Jost Schneider - Their Honor Was Loyalty

[Lloyd I.]

I have the 1993 2nd Edition of this book. I've had it for two decades, used it for reference so many times and just overlooked Jost's obvious 'lean' towards sympathy for the Waffen-SS.

Something struck me today though as I was preparing a book plate of Ludwig Kepplinger and decided to reference Jost Schneider's book. Wikipedia notes that he was killed in the town of Villiers-Charlemagne which was under Allied artillery fire, when the car he was traveling in was hit, killing him instantly.

Schneider lists his death on Page 190 as such - Shot by partisans 11 km Southeast of Laval, France.

Scheider however is not alone . Gordon Williamson's reference 'Knight's Cross and Oak Leaf Recipients 1939-40' lists his death as such:

On 6 August 1944, during the fighting in Normandy, Kepplinger was in charge of a number of stragglers who had gathered at an assembly point for regrouping. These were predominantly Panzer soldiers, like Kepplinger, whose vehicles had been knocked out. On their way back to the front, the truck in which they were traveling came under a hail of enemy fire. Kepplinger, who was sitting 'up front' with the driver, died instantly from a bullet to the head.


So which is factual?

Now I literally have to question more than just sympathetic verbiage.

[Lloyd I.]

Please note, not out to disparage just to try to get to the truth and understand how so many could arrive at so many different historical conclusions. Schneider being a W-SS veteran he may simply be at the front of soldiers rumor or is shortening to it's core simplicity.

Other than Schneider and Williamson's conflicting accounts I have -

Feldgrau:

On 1 August 1944 Kepplinger's battalion - SS-PA 17 (60-70 NCOs and men without stugs) was transffered to the rear to Chatellerault in Perigord. On 6 August as Kepplinger drove back to Normandy his Skoda was ambushed 1 km West of Villiers-Charlemagne. Kepplinger was shot dead, while his driver and two other passengers severly wounded. His body was found 35 years later.

Ritterkreuzträger-1939-45.de

As they drove 11km from Laval at 17.00 hrs the car of Kepplingers was attacked, Kepplinger was hit by 6 shots, one of them in the temple. He was killed instantly.
Ludwig Kepplinger died on 06.08.1944 1km West of Villiers-Charlemagne, and was buried there by French residents and later reburied after Mont-de-Huisnes.

Thanks all

[Dmv]

THE guy for these questions: Mark C. Yerger

[Lloyd I.]

THE guy for these questions: Mark C. Yerger

I'll IM Mark. I believe he also conversed with Jost who helped him with his bios.

When putting the facts down I'd like them to be just that. Not a fan of embellishing or perpetuating myths.

[Mark C. Yerger]

From volume 8 of "German Cross in Gold Holders of the SS and Police, Kepplinger biography, but footnotes don't paste. Combining sources including daily reports of "GvB":


After the Paderborn Tiger familiarization course Kepplinger was slated to be attached to "Das Reich" for field experience but the posting was cancelled. Instead, after the accidental shootng death of Sturmbannführer Walter Kniep on April 22, 1944, Kepplinger was transferred to the 17.SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen" to take his command of the formation's Panzer Abteilung. As its commander Kepplinger was reported as missing in action on August 7, 1944, by the Divisionsadjutant (IIa) of “Götz von Berlichingen” but was presumably killed the day before. Temporary command of the Panzer Abteilung was assumed by Obersturmführer Friedrich Brittinger, then 3.Kompanie Chef and deputy commander of SS-Panzer Abteilung 17.

I helped Schneider with massive amounts of data on may KC holders, none being incorporated into the book as he felt "there is enough information for a reader" with the superficial text left unchanged. He did use dozens of my photos but credited them to my friend who made the copies of my originals that Schneider used. If a KC holder won the German Cross and in my series, the data provided is considerably more.

[John P. Moore]

I personally knew Jost Schneider for many years and he willingly shared his considerable knowledge with me. He gained much of his knowledge through his extensive travels throughout Germany as a sales rep which gave him the opportunity to met fellow W-SS vets and share information. I am yet to meet any researcher whose depth of knowledge approaches Schneider. The first edition of Schneider's Ritterkreuzträger book was published by Bender back in 1977 and it was quite good for its time. I believe that this was the first book to appear in English about Waffen-SS Ritterkreuzträger and I was favorably impressed by that book. The second edition was personally given to me by Schneider in 1995 at a vet reunion in Germany where our friendship blossomed. While it is good that other authors have added to Schneider's detail with their own publications, I don't feel that it is good form to speak ill of the dead, especially one who gave so freely of his time and resources to others.

Some of Schneider's redacted letters to me can be found here -

http://www.feldgrau.net/forum/viewto...eider&start=15

[Lloyd I.]

Mark, John,

Thank you both kindly for replying. I was reading both of your comments on another forum in my search for the answer about Kepplinger. This includes Jost's personal correspondence which you both shared graciously.

I was immediately struck by his helpfulness. My hope, and this occurred to me, was his life's work somehow was preserved as loosing his archives would be such a tragedy.

Please understand I am not meaning to disparage Jost Schnieder in any way as I stated above nor am I speaking ill of him. He was incredibly cordial from your correspondence with him, more than helpful and gave of his life to provide biographies to Western readers thanks also to Bender. Were it not for Herr Schneider I would not have started the majority of three decades of interest.

My frustration was in the different accounts of Kepplinger's demise. Allied artillery direct hit is a far cry from Partisan ambush.

Mark your explanation that Schneider thought there was enough makes sense in this regard.

I will hit the usual for your reference then Mark.

Thank you both again and John I am glad to see you still contributing.

[Mark C. Yerger]

Not intended as "ill of the dead," my correspondence with Schneider being considerably more, in both volume and years, than what John refers to. The 2nd edition even referring to one of my books within the text.

My point being more than birth/death, Iron Cross awards, considerably more, was made available. Today that level of data would be considered superficial at best with voluminous amounts of career data and other specifics now the norm as in my books, those of Biblio Verlag, and by many other published authors in the US, Germany, and elsewhere.

[Lloyd I.]

In other words Mark, I just need to pony up and update my references which contain far more detail. I admit I've known that for some time. Will do.

In the end Schneider's book served it purpose. I was hooked.