Clues about my Opa's Panzer Division
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 4:42 am
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.
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.