German medics in WW2

German Heer 1935-1945.

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D'haeseleer Guy
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Re: German medics in WW2

Post by D'haeseleer Guy »

PaulW wrote:In summary Chris - levels of medical care.

HKT regular combat soldier with rudimentary first aid training.(?length) Redcross armband as needed but normally regular combat equipment.

KT (2months medical training) attached to each platoon wore the combat waffenfarbe of his combat platoon yet seen as medic by his redcross, pouches and sidearm - No caduceus right sleeve qual badge?

Santitats UO (6months training)The company medical NCO (wore blue waffenfarbe) and orgainsied the KT (medics) caduceus arm badge

Sanitatsofficer (Junior Medical Doctor/Officer- Battalion MO) wore blue waffenfarbe -In charge of the Unterofficers and direct advanced care(short of big surgery) in the battalion aid station (Truppenverbandplatz of the battalion.)

Presumably there was a more senior Doctor (Regimental MO) that advised the regimental commander as to medical matters and was in charge of/helped the junior doctors?

Thank you for the information. I have tried to look at the picture (see above) but the pic is gone on that page. Can any-one shopw me a pic from the badge that the Sani's wore on their sleeve. Or even better the different kind of badges from the Sani's.

Thanks,
Guy
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Christoph Awender
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Re: German medics in WW2

Post by Christoph Awender »

Hello Paul,

In the KStN section of my site you can see how many doctors were working in the various SanKpien or a field hospital. All medial officers and personnel of medical units had the cornflower blue colour. Depending on the combat situation of course the doctors visited the various companies and also treated soldiers in the first line at accidents etc.. But usually the best place for the doctor was the Operation room in the HVP or the field hospital.

Doctors did not have the sleeve badge but the caduceus on the shoulder strap. Lower ranks with the badge were either so called Sanitätssoldaten (better trained as Krankenträger) or future Medical NCO´s in their training time.

I wouldn´t say that in a medical company the soldier life was much more comfortable than in any other unit. And although carrying a pistol they all wore the red cross armband (exeptions proof the rule)

/Christoph
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Re: German medics in WW2

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And although carrying a pistol they all wore the red cross armband (exeptions proof the rule)
You just confirmed a story I heard years ago! It's nice, so I'll post it here. My grandfather was working in Alkmaar, in a hospital as a medical NCO. During the winter of 1943/1944, my grandmothers mother hadn't any meat. A greatuncle had a few rabbits, so the family decided one of them was to be eaten. They planned to give the rabbit a fast death by shooting. My grandfather, wearing a pistol according to this story, was asked to bring his gun and shoot the rabbit. The animal was tied up and ready to be killed. WHen it came to killing an animal, my grandfather just couldn't do it. He was asked to leave his pistol, so someone else could shoot the rabbit. My grandfather left without his pistol. One of the men who where hiding on the attick (a member of the resistance here in Alkmaar) used the gun and shot the rabbit.

I had my doubts about the gun, since I figured out my granddad only had a K98, if he had a weapon. Apart from the rabbitstory, you confirmed the wearing of a pistol. Another detail to complete my picture! :up:
Always in need for info about: Dutchmen in the NSKK, HJ and TeNo.
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D'haeseleer Guy
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Re: German medics in WW2

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lexiebabe wrote:
And although carrying a pistol they all wore the red cross armband (exeptions proof the rule)
You just confirmed a story I heard years ago! It's nice, so I'll post it here. My grandfather was working in Alkmaar, in a hospital as a medical NCO. During the winter of 1943/1944, my grandmothers mother hadn't any meat. A greatuncle had a few rabbits, so the family decided one of them was to be eaten. They planned to give the rabbit a fast death by shooting. My grandfather, wearing a pistol according to this story, was asked to bring his gun and shoot the rabbit. The animal was tied up and ready to be killed. WHen it came to killing an animal, my grandfather just couldn't do it. He was asked to leave his pistol, so someone else could shoot the rabbit. My grandfather left without his pistol. One of the men who where hiding on the attick (a member of the resistance here in Alkmaar) used the gun and shot the rabbit.

I had my doubts about the gun, since I figured out my granddad only had a K98, if he had a weapon. Apart from the rabbitstory, you confirmed the wearing of a pistol. Another detail to complete my picture! :up:

Happy for you Lexiebabe. I love all the info here on the board. Now I 'm curious about the age of the German Soldiers when the campaigns into Poland and the West, began. I guess it will be about the age of 20, but I'm not sure. And the soldiers that fought in Poland, did they also fought in the West during the campaigns?
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Christoph Awender
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Re: German medics in WW2

Post by Christoph Awender »

Hello D'haeseleer Guy,

Of course the soldiers fighting in Poland also fought in the western campaign. How should it be possible otherwise??

/Christoph
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D'haeseleer Guy
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Re: German medics in WW2

Post by D'haeseleer Guy »

Christoph Awender wrote:Hello D'haeseleer Guy,

Of course the soldiers fighting in Poland also fought in the western campaign. How should it be possible otherwise??

/Christoph
It could be that these soldiers stayed there. I know that Germany was weakly defended on the Western borders during the campaign in Poland, but it could be possible that in the period from september 1939 untill mai 1940, that the German troops were increased in strength and fighting power. It could also be that with the fast surrender of the Netherlands and Belgium, that awhole lot of these troops were transported from Holland or Belgium, to fight in France. I know some of my questions sounds dumb, and although I read alot of books about WW2 some of the things that are written here on the forum is not written in those books, nor have I heard it on the docu's that I have seen.
You guys know so much about these things, it is incredible to believe. All those things in detailed information. Where does one find all this information? Is it all to find on the Net?

Grtz,
Guy
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Re: German medics in WW2

Post by Alex Dekker »

As far as I have found out, my grandfather was born in 1908 and was called up for service in 1940. His division was partly filled with men of the 4. Welle, though I'm not sure which year these men where born.

A big part of the how and what about the service I know about my grandfather, came from this forum. Another part was provided by the WASt, they got the details I wanted. :up:
Always in need for info about: Dutchmen in the NSKK, HJ and TeNo.
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Re: German medics in WW2

Post by larrister »

Hi

I have a couple of German WW2 medical photo albums. One is a San. 20 album and the other is a mid - end of the war album to a Stabsarzt who served with 16 Pz. Division.
Photos showing service in 1943 in France, Italy and Russia. Album shows photos of him at Reserve Lazarette Wernigerode Abt. Preuss Hof during the last days of the war.
Photos show he earned the EK2, SWB, Ost medal and IAB.

Here is a photo taken in Wernigerode dated April, 1945.

Larry
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bobbie
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Re: German medics in WW2

Post by bobbie »

Hello All,
I just received a letter from WASt and while it answers some questions, others remain.
I wonder if someone would be so kind and help decipher some of the abbreviations please:
1.) Under Erkennungsmarken: 443 - San.Ers.Abt.2 , 7136 - 3.San.Ers.Abt.3 and Krankenkraftwagen-Zug 340 the latter also has Unterstellung: 340 Infanterie-Division with it.
2.) What does Aufstellung bei den Einheiten im Wehrkreis XX - Danzig mean?
3.) Where can I find out more about his POW time? He was taken prisoner by the Americans in the area od Sinzig, Rhein, Ruhrkessel in March 1945, but released by the British as: "ehemaliger Obergefreiter der Einheit Sanitätskompanie 340."
4.) What is an "Obersoldat?"
Thank you so much for any help.
Bobbie
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D'haeseleer Guy
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Re: German medics in WW2

Post by D'haeseleer Guy »

bobbie wrote:Hello All,
I just received a letter from WASt and while it answers some questions, others remain.
I wonder if someone would be so kind and help decipher some of the abbreviations please:
1.) Under Erkennungsmarken: 443 - San.Ers.Abt.2 , 7136 - 3.San.Ers.Abt.3 and Krankenkraftwagen-Zug 340 the latter also has Unterstellung: 340 Infanterie-Division with it.
2.) What does Aufstellung bei den Einheiten im Wehrkreis XX - Danzig mean?
3.) Where can I find out more about his POW time? He was taken prisoner by the Americans in the area od Sinzig, Rhein, Ruhrkessel in March 1945, but released by the British as: "ehemaliger Obergefreiter der Einheit Sanitätskompanie 340."
4.) What is an "Obersoldat?"
Thank you so much for any help.
Bobbie
Hello Bobbie,

1) I guess it will mean 443 - Sanitäts Ersets Abteilung 2 (replacementsteam). Zug= Train
2) Means his place where he was posted. Simply means that he was a part of the troops that where posted around Danzig.
3) ehemaliger Obergefreiter... means that he was a higher ranked corporal but still not a sergeant. Gefreiter is a corporal. Hitler was called by von Rundstedt "Den Böhmischen Gefreiter". Ehemaliger= formerly corporal, use to be a corporal.
4) Means soldier First class.

Hope to be of any use.

Guy
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Re: German medics in WW2

Post by Alex Dekker »

bobbie wrote:Hello All,
I just received a letter from WASt and while it answers some questions, others remain.
I wonder if someone would be so kind and help decipher some of the abbreviations please:
1.) Under Erkennungsmarken: 443 - San.Ers.Abt.2 , 7136 - 3.San.Ers.Abt.3 and Krankenkraftwagen-Zug 340 the latter also has Unterstellung: 340 Infanterie-Division with it.
2.) What does Aufstellung bei den Einheiten im Wehrkreis XX - Danzig mean?
3.) Where can I find out more about his POW time? He was taken prisoner by the Americans in the area od Sinzig, Rhein, Ruhrkessel in March 1945, but released by the British as: "ehemaliger Obergefreiter der Einheit Sanitätskompanie 340."
4.) What is an "Obersoldat?"
Thank you so much for any help.
Bobbie
For my grandfather I requested at three different times information. The first letter was a short one, the second answer gave all details about the military career about my grandfather and the third provided me the camps were my granddad was a POW.

So @3: maybe check the WASt again. They have send me three different POW-cards (Two French cards, one Amercan/British card).
Always in need for info about: Dutchmen in the NSKK, HJ and TeNo.
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Re: German medics in WW2

Post by bobbie »

Thank you Guy and Alex for your replies. I have saved the information. I will also try WASt again, as you suggest, Alex. Maybe maybe I'll get lucky and get something more.
Again thank you, Bobbie
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Re: German medics in WW2

Post by cassarnold »

Thanks, all, for the medical information. As a physician who ended up here looking for family history, the medical info is intriguing.

To Guy: I had a similar q about my great-uncle was born in 1908 (and was 18 years old in 1926). He served in Russia 1941-1942 and was apparently "reserves", which I didn't understand. He was killed there age 34 or so in 1942. Here is the helpful reply from another thread, who indicates that 12 years was necessary.

"Probably he joined the army when he was young ( 18 ? ) in order to avoid starving. These years if someone joined the army, he was obliged to serve for no less than 12 years (this was ruled by the allies in order to make the military profeesion unatractive for Germans and prevent the rebirth of the German Army). So, if he joined the Heer at the age of 18 in 1926...1926+12 = 1938 . He fulfills his military obligations as a soldier or as sergeant , for example. Then he is sent to the reserves . The WWII starts and after a while , because of his previous military experience, he is promoted to 2nd leutantant , to obersleutentant and so on...."

best,
-cassandra
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Gen Oldendorf
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Re: German medics in WW2

Post by Gen Oldendorf »

Went to the WWIIdaybyday site for additional information on the subject and pressed on the link marked "Sanitatsdieneste". It came to a page with no further links. Is there a projected time when this portion of the site will be updated?
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Christoph Awender
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Re: German medics in WW2

Post by Christoph Awender »

Gen Oldendorf wrote:Went to the WWIIdaybyday site for additional information on the subject and pressed on the link marked "Sanitatsdieneste". It came to a page with no further links. Is there a projected time when this portion of the site will be updated?
Hello,

No I don´t know when I will put the site online again. At the moment I am still working on it offline. But feel free to ask questions here.

/Christoph
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