In honour of my father ALFRED KONRAD WEIGL 1906 -1969 I continue his diary. This diary would not have possible without the translation and decphiering of 2
wonderfull ladys by the name of Susanne and Annette who
are the daughters of Hans-Jürgen Burmester, who earned the Ritterkreuz in September 1944 when he was the commander of the 509th tank division. (509 PzAbt.)
Ill try and post a month of the diary each month or close to something like that. I belive ill post the grammatically correct version for easy reading. The ladys did a great job and went above and beyond and I am enternally gratefull to both of them.
ALFRED KONRAD WEIGLS ORGNIZATION TODT DIARY CONTINUED
APRIL 1942
April 1, Wednesday
Orders; everybody back to Naryschkino, worked in the afternoon. Letter 10, Romi. Letters from Romi, Felix, Mutti, and parcels. Got immunized. (People bad-mouth Staeubchen and Wanderbauer, they have nothing good to say about them. It’s always the same) Both stayed back in Bryansk. Present are: Vollmeier, Kern, Klempfl, Buenberger, Stechel, Kogler, Schwarz.
April 2, Thursday
Worked from 6:30 am and 1000 m gauge changed (1094 yards) of tracks with 40 men.
April 3, Friday
37 men worked 1058 m (1148 yards). (Fischer 1300, Buenberger 700) Chopped lots of ice.
April 4, Saturday
34 men converted gauge 1000 m (1049 yards). Lots of ice to chop. Fischer 1300, Buenberger 1200. Good tracks.
April 5, Easter Sunday
6:30 am to 5:15 pm converted 1000 m of tracks, 40 men, no Russians, lots of ice to chop. Fischer and Buenberger are finished at 11 am, had good tracks, 1900 m total.
April 6, Monday
(Easter) 38 men (600 m)
Leave Naryshkino to travel to Sachanskaja (some leave Tuesday)
April 7, Tuesday
Left for Sachanskaja, got out at km25, converted 600 m of track then marched toward Sachanskaja. (15.5 km); was Monday – check Wednesday
April 8, Wednesday
(converted 1200 m at km18.7; little (can’t read) pulled spikes up to km 17 (marker), was Tuesday. )
April 9, Thursday
Work at railroad station Sanchanskaja. Was supposed to have the day off.
April 10, Friday
Naryschkino, (can’t read) got vaccinated, 3 times
April 11, Saturday
Naryschkino, worked on tracks.
April 12, Sunday
Tracks. Fischer, Buenberger km31 – 38.5 all day without a meal.
April 13, Monday
Cover tracks km31 –38.5 again in the morning. Snowstorm. Front leader Reilhofer arrives.
April 14, Tuesday
Roll call. Reilhofer is announcing that we are leaving for Oral. 12 noon, Oral, walk through town, variety show, soldiers’ facility, move into Russian train car (7 pm 11 pm)
April 15, Wednesday
Leave Oral at 10 am. Arrange rail car beforehand.
April 16, Thursday
Smijwka, change tracks. Stop work at noon to travel to Jeropkino. Boots from military supply.
April 17, Friday
Jeropkino 1000 m, switches. Kogler is upset with Stechel and Buenberger because of poor workmanship. My work was better, now they respect me more.
April 18, Saturday
Jeropkino, rail station, switches. Trade pistol for Mauser from security. (Sedelmeier)
700 .
April 19, Sunday
Rail station Jeropkino. I redo some work. Leave in the afternoon for Kurakino.
April 20, Monday
Kurakino 1700 m, up at 5 am, worked from 6 am to 6 pm. Snow is melting, spring weather, warm. Above 30_ Celsius.
April 21, Tuesday
Rail station Kurakino, 1900 m. Stechel is being released. Got marching order. “His contribution is no longer wanted” according to management.
April 22, Wednesday
My group and Fischer’s group help Croat railroad engineers finish their work at the next station. 2000 m were left to do. We did 1000 m. Stechel is leaving. (Walking to the next station, about 13 km. My station, Glasunowka.
April 23, Thursday
F¸hrer’s birthday will be celebrated later. We have the day off. Letter Romi, 13, Geli, Mutti, Haderer.
April 24, Friday
Work together with Buenberger’s team on tracks. Me on one side, he on the other, converting gauge. 1800 m. Still very nice weather. Line-up at 5:30 am.
April 25, Saturday
Laying new stretch of tracks. 40 men line up at 6:30 am. Tracks are in piles or spread over future stretch of tracks.
April 26, Sunday
Built 1400 m of new track. Cold, line up at 6:30 am, 36 men.
April 27, Monday
Building new stretch of tracks, 38 men. 700 m, cold. Air attack, plane drops leaflets and 2 bombs. Bombs as close as 200-300 m from the tracks. Everyone takes cover. The Russian workers were gone fast. Rail station got attacked too.
April 28, Tuesday
Switch tracks at the railroad station. Kurokino. 38 men. Snowstorm (0_ C)
April 29, Wednesday
Kurakino, railroad station. Orders to go with 25 men to Ponyri to help out with changing switches.
April 30, Thursday
Ponyri, unload 2 switches and divide. 5 pm back to Kurakino. Letter to Romi, 14