Clues about my Opa's Panzer Division

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kkrfelix
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Clues about my Opa's Panzer Division

Post by kkrfelix »

I am helping my Dad to research my Grandfather's history. We have very limited information, all we know is that in 1942 he was put into the Herres Funkerabteilung, Army Radio Operator and went to Eastern Front. Around 1943 (and onwards) he went to Czechoslovakia, Nurenburg, Elsach. He told us before he died that he had fought partisans, may have been Polish or French.

In 1944 He became an officer fighting at the Elbe as a Panzer radio operator/maintenance man. In 1945 he was wounded in the leg, bullet or shrapnel, evidently "lost his SS uniform" at the Elbe, but wounded went across the river to the US forces. Was then transferred to Lippe Krankenanstaldt. or some hospital near Detmold. In 1959 he emigrated to Australia, died in 1995 without having said more than a few words about the war.

Based on the above locations and the Elbe crossing, I'm thinking he was in the 1st or 2nd SS Panzer Division. May have also been the 10th. Does anybody have any thoughts? Estimate based on the locations of those Divisions, against locations, makeup and final positions of the other SS Panzer Divisions (3rd, 5th, 9th & 12th). We are contacting the various German military history departments for any information. Other idea might be to contact US records, though I can see the records may have been poor for wounded men. Some great stories out there about US forces sprinting wounded German soldiers away from advancing Russian divisions and to local hospitals under US command by May 1945.

Thank you for the great site and forum.
kkrfelix
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Re: Clues about my Opa's Panzer Division

Post by kkrfelix »

Update: We have lodged enquiries with the various German authorities, hopefully hear an answer back within 12 months. I did do a bit more digging, turns out he was at Stendal in March 1945, forced east due to the advancing US 12th Army Group. Reviewing the US National Archive maps revealed it was the 9th Army, 102nd Infantry Division that made the final push to the Elbe in this area. Some research on this division indeed shows significant German surrenders in the face of the Russian Army on the other side of the Elbe just east of Stendal; http://www.lonesentry.com/102thrugermany/pg63.html

We are still trying to determine my Opa's unit/Panzer Division using online resources, field maps and deployment records, obviously however the records were not great and it was a frantic period during April-May 1945. He was fortunate enough to be taken by US forces, perhaps some records there, still in German archives, let's see.

Next question; does these unit numbers mean anything to anyone; 8th company in Nuremburg in 1943 and 4th Signal Corp in Stendal in early 1945?

Thanks.
kkrfelix
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Re: Clues about my Opa's Panzer Division

Post by kkrfelix »

Update:

We received a response from the Deutsche Dienststelle.

15th Nov. 1942 to 22nd Feb. 1943: Reserve Infantry 'Nachrichten-Ersatz' Company 68 (unknown location/s);
22nd Feb. 1943 onwards: SS Ausbildungs Regiment Prague.

DD recommended to pursue further information from the Bundesarchiv in Berlin.

Does anyone have any knowledge of the units mentioned?

Thanks.
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Tom Houlihan
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Re: Clues about my Opa's Panzer Division

Post by Tom Houlihan »

So far, that information still indicates training units, nothing operational.

www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/ is a good site with a lot of information. You might be able to get some good clues there.
TLH3
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