Wilhelm Dertinger

[Hans Knospler]

Thanks for all of your help. Do you know anywhere else where I may be able to furthur research this man military-wise?

Thanks so much

(Check your PM inbox)

[Maigewitter]

Another possibility would be to contact the WASt:

http://dd-wast.javabase.de/

They have information about nearly every german soldier during WWII. It could take a lot of time until they answer - i did it one time and it took around 3 months or something, but then i had a lot of informations about my grandfather (units where he served, rank, where he was as a POW and so on). It also costs a bit, around 20€, and you need the permission from the relatives. But you will get the information you are looking for. If you are really interested in learning more about this guy, send a request to them.


best regads

[Hans Knospler]

The Volksbund lists one

Wilhelm Dertinger:


Rank: Obergefreiter

Born on the: 30.01.1910
in: Schwabbach

Date of Death: 22.08.1942

Location of Death: H.V.Pl. 1.Sanko. 125 m. Nowo Dmitriyews-Kaja,12 Km.s.o.Nawropolskaja


Could he be that?

Could you give me some more information on his location of death?

[Jock]

Hi,

A 'Sanko' is a field hospital, where he must have died. I presume the sanko was near (125 m.) to the village of Nowo Dmitriyews-Kaja, or Dmitriyews-Kaja, which was 12km sud-ost (s.o.) south east of Nawropolskaja.

I cannot find any reference to Nawropolskaja, or Navropolskaja. Good luck.

Cheers,

[Hans Knospler]

I don't think that would be him then, and it is officially confirmed that his last name was Dertinger. He died in a Gulag.

[Jock]

Hi Hans,

I have to say, him dying in a camp in 1957 seems a little odd. 99% (if not 99.99%) of all German prisoners had been returned by 1955.

The case with the photo's is even more odd, IMO. If his friends were in this same 'maximum security' camp for 14 years, the chances of them holding onto a large stack of photo's is beyond nil. Any personal property you wished to keep, you hid, and hid well - I'm sure that amount of photo's could not have been hidden, for so long, and under such hard conditions.

Lastly, why the confusion over his death? Yellow fever or being suspended from meat hooks?

Cheers,

[Hans Knospler]

This is all second hand information so some things me be exagerated. I don't think he brought the photos into the Gulags with him, I definately think that he sent them home because they belonged to his wife. '57...I'm not really sure. I'm definate it was in the 50's. My friend who happens to be his grandson said '57 but of course like I said, he may be embellishing. He had yellow fever and then he had meathooks put into him. I don't think he was suspended. I think he was just dragged to a mass grave.

I posted more photos of him in the German WWII War Heroes (Or something like that) in the Soldatheimen section. Also, here is a revised thing I put together with all the photos, I recommend you visit it: http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/ ... p?t=262831


Also, I hope you don't think I'm lying, because I am not.

Cheers,
-Brendan

[Jock]

Hi Brendan,

No I don't think you are lying, I am as interested as you to know the full story. I had thought that about the photo's as you had said the returning friend gave them to Dertinger's wife.

As the above poster suggested, contact the WASt to see if they have his service record, but that takes time and money. I'd say the amount of information you friend has exceeds what many would have, further information may not exist.

Other than that, we can just try to clarify what we know of his story - hence why I'm questioning things. No malice intended.

Cheers,

[Hans Knospler]

Of course. I did a search on Wilhelm Schmehl, but just as I have discovered, Schmehl was not his surname, so basically I wasted the $20 and the 4 months of waiting

Check out the other photos and tell me what you think. I saw footage about the Battle of Stalingrad on youtube, and they had footage of German prisoners and I could have sworn I saw Dertinger with a group of pioniere. Unfortunately the video has been removed. Me and a friend are currently searching for it all over the internet now...haha...shows how much of a life we have

Cheers,
-Brendan

[Jock]

Hi Brendan,

The photo's of Dertinger in the bare hills, near the grave remind me more of the Crimea, Summer '42. Although, if he participated in that campaign, there is more than a fair chance he took part in the drive on Stalingrad.

IMO, Brendan, I would postulate that Dertinger died in '48/'49, yet his family didn't learn of his death till the early fifties. Some Stalingrad prisoners were repatriated in '45, but by no means the majority. Dertinger does not seem to be the sort of soldier who would have been earmarked for special treatment by the Russians, but equally, may have had to serve 6-8 years, through no other factor than chance.

Cheers,

[Hans Knospler]

Yes that could make sense. Unfortunately when his wife died, his granddaughter sold absolutely every single military-related item that belonged to him in Germany. Most likely illegally. So now there is no telling where anything is, or any keys that would unlock these mysteries. The strange thing is that he had a ticket to get out of the city, but he didn't take it, stupidly. There are some letters that he wrote to his wife that are still floating around the family supposedly. Most probably got thrown out along with alot of other valuable stuff.

Did you read the WH Awards forum thread? And also, how does that remind you of Crimea? I'm not doubting you of course, I'm just wondering so that I can absorb as much information as possible. In the last photo of him when he's a feldwebel he doesn't have a Krim Capaign Shield.