German Military KIA 1939-45 (D. Dienststelle WASt ) Available on Ancestry

[Waffenreich]

We've been registered on Ancestry.com for probably 10 years because my wife and I do alot of genealogical research. It's $34.95 a month and although it sounds expensive it keeps her happy. I believe there is a free trial period, but you have to give your card up front so at the end of the trial period it starts billing you, UNLESS, you cancel it yourself.

If you guys don't want to register send me the names and what info you have on the soldiers and I'll fix a small fee based on the number of searches/results. That will certainly be more economical than a membership account. Sound reasonable?

vr

Bob

[tgn]

We've been registered on Ancestry.com for probably 10 years because my wife and I do alot of genealogical research. It's $34.95 a month and although it sounds expensive it keeps her happy. I believe there is a free trial period, but you have to give your card up front so at the end of the trial period it starts billing you, UNLESS, you cancel it yourself.

If you guys don't want to register send me the names and what info you have on the soldiers and I'll fix a small fee based on the number of searches/results. That will certainly be more economical than a membership account. Sound reasonable?

vr

Bob

Agree, Ancestry.com is an invaluable source. I continue to have an annual subscription. It is getting better all the time.

Tom

[Waffenreich]

Agree, Ancestry.com is an invaluable source. I continue to have an annual subscription. It is getting better all the time.

Tom

Hope you're doing well Tom and look forward to seeing you at the MAX.

vr

Bob

[M35]

You guys might want to check with your local public library. The one in my town offers free internet access on their public computers which includes their subscription to Ancestry. I have used it regularly in the past, unfortunately right now the library is shut down due to the virus.

Cheers,
Terry

[Archi]

Hello !

thanks to all for posting that link and the further explanations .

Sounds very interesting !

@Bob/Waffenreich :
On the card of Fw. Schwank it says :
gefallen : Lungenschuß d.[urch] Erdabwehr

(shot in the lung due to ground defense)

Thanks and best regards,

Archi

[Waffenreich]

Thanks a ton Archi!!

I could only make out Lung and Erd and didn't want to speculate to much so thank you very much for taking the time to clarify that.

Have a good weekend!

Bob

Hello !

thanks to all for posting that link and the further explanations .

Sounds very interesting !

@Bob/Waffenreich :
On the card of Fw. Schwank it says :
gefallen : Lungenschuß d.[urch] Erdabwehr

(shot in the lung due to ground defense)

Thanks and best regards,

Archi

[TWS]

This is a great development! Thanks for reporting it here.

Luckily I have a relative with an Ancestry account subscription.

[muno11]

Incredible! I am finaly going to register to ancestry after all these years.
Can somebody check if late war records, 1944 and 1945 are also about 80% complete?

JL

Double post

[muno11]

Incredible! I am finaly going to register to ancestry after all these years.
Can somebody check if late war records, 1944 and 1945 are also about 80% complete?

JL

No. Only the soldiers with a regular "Gefallenenmeldung" are included. Please consult Overmans book about german losses in WW2 to understand how the administration worked. It's a great book.

[Waffenreich]

No. Only the soldiers with a regular "Gefallenenmeldung" are included. Please consult Overmans book about german losses in WW2 to understand how the administration worked. It's a great book.

Can you post the full title of the book please? Thanks

vr

Bob

[muno11]

Can you post the full title of the book please? Thanks

vr

Bob

Hi Bob,

here it is...look at the cover - the typical WASt-card.

[Waffenreich]

Hi Bob,

here it is...look at the cover - the typical WASt-card.

Thanks Matthias!

Regards!

Bob

[Jean-Loup]

"No. Only the soldiers with a regular "Gefallenenmeldung" are included. Please consult Overmans book about german losses in WW2 to understand how the administration worked. It's a great book."

What soldiers would have had a regular Gefallenenmeldung?

[Jean-Loup]

I have registered to ancestry and been looking up names concerning 1944 in southern France all afternoon. It seems for the most part men who died in calmer periods and were buried by the Germans are listed. Those buried by the Germans in action periods are rarely listed. Strangely, for men from the same company buried in the same cemetery on the same day, some are listed, and some are not.

JL

[Waffenreich]

I have registered to ancestry and been looking up names concerning 1944 in southern France all afternoon. It seems for the most part men who died in calmer periods and were buried by the Germans are listed. Those buried by the Germans in action periods are rarely listed. Strangely, for men from the same company buried in the same cemetery on the same day, some are listed, and some are not.

JL

JL, I believe it depends on when they died. The later in the war the less success you will have. It's a matter of sheer numbers. The reporting center must have been unbelievably overwhelmed with trying to record notifications, and, the field units must have been completely distracted due to the increased tempo of operations and fluidity of the campaigns at that point - and again - the number of KIA per day.

I am having great success so far. For one member who contacted me with 35 names I was able to find 12. Many of the ones I could not find were for very low ranking enlisted men who were KIA later in the war.

I am working through my own collection and for example of the 24 Sterbebilder I have for the '39 Polish campaign I have found and saved 23 cards. Some of the other random ones I looked up for Afrika and Stalingrad are there as well. It's like anything in this hobby when it comes to research. It's a crap shoot.

I personally think this is a huge advancement in our abilities as collectors to connect the dots on a soldier's service and when you are holding a visor cap or looking at a tunic and see the card it really brings home the finality of what happened to these men.

Strangely, Thomas has not contacted me for his gift. So Thomas, if you are out there please send me a PM so I can hook you up. You have taken the burden of having to contact the Dienststelle off of us forever I think.

vr

Bob