the end. Discharged from internment Nov. 1945. Rick Research was so good to provide additional data as follows: married to Margret v.d.Heyde who was born 31.March 1905. H.Drechsler was employed in several yarn /cloth manufacturing companies before and following the war. He was a member of the Navy Officers Association residing in Hamburg with date of 1960.In 1991 only his wife is listed so he most likely passed on prior to that year. I have in my care the military estate of this former officer and place for your view some pictures of him but unfortunately none of the war period and the more interesting documents including the document for the Pitschen Commemorative Cross which I understand to be rare and which cross is among his medals. I believe his German Cross to have been awarded for his achievements in the Black Sea, the Kriegsmarine usually omitted the respective assignments on documents. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Rick. I am unaware of post-war losses to the German Navy mine sweeping service. Oblt.z.S.Fock's ship was damaged by air attack I believe not by a sweeping incident. B.T.W. While visiting the grounds of old Ft.Townsend near Pt.Townsend ,WA some years ago we stumbled upon a two story brick building with the center area clear and a lifting mechansm . A sign explained this to have been used during WW II by the US Navy with the means of a powerful x-ray to examine enemy mines and torpedoes. In the middle of no- where in case of a mishaps.... Bernhard H. Holst

Hello readers: I am posting an example of a German Navy junior officer who rose through the ranks from a petty officer to that of Oberleutnant z.See of the reserves and captain of minesweepers. He was born on 21 October 1915 in Holstein province.Unfortunately nothing is known of his post war career once his command of mine sweeping duties following the end of WW II ended in 1947. His commands were as captain of minesweepers "M 29" and after this ship sustained heavy damages in June 1944 in the Baltic that of "M 374"even past the end of WW II when based mainly in Norway on duty with the British controlled German minesweeping units. This duty ended in October 1946 but apparently still continued in the North Sea based on Bremen until August 1947. We hear a lot of the more "glamorous" U-and S-Boote or the few capital ships the German Navy put to sea but less of the small ships which had the difficult tasks of mine clearing and escort duties. This officer's deployment was mainly in the northern seas such as the Arctic and the north of Norway upon the start of "M 29" service in April 1940. Followed by deployment in the Baltic Sea in co-operation with Finnish Forces and later in the middle and western areas of the Baltic."M 29" was heavily damaged in June 1944 with Oblt.z.See Fock wounded. I have in my care this officer's military documents which appear to be complete and have the pleasure to display a picture of him and the documents for the German Cross i.G. dated 27 August 1944 and for the Finnish Cross of Liberty 4th Class dated 28 June 1944 . I believe the latter is not seen too often but unfortunately this picture does not show the complete paper seal attached to the lower portion of the document. Bernhard H. Holst

hello Rick and Glenn. Thank you for all the data unearthed and posted. I am unaware of any of my family's ancestors' servvice in the conflicts we are interested in. however my dear father was a member of the Deutsch-Hannoversche Partei, very monarchist leaning and of course banned after 1933. His library reflected this. His later admission to and membership in the NSDAP was clouded by this unsavory past. Not serving in the military due to eye sight affliction he was catapulted up the ladder into the office of Kreispropagandaleiter but prohibited from hold ing speeches , only introducing them. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Rick: The estate contains the three documents pertaining to the bronze, silver and gold clasps of which the bronze is for transport and the silver and gold for bomber. B.T.W.: recommendation for the I.C.2nd cl. lists 20 missions to Cholm, 1 to Demjamsk and 1 Malgorbi. . The doc. for it is dated 3 June 1942. Honor Goblet dated 27 October 1943. Bernhard H. Holst

Hello readers: I am posting a few pictures and portions of a flight log kept by Unteroffizier Heinz Schoenherr, radio operator of a He 111 deployed mainly on the Eastern Front on bombing and supply duty. Missions included Cholm, Demjansk and Stalingrad. The latter missions involved supply flights with landing , unloading and take-offs In Stalingrad as well as supply drops. The log ends with date of 28 November 1943 for unknown reason and gives a rundown on total flights with Uffz. Schoenher's pilot Oberfeldwebel Hannes Leutl.I believe that Uffz. Schoenherr survived the war, he was decorated with the German Cross i.Gold in late 1944 as shown by a newspaper clipping and a congratulating letter but no entry in any current reference books. Here is a photo of the crew : with Uffz. Schoenherr at left then the pilot Ofw. Leutl, observer Ofw. Bonte and mechanic Uffz. Schaarschmidt. Uffz Schoenherr's plane belly landed after fighter attack with fatal losses on board while on shuttle flight from Stalingrad. Extract from flight log with entry of Uffz.Schoenherr's 491 and 492 total flights todate from Nowotscherkask to Pitomnik ( Stalingrad) with a takeoff two hours later apparently with army personnel on board. Attacked by four fighters and received three hits by AA. Starbord engine hit. Belly landing with air gunner Haas killed as well as two passengers with two others wounded. Log entry of 1 and 2 February 1943 showing supply flights from Stalino to Stalingrad and back with the 2 February flight noted as the one before last plane to drop supply load. The summary gives 40147 minutes flight time with Ofw.Leutl as pilot, 201000 km distance, 433 take offs and landings, hit 45 times by fighters and AA, attacked 21 times by fighters. With Leutl as pilot Schoenherr flew 189 combat missions and 29 other non-combat transport missions. He states five times around the globe! Bernhard H. Holst

Hello: My sincere thanks to all who made up the team to research the owner of this medalbar. In particular Rick Research whose tenacity is amazing. In this case there is a special gratitude of my part because this officer being from the former Kingdom of Hamnover who continued service after the end of the war of 1866 .It was also the end of the Kingdom of Hanover. Kaiser Wilhelm II later attempted to make amends by reinstituting several battle and or campaign honors as well as the "Gibraltar" cuff title for three formations. My thanks again, Bernhard H. Holst

Hello: unfortunately without a name as yet. But knowing Master Rick no stone wil be left unturned to find the office's name. Bernhard H. Holstr