FJ.A.A.12 Award documents

[Tim DC]

This small award document grouping is giving me some headache. Apparently Anton Kagerhuber earned the EKII with Fallschirm-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 12 on 30th of September 1944, a document issued by the 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division under Harry Herrmann. Apparently this must have been the result of a wound sustained on 27th of September; the corresponding Verwundetenabzeichen document has been issued in hospital in Salzwedel, 10th of October, but with a completely different unit: the Fallschirm-Flak-Regiment 11.

The 6.FJD collapsed in the Mons pocket early September 1944, the Fallschirm.Flak.Rgt.11 even confuses me more... anyone has an idea where this man would have been wounded?

Anton Kagerhuber survived the war and died in Neuhausen near München, 1997.

[Tim DC]

For completeness, the only two other documents in this grouping.

[Brian R]

I’m away from my sources right now but perhaps the Mook area?

[Archi]

Hello !

Very interesting set of documents !

One remark ahead : As I think it has often been seen, that VWA docs issued in a hospital
contain errors in unit designations, I would assume that the designation Fallschirm-Flak-Rgt. 11
is simply a mistake. (It was perhaps still in Italy. It is at least never mentioned in the
records of II. FS.-Korps.).

On the other hand, I would believe that the EK 2 doc is correct in so far, that this soldier
served under Fallschirm-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 12, when he earned his award.

=> Then the following might explain this set of documents :
After the airlandings at Arnheim, Nimwegen etc., several FsJg. battlegroups, from units in the process
of reformation at Köln-Wahn, were rushed into that area, among them KGr. Herrmann, which consisted
of remnants from 6. Fsjg. Div. and elements of Fsjg.Lehr-Rgt. and Fs.Aufkl.Abt. 12 (according to records of II. FS.Korps.).

Fs.Aufkl.Abt. 12 (still in the process of reformation) was led by Hptm. Matern. Battlegroup Herrmann
took part in the early counter attacks (in the area of Mook, as mentioned by Brian).

Another attack should be launched on the 28. Sept. I do not know exactly, where KGr. Herrmann and Fs.Aufkl.Abt. 12
were deployed, but certainly somewhere in the area between Erlekom and Groesbeek.
So, Ob.Gefr. Kagenhuber might have been wounded, while taking positions for that planned attack.

A possible explanation for the connection to a Flak unit :
I found a G-2 report, which lists some battlegroups in that area and mentions a POW from "KGr. Mattern".
I would be pretty sure, that this is just another designation for Fs-Aufkl.Abt. 12.
However, the soldier gave his unit as : Flak.Rgt. 11.
Therefore, I would assume, that Ob.Gefr. Kagenhuber was also with Flak-Rgt. 11.
Whether these were stragglers or reinforcements sent in, is unclear without further documents.

I hope that gives at least some hints for further research.

Best regards,

Archi

[Brian R]

Good stuff, Archi. I think you are right that it was fighting just after Mook. I have a couple KG Hermann documents related to the Mook fighting and they are dated September 25th. Now that I am "back in the office" and looking at their actual dates, I see that I was a bit too early with my guess. Nevertheless, this is a great little set related to the fighting near Nijmegen.

[Tim DC]

Thank you very much indeed Archi, and Brian, for that detailed information.