Heer Large grouping to Oberst Wilhelm Fuhrmann

[Simon Orchard]

As promised in a previous thread, here's the rather large grouping i just received to Oberst Wilhelm Fuhrmann. Enjoy!

First off, here's Wilhelm. Photo taken pre-war, it's actually not part of my group. Somehow it got mixed up with his brother, Otto's group owned by Ian jewison.

previous thread

So let's start at the begining.

Nice early doc for the 1914 EKII

Later on he also won the EKI as you can see from the photo but unfortunately there's no doc for it. However i do have his doc for the MVO 4thclass with swords

[Simon Orchard]

Also his commisioning doc to Leutnant

With the war over he got the usual veterans awards, firstly from the Kyffh?userbund

Then the hindenburg cross.

[Simon Orchard]

Then in 1935 he re-entered the army.

[Simon Orchard]

4 year long service, signed by Franz Halder.

medal for the annexation of Austria

Then he get's posted to command the newly formed Gebirgs Nachrichten Abteilung 67 of the 2 Gebirgs Division.

[Simon Orchard]

So, war breaks out again and it's not long before Wilhelm picks up another medal. This time the bar to the EKII.

firstly his preliminary doc, signed by Valentin Feurstein

then the proper thing

After Poland a spell on the Westwall, unusually the doc is not signed or stamped yet is serial numbered.

[Simon Orchard]

Next comes Norway where Wilhelm picks up the bar to the EKI.

According to the archives of the 2 Geb.Div. the division awarded just 3 EKI spange for the Norwegian campaign.

He also picked up the Gruppe Feurstein doc

Next comes a year of occupation duties before things happen again and the 2 GD along with the 3 GD are sent into Russia in order to try and take the port of Murmansk. Wilhelm is still with the division when winter comes so later on, when he gets posted back to Germany he gets his East front medal

[Simon Orchard]

Another 2 years pass before our man picks up another medal, this time the ubiquitous KVKII, signed by Karl Kriebel

Then for his final promotion to Oberst the officers of his unit, Nachrichten Ausbilidungs Abteilung 7 congratulate him.

[Simon Orchard]

Lastly a document from Fuhrmann detailing the activities of the units and men under his command during the dying days of the war.

[Paul R]

What a huge grouping!

The detail list is really something... can someone translate... please?!?!

[Guest Rick Research]

Well, that's NOT Wilhelm's photo-- the ribbons don't match! He had a Wehrmacht 4, Austrian Annexation, and Westwall that I don't see there.

Quite interesting usually unseen paperwork regarding his "probationary" contract before becoming an (E) officer as a former RESERVE officer.

[Simon Orchard]

Well, that's NOT Wilhelm's photo-- the ribbons don't match! He had a Wehrmacht 4, Austrian Annexation, and Westwall that I don't see there.

Quite interesting usually unseen paperwork regarding his "probationary" contract before becoming an (E) officer as a former RESERVE officer.

Well it's not Otto. Actually, with the group was a document to Otto mixed in with it refering to his posting to NA 220. Was there a third brother?????

The annexation and westwall medals could easily post date this photo, the westwall definitely so as he was a major by then. The long service is the thing. I wonder, could it be that at the time of the photo he hadn't had his ribbon bar altered yet? It'd be nice to know what else is on there, i assume a bunch of Bavarian stuff? The thing that does bother me is that he appears to be an oberleutnant here yet he was a hauptmann when posted to GNA 67

Edited April 29, 2006 by Simon Orchard

[dphillipsd]

Very nice document grouping you have there Simon, congrats!