I have a photograph of my Opa wearing the Iron Cross first and second class and the black wound badge. How can I find out about why he was awarded these. I reently reeived his war service record from Deutsche Dienststelle...but there is no record and there is also a 2 year gap (1942-44) where there are no records about him at all.
Appreciate your help...if you can.
More information about my Opa can be located at the following web site...(This is more of a personal recount, rather than a war service record...which is still being pieced together). The photograph, however, that I have mentioned, is located at this site:
http://home.freeuk.net/johndillon/Paras.htm
Click on Egon Konrad Radeck.
Cheers
Sis
[/quote]
Iron Cross (first & second class) and Black wound badge
Moderator: John W. Howard
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Sista Soldjah
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Iron Cross (first & second class) and Black wound badge
"You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake. "
--Jeannette Rankin first woman Member of Congress
--Jeannette Rankin first woman Member of Congress
I have the same problem. My father was awarded the ICII. Whilst it appears in his record, including the date of the award, there is no reason given. By retracing his steps through the activities, campaigns of his then Division, ID 46, I have been able to at least put him in the right place and battle. But what did he do to earn it???
Seems no great song and dance was made when decorations were awarded. Probably mentioned in the war diaries, but where do you find them? Still the hunt is the thing.
The gap may be for the same reason as my fathers. He was sent home after the French campaign and not called up again until 1942. In the meantime he was attached to an Ersatz Battalion of his Division but was not required to train. His record becomes somewhat mottled and sketchy in 1943/44. I suppose there wasn't all that much time to complete and submit Company reports in great detail. Finally there was the "Vermisst - Griwoi Rog" and that was the end of that.
Seems no great song and dance was made when decorations were awarded. Probably mentioned in the war diaries, but where do you find them? Still the hunt is the thing.
The gap may be for the same reason as my fathers. He was sent home after the French campaign and not called up again until 1942. In the meantime he was attached to an Ersatz Battalion of his Division but was not required to train. His record becomes somewhat mottled and sketchy in 1943/44. I suppose there wasn't all that much time to complete and submit Company reports in great detail. Finally there was the "Vermisst - Griwoi Rog" and that was the end of that.
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Jason Pipes
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Hi Jason, It was awarded on 13 October 1942. He was wounded on 24 September '42, 3 kilometers west of Maikop (Maykop?). His wounded badge was awarded on 4 November, '42. I suggest that the these dates are all related. What I need now is some information on the battle, if there was one at Maikop? Can you help?
Kind regards, Hans
Kind regards, Hans
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Sista Soldjah
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Hello Hans
Thanks for sharing...it certainly is a journey...and I will keep digging...trying to find out more...my next step is to track down medical records. Hopefully this will shed some light on the wounds sustained...and also may help to fill in the 2 year gap where there is no war service record of my Grandfather's existence when he was with 2./FJR2.
Cheers
Sis
Thanks for sharing...it certainly is a journey...and I will keep digging...trying to find out more...my next step is to track down medical records. Hopefully this will shed some light on the wounds sustained...and also may help to fill in the 2 year gap where there is no war service record of my Grandfather's existence when he was with 2./FJR2.
Cheers
Sis
"You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake. "
--Jeannette Rankin first woman Member of Congress
--Jeannette Rankin first woman Member of Congress
Hello Sis,
Was there nothing in your Opas' Wehrstammbuch re his injuries? Should be on page 21. What I find hardest in all this is the script, it is so damned hard to read and the abreviations? The other thing is the way different records are archived in different places. Like you I decided to follow up fathers medical record, you would have thought that the two records are together, but no. Anyway, in case you may not know you obtain the medical records from: Krankenbuchlager Berlin, Wattstr. 11- 13, 13355 Berlin.
By the way I have found the German Government to be most unhelpful since I started all this, they treat you like the enemy. However the individual organisations are very good as long as you dig in.
Good luck "auf der Jagd".
Regards, Hans
Was there nothing in your Opas' Wehrstammbuch re his injuries? Should be on page 21. What I find hardest in all this is the script, it is so damned hard to read and the abreviations? The other thing is the way different records are archived in different places. Like you I decided to follow up fathers medical record, you would have thought that the two records are together, but no. Anyway, in case you may not know you obtain the medical records from: Krankenbuchlager Berlin, Wattstr. 11- 13, 13355 Berlin.
By the way I have found the German Government to be most unhelpful since I started all this, they treat you like the enemy. However the individual organisations are very good as long as you dig in.
Good luck "auf der Jagd".
Regards, Hans
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Sista Soldjah
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Hello Hans
Page 21? You received 21 or more pages????
What I received from Deutsche Dienststelle was only 6 pages
2 pages (letter including an explaination that I owe money and how to pay it)
2 pages - really just one and a bit, that give information about my Opa
and,
2 pages photocopied from a book or two books that provides dates and locations for particular divisions...
Would there be more???
Cheers
Sis
Page 21? You received 21 or more pages????
What I received from Deutsche Dienststelle was only 6 pages
2 pages (letter including an explaination that I owe money and how to pay it)
2 pages - really just one and a bit, that give information about my Opa
and,
2 pages photocopied from a book or two books that provides dates and locations for particular divisions...
Would there be more???
Cheers
Sis
"You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake. "
--Jeannette Rankin first woman Member of Congress
--Jeannette Rankin first woman Member of Congress
Hello again,
You should ask for a copy of his Wehrstammbuch. This runs to 45 pages. You need to be persistent. When I first made enquiries over 20 years ago, I was told that there were no records, apart from his awards. I gave up. However as time went by I got quite angry at the way the German Government dealt with its ex servicemen and those like me who lost a relative, and some 18 months ago I started all over again. I'm now getting results, but you have to squeeze. There are still pages of fathers Wehrstammbuch that I do not have, there is no excuse for it, so I intend to write yet again for the missing pages. Lets face it, they either have the book or they don't. They have it, I want it.
There may also be attachments to the "Buch" in a Tasche. In my case there is, they did however not give me details of the content. However they sent a photocopy of the "Tasche" itself therefore I know they have additional info. I intend to get that too.
Go for it Sis and don't take no for an answer. Your Opa and my father earned their histories and they are part of us.
- Hans
You should ask for a copy of his Wehrstammbuch. This runs to 45 pages. You need to be persistent. When I first made enquiries over 20 years ago, I was told that there were no records, apart from his awards. I gave up. However as time went by I got quite angry at the way the German Government dealt with its ex servicemen and those like me who lost a relative, and some 18 months ago I started all over again. I'm now getting results, but you have to squeeze. There are still pages of fathers Wehrstammbuch that I do not have, there is no excuse for it, so I intend to write yet again for the missing pages. Lets face it, they either have the book or they don't. They have it, I want it.
There may also be attachments to the "Buch" in a Tasche. In my case there is, they did however not give me details of the content. However they sent a photocopy of the "Tasche" itself therefore I know they have additional info. I intend to get that too.
Go for it Sis and don't take no for an answer. Your Opa and my father earned their histories and they are part of us.
- Hans
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Sista Soldjah
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Thanks again Hans:
What is a "Wehrstammbuch"? I don't read German and therefore can only assume that it is some kind of record book...
I will write back and ask for more information...
thanks for giving me encouragement...its been a hard slog especially with the language barriers...every letter that I get back is in German...i thought a lot of Germans spoke, wrote and read English...my requests have been in English, one would think that replies would be likewise...
Cheers
Sis
What is a "Wehrstammbuch"? I don't read German and therefore can only assume that it is some kind of record book...
I will write back and ask for more information...
thanks for giving me encouragement...its been a hard slog especially with the language barriers...every letter that I get back is in German...i thought a lot of Germans spoke, wrote and read English...my requests have been in English, one would think that replies would be likewise...
Cheers
Sis
"You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake. "
--Jeannette Rankin first woman Member of Congress
--Jeannette Rankin first woman Member of Congress
Hi Sis,
Spot on. It's a persons military history log. Contains details of the person, draft details, labour service, service details, charges, wounds, conduct, awards, battles, promotions etc. In other words a full record of the individual. As I've stated though there are bits missing, I suppose the record is only as good as the information submitted.
Yes its difficult and yes a lot of German officials speak English, but as I said they try and make it as hard for you as possible. It sometimes makes me feel that my father and his comrades have/had no value at all. If you write to the Defence Attache, at the German Embassy in Canberra he may also be able to provide you with assistance. He will reply in German though.
My stepfather was Polish, and you would not believe the kindness and the trouble the Polish Government went to to assist me with him. Everything was written in Polish and then translated into perfect English, even the most difficult legislation. They even commissioned father and awarded him a Polish Order which alas was not received until after he died two years ago. Shows you the difference though. The fact that I was German made no difference to them.
Spot on. It's a persons military history log. Contains details of the person, draft details, labour service, service details, charges, wounds, conduct, awards, battles, promotions etc. In other words a full record of the individual. As I've stated though there are bits missing, I suppose the record is only as good as the information submitted.
Yes its difficult and yes a lot of German officials speak English, but as I said they try and make it as hard for you as possible. It sometimes makes me feel that my father and his comrades have/had no value at all. If you write to the Defence Attache, at the German Embassy in Canberra he may also be able to provide you with assistance. He will reply in German though.
My stepfather was Polish, and you would not believe the kindness and the trouble the Polish Government went to to assist me with him. Everything was written in Polish and then translated into perfect English, even the most difficult legislation. They even commissioned father and awarded him a Polish Order which alas was not received until after he died two years ago. Shows you the difference though. The fact that I was German made no difference to them.
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Sista Soldjah
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Thanks again Hans:
Seek and ye shall find! I will keep up the journey and definitely appreciate your words of wisdom.
So tell me, what did you learn about your father? I'm interested to know what you discovered.
Cheers
Sis
"You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake. "
--Jeannette Rankin first woman Member of Congress
--Jeannette Rankin first woman Member of Congress
...
I am doing some research on my wife's grandfather. I am trying to get the war diaries for his division and have contacted the Bundesarchiv.
They have two other firms do the reproduction of the files and they say they want payment in Euros.
How do I send Euros to Germany? Can I get some type of money order in that denomination?
They have two other firms do the reproduction of the files and they say they want payment in Euros.
How do I send Euros to Germany? Can I get some type of money order in that denomination?
Hi Sis,
My mother is still alive, so there were not too many surprises. It just helped put him in a time and place for me and made him more real. My stepfather also insisted right from the start that photos be kept and that my sister and I retain our own name in order to honour our father. Of course there were things my mother did not know about, like charges for instance and she certainly did not like his induction statement at the beginning of his national service where he implied that he was unfit for just about anything the government or the army could think of. They were not married at the time, but when mother read his statements a couple of months ago, she was not amused. There he was 66 years later and she gave him a tongue lashing which I'm sure he heard. I'm sure that father did not think that his statements would find themselves on to his file.
My mother is still alive, so there were not too many surprises. It just helped put him in a time and place for me and made him more real. My stepfather also insisted right from the start that photos be kept and that my sister and I retain our own name in order to honour our father. Of course there were things my mother did not know about, like charges for instance and she certainly did not like his induction statement at the beginning of his national service where he implied that he was unfit for just about anything the government or the army could think of. They were not married at the time, but when mother read his statements a couple of months ago, she was not amused. There he was 66 years later and she gave him a tongue lashing which I'm sure he heard. I'm sure that father did not think that his statements would find themselves on to his file.