Chris Boonzaier Posted January 12, 2008 Posted January 12, 2008 This is my only remaining WW2 group... it is simply "The best" from the point of view of someone who likes to research his groups as it covers almost every theater and is always right in the middle of the action.I have had knights cross groups to guys who were somewhere in the mass, little chance of research.... but this group blows everything away.Just Google 2nd panzer division and you will see how much can be found just an "Enter" Button away.Here is our man....
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 12, 2008 Author Posted January 12, 2008 Who got a very early EK2 in poland...
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 12, 2008 Author Posted January 12, 2008 Was then wounded in France... on the day of his wound the division was breaking through a bit of the Maginot line at Sedan, in fact, fighting their way accross the Maas river.
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 12, 2008 Author Posted January 12, 2008 The 2nd Panzer was the first to reach the channel where one of its tanks actually engaged a British ship in a fire fight.... Our man got an EK1 for his efforts...
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 12, 2008 Author Posted January 12, 2008 The Division then fought in Serbia and in Greece. I think there was a 2nd wound there as there is a book called "Von Serbien bis Kreta" with a letter from his company telling his wife to inform him it had been sent.Then our man goes on to play hero... saving a child from drowning while risking his own life.A real documented life saving award if supremely, extremely rare...
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 12, 2008 Author Posted January 12, 2008 And while it looks so small on his bar....
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 12, 2008 Author Posted January 12, 2008 It also got him a personalized and ultra rare Annerkenungs and congratulatory letter from the chief of the army.
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 12, 2008 Author Posted January 12, 2008 Although the division missed the start of the Russian campaign they more than made up for it in the chase for Moscow where the Division was the one who was right on the outskirts... Our mans unit was right on the point of the division and could already see the Kremlin.... so first to the channel... and first to moscow.... so he got this....
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 12, 2008 Author Posted January 12, 2008 In July the division was in...... you guessed it..... Kursk where our man got another certificate for his 3rd wound....
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 12, 2008 Author Posted January 12, 2008 A lot of fighting between there and mid 1944 when our man and his division are fighting in Normandy... the German counteroffensive Operation L?ttich takes place with SS panzers and the Panzerlehr and the 2nd panzer Division.... the 2nd Panzer makes the most gains... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_L%C3%BCttichThen into the Falaise Pocket where the Divsion was almost totally wiped out...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falaise_pocketOur man survived and was awarded his ccbt badge...
joe campbell Posted January 12, 2008 Posted January 12, 2008 OMG!!!!!you have outdid yo'self!!!!!that is the earliest EK doc i've seen for the '39 issue, and all this has my pulse pounding!just spectacular!!joe
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 12, 2008 Author Posted January 12, 2008 Our man was fighting through the Ardennes as this was being signed many miles away....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 12, 2008 Author Posted January 12, 2008 I seem to remember waaay back that I managed to place his Regt as the one that fought the "Band of Brothers" unit at ... I think it was Foy, there they advanced out of the woods, towards a farmhouse.Anyway.... the Division was the one that made the furtherest advance in the battle of the bulge. the 2nd Panzer was also the panzer division that was most highly rated by US and British intel.I am not sure when he was captured but when he was, sometime in 1945, it seems all the awards he had with him were souveniered by the GIs (The division was captured by the Americans)All that was left were the things not needed at the front, the medal bar, the DKIG and awards that were broken... obviously all left at home....
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 12, 2008 Author Posted January 12, 2008 OMG!!!!!you have outdid yo'self!!!!!that is the earliest EK doc i've seen for the '39 issue, and all this has my pulse pounding!just spectacular!!joeOur guy was quite the combat stud....Poland, France, Serbia, Greece, Russia, France, Belgium, GermanyPoland, first to the channel, blitzkrieg in the Balkans, into the suburbs of Moscow, Kursk, Normandy, Mortain counter offensive, Falaise Pocket, Battle of the bulge.... and survived it all...The only postwar info I have on him is that he died falling off a scaffolding while working for/on/at a brewery. A rather ironic end to what must have been a hell of a soldier...
Guest Darrell Posted January 13, 2008 Posted January 13, 2008 Chris,Got any real closeups of the Obverse of the DKiG?
Paul R Posted January 17, 2008 Posted January 17, 2008 Chris,Got any real closeups of the Obverse of the DKiG?That is the ultimate TR awards group. I know that you are sad to see it go. I am sad to not have the money!
leigh kitchen Posted February 22, 2008 Posted February 22, 2008 So you're flogging these then? Can't be worth much, a few bits of paper & a couple'a broken awards?
Chris Boonzaier Posted February 23, 2008 Author Posted February 23, 2008 Indeed, they go into the mail on Monday...I had some debts to pay and some stuff I needed to plug important holes in the collection....It will go to a good home.... but i am very, vey sad to see it go..
paddywhack Posted February 25, 2008 Posted February 25, 2008 heres a pic of the commander of the tank that killed that ship in the french campaign!
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