Hi,
Since May this year I'm looking for my uncle Gert Eugen Leeping. He was member of the 8. Panzer Division - II. Pz Art Reg. 80. He is missing since 15.02.1945. His number was 1357 and his FP number 23298A.
I've been left with a lot of questions about what could have happened to him, until today. There is maybe a lead. Today I got some information from the German Red Cross. They tell me that they could conclude that he was taken in Russian captivity in February 1945 and that he probably died in a POW camp near Moskau at the beginning of 1948. They based this information on stories and info they'd got from former German POW's.
Now I would like to know how I could find out in what POW camp he could have been and if (still hoping) he died where that could be.
Thanks,
Nathalie Leeping
Belgium
How to find the name of a Russian POW camp ?
Moderator: Tom Houlihan
Write to: Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgraeberfuersorge e. V.
34112 Kassel
Werner-Hilpert Str. 2
Germany
or e-mail [email protected]
or
intenet: http://www.volksbund.de
I found the POW camp where my uncle died.
Best of luck, Gerhardt Thamm
34112 Kassel
Werner-Hilpert Str. 2
Germany
or e-mail [email protected]
or
intenet: http://www.volksbund.de
I found the POW camp where my uncle died.
Best of luck, Gerhardt Thamm
Author of: Boy Soldier-A German Tenager at the Nazi Twilight-- McFarland & Co, 2000. A story of one boy on the Eastern Front, Feb-May 1945
8. Panzer Division fought in the area where I served as a fifteen-year-old boy soldier. If your family received the notice on 10 February 45 that reported your uncle missing in action, it was because there was no one who observed—or reported him KIA. Between the 12th of January and March of 1945 the frontline was in a constant flux, actually, in an unimaginable confusion. Units shifted constantly from one sector to another.
In February of 1945 the 8. Pz. Div. was under the 48th Pz. Corps of the 17th Army. My division, the 100th Jaeger, was also in the 17th Army. The 8th Pz. made a counter attack at Loewenberg, Silesia, and attacked a Soviet colon, then was repulsed (I think) and returned to the German lines.
If you can read German, there is a book by Generalmajor von Ahlfen, “Der Kampf um Schlesien”, Graefe und Unzer Verlag, Munich, (1963) that vividly describes the confusion and the atrocities of that campaign—I can attest to the validity of some of the events described in the book.
Sadly to tell you, your uncle may not have survived these events. In those days the Soviets shot almost all German prisoners.
Gerhardt Thamm
In February of 1945 the 8. Pz. Div. was under the 48th Pz. Corps of the 17th Army. My division, the 100th Jaeger, was also in the 17th Army. The 8th Pz. made a counter attack at Loewenberg, Silesia, and attacked a Soviet colon, then was repulsed (I think) and returned to the German lines.
If you can read German, there is a book by Generalmajor von Ahlfen, “Der Kampf um Schlesien”, Graefe und Unzer Verlag, Munich, (1963) that vividly describes the confusion and the atrocities of that campaign—I can attest to the validity of some of the events described in the book.
Sadly to tell you, your uncle may not have survived these events. In those days the Soviets shot almost all German prisoners.
Gerhardt Thamm
Author of: Boy Soldier-A German Tenager at the Nazi Twilight-- McFarland & Co, 2000. A story of one boy on the Eastern Front, Feb-May 1945
POW's
"Sadly to tell you, your uncle may not have survived these events. In those days the Soviets shot almost all German prisoners. "
Not quite accurate. Late 1943 Stalin's advisors told him to stop shooting POW's. The POWs could be used to rebuild Russia. He agreed and issued a edict to that effect. Official policy was not to shoot prisoners.
My father went missing in 1943. and there too the frontline was in a constant flux, in an unimaginable confusion, shifting constantly from one sector to another. His family received the notice he was missing in action for 7years, it was because there was no one who had observed his capture. Even his corporal who had abandoned his post and ran away when the Russians came didnt know his fate and was surprised to see him two weeks later when he too was captured.
If the DRK reports that that he probably died in 1948 in a camp, that means someone reported this when they were bebriefed after being released from Russia. My father provided affidavits for several POWs that had succumed in the camp.
Not quite accurate. Late 1943 Stalin's advisors told him to stop shooting POW's. The POWs could be used to rebuild Russia. He agreed and issued a edict to that effect. Official policy was not to shoot prisoners.
My father went missing in 1943. and there too the frontline was in a constant flux, in an unimaginable confusion, shifting constantly from one sector to another. His family received the notice he was missing in action for 7years, it was because there was no one who had observed his capture. Even his corporal who had abandoned his post and ran away when the Russians came didnt know his fate and was surprised to see him two weeks later when he too was captured.
If the DRK reports that that he probably died in 1948 in a camp, that means someone reported this when they were bebriefed after being released from Russia. My father provided affidavits for several POWs that had succumed in the camp.
THANK YOU !!
Sorry Bruno and Thamm for my late reply.
We are let's say 99.9% sure that he did not survive the war.
@Thamm : I think that we can assume that he was actually captured by the russians and put in captivity. He was actually seen by some former POW's but not anymore in late 1948. What I'm looking for is to know in what POW Camp near Moskau he was, but I'm also told that they moved the prisoners so it's very difficult to find out. And also that there were about 1000 camps in the area. I now applied by the Liga für Russisch-Deutsche Freundschaft to get some help by searching through the archives. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
Something else Thamm, were you close to where the II. Panzer Artillery Regiment 80 was ? My uncle was a "beobachter" and also member of the staff in this Unit.
Gruss,
Nathalie Leeping
Belgien
We are let's say 99.9% sure that he did not survive the war.
@Thamm : I think that we can assume that he was actually captured by the russians and put in captivity. He was actually seen by some former POW's but not anymore in late 1948. What I'm looking for is to know in what POW Camp near Moskau he was, but I'm also told that they moved the prisoners so it's very difficult to find out. And also that there were about 1000 camps in the area. I now applied by the Liga für Russisch-Deutsche Freundschaft to get some help by searching through the archives. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
Something else Thamm, were you close to where the II. Panzer Artillery Regiment 80 was ? My uncle was a "beobachter" and also member of the staff in this Unit.
Gruss,
Nathalie Leeping
Belgien