Looking for a Nordland officer

agricola · Post by **agricola** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 1:55 am

Can anyone give me any information on a man named 'Fiddler' (not sure on the spelling) who served in Nordland at least between October and December 1945. I believe he was in the 23rd regiment. He was wounded in the right arm in December of 1945, and was an Oberleutnant (or SS equivalent) at the time. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Frank.

*Edit* Replace all of the 1945's with 1944's. My bad.

agricola · Post by **agricola** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 3:46 am

No takers, hey? Well, what about the name of the Nordland commander at that time? I was interviewing a veteran on the weekend who reckons this guy (unlike Fiddler, who was a great officer) was a pig. Apparently, he even shot his driver!

Cheers.

Frank.

Doktor Krollspell · Post by **Doktor Krollspell** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 4:16 am

Hello Frank!

The commanding General of the 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Nordland" between 28.7.44 and 25.4.45 was SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Joachim Ziegler. He recieved the Knight's Cross on 5.9.44 and later the Oakleaves (no. 848) on 28.4.45 for leading the Division.

Regards,

Krollspell

agricola · Post by **agricola** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 6:21 am

Thanks Krollspell. Does anyone have any information on Fiddler? Because if you do, that'd be great! Also, can anyone confirm anything about Joachim Ziegler's character?

Cheers.

Frank.

Jan-Hendrik · Post by **Jan-Hendrik** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 7:38 am

I have looked up Nordland officers names last evening , nothing who could fit in . A bio of Ziegler you might find here :

http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.d ... oachim.htm

Jan-Hendrik

Post by **John P. Moore** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:30 am

The man is Helmut Fielder, who is listed as missing on 2.3.1945 in Bayreuth. Here is the entries on Fielder from my "Führerliste der Waffen-SS" publication.

John

Fiedler, Helmut Dr Hstuf. 28.10.18 423 634 Chef,1./Pz.GR.23 2 .45
‡ 2. 3.45
Ustuf. Innsbruck Chef,1./Pz.GR.2 7.43
Uscha. 12./LSSAH 6.41

agricola · Post by **agricola** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:13 pm

Thanks buddy.

Fiedler, Helmut Dr Hstuf. 28.10.18 423 634 Chef,1./Pz.GR.23 2 .45
‡ 2. 3.45
Ustuf. Innsbruck Chef,1./Pz.GR.2 7.43
Uscha. 12./LSSAH 6.41

Uh, at the risk of sounding ignorant, what does this mean?

1./Pz.GR.23

I didn't make it clear, but he was in the 23rd SS Pz.Gren. Reg. Is this and Pz.GR. 23 the same? Thank you all for your help, and any more input is very valuable.

Cheers.

Frank.

Simon V. · Post by **Simon V.** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 1:11 pm

Agricola,

As you don't seem to be familiar with the Führerliste I'll explain it to you. What Mr. Moore posted is the full name of Fiedler, his birthdate, his SS Number and the different positions he held during the war.

I also have some information on Fiedler. He served in I./SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt.2 during January 1943 and was Vorkommandoführer for his Batallion when they were transferred to the Charkow area. In July 1943 he served as Zugführer in the 1.Kompanie of the same Regiment, and got wounded on the 5th of July.

Cheers
Simon

agricola · Post by **agricola** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 5:23 pm

One more noobish question:

Chef,1./Pz.GR.23 2 .45
‡ 2. 3.45
Ustuf. Innsbruck Chef,1./Pz.GR.2 7.43
Uscha. 12./LSSAH 6.41

What the deal with the 'chef' thing? Am I also right in assuming 'Ustuf' = is Untersturmfurher and 'Uscha' = Unterscharfurher? Thank you all fo your input. It is highly valued.

Cheers.

Frank.

Doktor Krollspell · Post by **Doktor Krollspell** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:15 pm

Hello again Frank!

You're assuming correctly. And the "Chef" thing means "Commanding officer", in this particular case that SS-Untersturmführer Fiedler commanded the 1st company of SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt. 2. Later, as a SS-Hauptsturmführer he commanded the 1st company of SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 23.

Since SS-Hauptsturmführer Fiedler was not a Knight's Cross bearer, does anyone know of his higest decorations? Did he, for instance, recieve the German Cross in Gold, any Close Combat Clasp etc.?

Regards,

Krollspell

agricola · Post by **agricola** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 12:06 am

Since SS-Hauptsturmführer Fiedler was not a Knight's Cross bearer, does anyone know of his higest decorations? Did he, for instance, recieve the German Cross in Gold, any Close Combat Clasp etc.?

Well, I don't know of any high awards, but I guess he would have recieved a Black Wound Badge.

I was interviewing a soldier of the 23rd SS Panzergrenadier Regiment, who gave me this account.

He told me that Fiedler was a good officer. He didn't say a mean word to anyone, and at night, he would creep about and kill 5 or 10 Russians every night. One night in December, in Lithuania, the vetern I interviewed was shot by the Russians by an explosiv geschutz. He was taken back to the aid station, where there was Fiedler, his upper right arm was bandaged. Fiedler said "You are lucky. You have a home wound." (like a ticket home).
The veteran said "Are you coming behind the lines, too?"
Fiedler said "No." He got up, put on his jacket (which may have been a ghillie suit), picked up his sniper rifle and walked out the door. It was the last time the veteran saw Fiedler. He says that Fiedler was probably one to fight to the bitter end.

It's a sad ending to their friendship. I know it doesn't help (because I reckon about 5 billion black wound badges were awarded), but I thought the community would like the story.

Cheers.

Frank.

Post by **John P. Moore** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 9:45 am

Actually, my use of the term "Chef" with respect to Fiedler when he was leading a company was not technically correct. The proper term in this case would have "Führer", abbreviated as Fhr. As one former Sturmbannführer of the Waffen-SS, who had been a battalion commander, once explained to me, a "Chef" results from being officially designated as a company commander by some higher authority and you have to be an Obersturmführer or higher. The same thing applies to battalion commanders where you had to be a Hauptsturmführer or above to be designated a "Kommandeur", abbreviated as Kdr., otherwise you were a "Fhr." In my "Führerliste" I used the term "Chef" to designate company commanders for ease of understanding since the level of responsibility along with the fact that it was often difficult to tell when an Obersturmführer leading a company had his designation changed from Führer to Chef.

John

M.Wittmann · Post by **M.Wittmann** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 11:57 am

Wow, thanks John. That's some information I didn't know till now!