hucks216

Very nice grouping. I like that you have both the formal & prelim DKiG citation.

Thanks for the additional information about Feldpostamt 432 & 532. I will have to give the SB another good look through to see if there are any clues as to why he was transferred.

That is a good image. I wonder what the criteria was for serving with Feldpost units? Did 'your' soldier serve with any frontline units prior to the Feldpost postings? Mine did and I originally thought he might of been reassigned to the Feldpost due to injuries but he doesn't have a lazarett entry until long after he had transferred into the Feldpost system.

That's a nice SB/WP set. Any chance of a close up of the photo in the SB, I like the look of it - does it show any cyphers on the epaulette?

The Aermel Kanal is the English Channel.

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This is one of my favourite soldbucher that resides in my collection. It probably isn't anything special but I have not seen another soldbuch to a member of the Feldpostamt, and I particularly like the photo in the SB that shows his FP cyphers on his epaulettes - little things please little minds

Valentin Westenhauner was originally a member of Infantry Rgt 179 (57 Infantry Division) and fought in the 1940 French Campaign where the 57 ID distinguished itself. And then by March 1941 he had joined Feldpostamt 532 before moving to FPA 432 which during the Russian campaign were both units of AOK 9. Much research remains to be done but one Feldpost in the SB (FpNr 09238) is for 'Feldpostamt 432 & Alarm Btl C AOK 9' during 1943 & 44.

During his service he was awarded the Ost Medal & the KvK 2nd Class With Swords.

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Pic 2... He certainly saw the inside of a few hospitals!

I certainly can - apologies for the condition of the images which has been caused by reducing them to a size that allows upload.

Did members of the Streifendienst wear any cyphers on their shoulder boards, and if so which ones - or are they ones to identify the Wehrkreis he is serving under?

I have a soldbuch to a member of the Streifendienst and in the SB photo a set of insignia can just be made out on his epaulette, although not in enough detail to tell what it is.

I have to be honest and say I don't know, but considering medics (not those operating in field hospitals, but actually ones with the fighting troops) & engineers were usually not too far from the scene of action and could of been caught up in the fighting (especially assault pioneers) it could be a possibility. I would think also that 'days in combat' would run along the lines of the Close Combat Clasp in that someone higher up would determine if a day in contact actually counted towards the total or not.

Now that is interesting!!! I assume then that the ground crew would also be eligable for the award?

I don't think so, no. The criteria was for operational sorties in support of anti-partisan operations whereas a ground crew would not of been on any operational sorties and could of been many miles from the area of operations. I have no idea how many APB's were awarded in total but I don't think it was a huge number, certainly not when compared to other combat awards, due to the late introduction of the award.

For Luftwaffe flight personnel they had to accumulate 30, 75 & 150 operational flights connected with an anti-partisan operation to be eligible for the award, so it wasn't just restricted to ground combat troops.

I expect in a lot of cases the 'days in combat' would be from the start of a units participation in an anti-partisan operation (Operation Kormoran, Operation Sturmwind I & II to name just 3 of hundreds of various anti-partisan ops) to the date it was withdrawn or the operation came to an end.

But the signature ?!

I know. it doesn't appear to start with an E, but the second letter does look like a b and the last three letters do appear to be ing and that could be a d prior to those so I would still say Eberding.

Not 100% shure, but EK1 looks like : Gen.Maj. Knut Eberding

The time frame for the signature does match Eberding.

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Pic 4...Units Pt 2

Pic 3...Units Pt 1