Wilhelm Kalweit

[Don D.]

Not everyone in war is a hero. For every superman there are thousands of faceless men toiling away, doing their duty. Wilhelm Kalweit was one of those men. He answered his country's call for men on 7 December 1914 at the age of 18. He was assigned to Infantry Regiment 179. Some how, while his friends marched off to the various fronts he ended up in trains/supply organizations in and around Leipzig. He spent the entire war without hearing a shot fired in anger. His job probably saved his life. Perhaps some one pulled some strings, perhaps it was luck. In the end he went home and married a girl, perhaps raising a family.

[Don D.]

He found work as an assistant of sorts in the town of Crimmitschau earning a living for himself and his family.

[Don D.]

Wilhelm should have faded away from us here but history had other plans and as happens to so many, history pulled him along in a direction he never planned on going. That direction led him to be recalled to active duty 30 December 1943, almost 29 years to the day he first entered the service and at the age of almost 50 years. So off to war he trooped once more, his sole award from the firstwar, a Hindy Cross for frontfighters ribbon pinned to his chest. I wonder if, as he looked around at the young faces of the new recruits, he felt old, too old.

[Don D.]

Wilhelm was not a well man and spent alot of time in the hospital. One could argue he had no business being in uniform.

[Don D.]

Indeed, he was released from the hospital on 20 February 1945 and boarded a train to return to his unit. The war was not going well for Germany and would be over soon. Wilhelm probably boarded the train and closed his eyes, thinking ahead to the future when the war would be over and he would be home once more with his family. Unfortunately for Wilhelm, that was not to be. Destiny awaited him down the tracks between the villages of Berga and Aumuehle.

[Don D.]

As the train left Berga on 21 Feb, 1945 it was spotted by a flight of fighter bombers from the US 9th Air Force and pounced upon. Wilhelm had no chance. He may never even have known what hit him and many of his fellow passengers. The planes came in low and fast, the train a sitting duck unable to dodge or hide. It was over as quickly as it began, the planes roaring off from the smoking ruin that was the train. Townspeople from nearby villages raced to the scene to provide assistance but it came too late for Wilhelm. He and the other dead were taken to a local church and buried on the 25th at 4pm. The arrow points towards Berga from the Aumuehle station. His wife received a letter notifying her of the circumstances of his untimely death for the Greater Reich.

[Don D.]

The last indignity heaped upon poor Wilhelm, whose only fault was to answer the call when his country needed him, was that his obituary was noted as being too long. Happily, its noted, that since it is official policy not to relate in print the manner of death for members of the armed forces that once the sentence relating to the air attck by low level enemy planes is deleted the obituary will meet the length requirements. Thus ended the life of a loyal German man, who answered his country's call twice, and did his duty as best he could. One face in a sea of faces now long forgotten by most, merely a statistic. Wilhelm Kalweit, R.I.P.

[JeremyJ]

..

Don,

Very well written summation of this soldiers service and the type which is definately under publicized as most of us (myself included) scramble to find the more decorated members of the armed forces.

I'm sure this scenario was played out for many like him and certainly makes a collector appreciate even the most "pedestrian" grouping when it comes along.

Regards

Jeremy

[Don D.]

Thanks for the kind words Jeremy. I find the irony of just being discharged from the hospital to being killed the very next day especially poignant. I'm sure danger was the farthest thing from his mind.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Often "little" groups are very interesting.

I have a fantastic WW1 group that is made so much more interesting and tragic as it has the documents of the orphanage for his kids in the 1920s... tragic and sad, the REAL part about collecting for histories sake.

best
Chris

[CWP]

Great grouping, a tragic story. I like material like this. Thanks for posting.

[VtwinVince]

Great story, Don, thanks for the excellent write-up. Reminds me of my grandfather, who joined up in August, 1914, was severely wounded in his first battle at Dixmude, then found himself fighting the Russians as a police Wachtmeister in 1945.