hucks216

Lazarett entries...

Opening pages continued...

Here is a soldbuch to a unit that isn't often seen, namely an armoured train - Panzerzug - unit, in this case PZ 64.

Otto Lohleit begane the war with a heavy artillery unit (s.Art.Abt 506) which saw fighting at the fortress of Modlin. During this fighting Lohleit received splinter injuries which saw his admittance into the Lazarett system where he was to remain until early October 1939, before being re-admitted in early 1940.

I think it is more a case of asking does the government regret making such stupid and rash decisions based more on finance then the strategic implications. As you say, there is Malta (although I believe the Maltese authorities are not keen on aircraft on armed operations sharing a civilian runway, hence the use of Italy for the Typhoons) but the use of either of those countries (and Cyprus) is a happy accident. The government needs to ask itself what would they of been able to do if this action had of happened in a country like Nigeria, Angola or Gabon over on the west coast of the continent where the nearest UK airbase is approx 1600-1700 miles away on Ascension Island, where you would have to stage all facets of air operations from on a limited infrastructure. You know you are stretching things if your fighter bombers (as opposed to strategic bombers such as the USAF B-2 Spirit) have to make a round trip of 3000 miles just to drop 2 or so bombs!

Great little set to a unit that has become more desireable to some collectors since the release of Doug Nash's book 'Victory Was Beyond Their Grasp'. As to his being captured, I wonder if his wounding in July saw him being posted elsewhere after a brief stay in the lazarett system? Or maybe he found an opportune moment to slip away in the dying weeks of the war before the Division were caught in the Ruhr Pocket (can't imagine the authorities would of gone easy on him for that if he had of been caught considering one of his duties would of been to catch people like that). i would say the wounding & subsequent posting would be a good bet.

Nice little set.

Taken from Fire Brigades by Kamen Nevenkin - On 23 February [1945] the American troops mounted a massive offensive in Juelich area (northeast of Aachen) (Operation Grenade) and on the same day succeeded in crossing the Ruhr. The [9 Panzer] Division was immediately moved to the front and by 24 February was committed to fighting between Juelich and Dueren. It offered fierce resistance, but was unable to withstand the enemy pressure and began gradually to retreat to the east. In the first days of March, 9 PD was involved in heavy fighting in the vicinity of Cologne. The city of Cologne itself was lost on 6 March and on the next day the division was deployed to its north.

It does go on to say that when the Americans formed the Remagen bridgehead some elements of 9PD (probably the armoured elements only) were transferred south to attack the bridgehead but some elements remained in the Cologne area.

Very nice example. I do like the SB/WP that are for the more obscure units.

What the video doesn't show is that on the floor of the display on Goering's right is the formal RK citation for the early war fighter ace Helmut Wick.

Thanks for the comments. Now I have Hausser's signature on a citation I think the next one I want to get is Otto Gille's.

Thanks for the background information with regards to St.Ingbert in 1945.

Thanks for that. I have been looking for examples of tropical Beamte.

It might not be around for long as I am trying to sell it!

This is the only TeNo item I have in my collection...

And the insignia...

And here is a light weight tropical tunic...

And here are his unit entries...

Here is the photo in a soldbuch I have to a member of the Feldpost...

The other 2...

Having had citations in my collection for some time signed by Josef 'Sepp' Dietrich, Theodore Eicke & Felix Steiner I have been looking for one signed by Paul 'Papa' Hausser to complete the quartet of arguably the most influential commanders of the Waffen-SS. This weekend I was able to fulfill that task when I obtained a 1940 dated EK II citation signed by him for a member of SS-Regiment 'Deutschland'. And so I thought I would share these 4 citations - 2 of them are just singles (Hausser & Steiner) while the other 2 are parts of groupings.

Gerhard Richter - RK 24th Nov 1940 as Oberleutnant & Staffelkapitan 9.(K)/Lehrgeschwader 1.

I wonder if they ever caught him.

Someone did as he is listed in the Volksbund Database - the Date Of Birth matches.

There is another WP from this unit here: http://forum.axishis...p?f=50&t=174737

That would be my one.

I am glad that you have been able to add some meat to the bones as other than what is mentioned on the campaign pages of Gordon's one I have not been able to find much information as to its movements. I think someone, somewhere has sold off their collection of such Wehrpasses as there is a third one listed for sale here to the same unit...

https://www.history-...Otto_77277.html

The criteria was for 3 seperate assaults on three different days. As the badge wasn't brought into service until March 1942, these days were backdated to encompass Crete.

For me it has to be William Slim. Placed in command of a demoralised and beaten army and turned it by force of leadership, professionalism & personality into a force capable of beating the largest Japanese Army in the Asian/Pacific theatre despite problems with supply and reinforcements. Down to earth & loved by his men - and respected by his peers and superiors - he even got on well with Vinegar Joe Stilwell - which was no mean feat considering that Stilwell was just as big an Anglophobe as Ernest King.

And finally a piece of paper that lists the days of combat which went towards the Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge (backdated) and shows that Günther Komorowski fought at Maleme Airfield and Hill 107 on Crete, with 2 of those days being noted as close combat days.

Two final pieces of paperwork with the group - firstly this document showing that Günther Komorowski attended a course on the quick release parachute in 1941.