My 3000th Post- DKiG Winner Panzergrenadier Grossdeutschland

[luftkrieg]

Gentlemen,

As is the growing tradition here on the 57er forum I have decided to use my milestone post to share something special with you.

I was extremely lucky to acquire not one but three sets of ribbon bars belonging to Major Rudolf Zimmermann, a Panzergrenadier in the unit Grossdeutschland. The seller kindly shared photos of other items belonging to Zimmermann, including his Soldbuch, award certificates, driver’s licence, etc. I will post some of them here.

Major Rudolf Zimmermann

25.12.1916 – 25.01.1996

Promotions:

01.01.1938 Leutnant
11.06.1940 Oberleutnant
01.10.1941 Hauptmann
01.01.1945 Major

Awards & Decorations:

19.10.1939 Iron Cross 2nd Class
22.06.1940 Iron Cross 1st Class
01.08.1940 Panzer Assault Badge in Bronze
11.03.1942 Wound Badge in Black
20.03.1942 German Cross in Gold
20.08.1942 Eastern Front Medal
04.02.1945 Wound Badge in Silver

[luftkrieg]

His career, serving with “Grossdeutschland”.

[luftkrieg]

Wartime and post-war photos. Note the ribbon bar in wear.

[luftkrieg]

Dog-tags wartime and post-war.

[luftkrieg]

DKiG award certificate and photo and signature from Soldbuch.

[luftkrieg]

Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class award certificates.

[luftkrieg]

Black Wound Badge and Eastern Front Medal award certificates.

[luftkrieg]

Award entries from his Soldbuch.

[Tom C.]

WOW this is a nice bar do you know anything about his bw career (photo must have been taken around 1959-1960 and probably straight after he joined because he is the same rank as in ww2)

i wonder where he was posted between 1941/2 and 1945 he seems to disappear no awards or promotions

best regards
tom
ps well done for getting to 3007 posts thats only 10x more than me

[xmember]

Your the man Pierce. Not only a milestone in posting exciting threads but to obtain the ribbon bars as well. And, all three have a different look. Well done.
Regards
Rudy

[Nigel N]

Whoa Pierce!!!! Outstanding!!!!
Firstly, congratulations on your 3000th post, and i'm pleased to say, quite a number of them jave been in the 57 section, with your TOP collection of 57 ribbonbars!!
And here we have not one, but three more, all to the same guy and a DK winner too!!
Its great to have so much info and history on the guy, as it was with Mike's FJ DK winner
The photo's are nice to see, always good to put a face to the name, the bars themselves are great too, starting with the earliest sew on type, and then moving on a little!!
Some of the nicest 57 bars in your collection Pierce?? Got to be have'nt they!!
Thanks for showing!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Nigelbeerchug.gif

[luftkrieg]

WOW this is a nice bar do you know anything about his bw career (photo must have been taken around 1959-1960 and probably straight after he joined because he is the same rank as in ww2)

i wonder where he was posted between 1941/2 and 1945 he seems to disappear no awards or promotions

best regards
tom
ps well done for getting to 3007 posts thats only 10x more than me

Hi Tom,

Unfortunately I know nothing about his Bundeswehr career...as always seems to be the way with these groups.

I am still deciphering the Soldbuch but there seems to be some info of his whereabouts from 1942-1945.

Best regards
Pierce

[luftkrieg]

Your the man Pierce. Not only a milestone in posting exciting threads but to obtain the ribbon bars as well. And, all three have a different look. Well done.
Regards
Rudy

Thanks Rudy! I actually did not get these ribbon bars in one go. I got a mis-match of top and bottom rows and by good luck the seller found the remaining bars and sold them to me, thus making the completing the set!

[Tom C.]

Hi Tom,

Unfortunately I know nothing about his Bundeswehr career...as always seems to be the way with these groups.

I am still deciphering the Soldbuch but there seems to be some info of his whereabouts from 1942-1945.

Best regards
Pierce

then i shall see what i can do

if theres info on him from 42-45 thats fantastic its just odd that not much happened to him then

best regards
tom

[luftkrieg]

Whoa Pierce!!!! Outstanding!!!!
Firstly, congratulations on your 3000th post, and i'm pleased to say, quite a number of them jave been in the 57 section, with your TOP collection of 57 ribbonbars!!
And here we have not one, but three more, all to the same guy and a DK winner too!!
Its great to have so much info and history on the guy, as it was with Mike's FJ DK winner
The photo's are nice to see, always good to put a face to the name, the bars themselves are great too, starting with the earliest sew on type, and then moving on a little!!
Some of the nicest 57 bars in your collection Pierce?? Got to be have'nt they!!
Thanks for showing!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Nigel[ATTACH]2252660[/ATTACH]

Thank you Nigel!

I agree, it is great to be able to put a face to the name and to be fortunate enough to have obtained such a wealth of information.

I would say that these are some of the nicest bars I have in the 57er collection. DKiG bars are not easy to come by (though some members have the gift of pulling them from thin air) and the fact that it is named and comes with such providence is always a plus for me.