DKiG Research needed

[Ralph Heinz]

Gentlemen,

Does anyone have a book on DKiG winners who can look up an officer for me? This Oberst's tunic has ciphers for the 34th Pioniere Regt. (34th Inf. Div.); loops for the DKiG on the right breast pocket; CCC; and also three medals on the left breast pocket including the EKI; 2 button hole ribbons; and loops for a 4 ribbon bar. It's a "salty" tunic showing use.

A tailor's tag in an inside pocket is named and dated Juni 1943 when the owner was an Oberstleutnant as I can make out the rank ("O. Ltn.") The name is four letters beginning with what looks like a "W" and it may have been "Wolf" but the handwriting is so bad and the tag worn and faded, it's really difficult to make it out. It may also have been "Wolz" or "Wolb" or something else but with the unit known, it should be researchable as this officer would have been the regimental CO. I really can't be certain of any of the letters of the name except that there are four letters apparently starting with "W."

This division spent three years getting mauled in Russia and was withdrawn to N. Italy in July 1944.

Any help would be most appreciated.

[Mark Yerger]

On GC date awarded, no 34th div/Btl/Rgt for anyone named Wulf, Wulff, Wulz, Wolz or other short W names. Any other spelling possibles ?

Mark

[Ralph Heinz]

Last name

Mark,

Many thanks for checking for me. The last name is so worn and faded and done in such poor hand writing I'm just not certain. It may possibly start with U, D, M, or N and that is after also checking a sample of Deutsche Schrift -- that old style handwriting that is so hard to make out today even when it is legible.

The tag is inside an inside breast pocket that opens to the front and it obviously got a lot of wear. Beneath the thread loops on the right breast pocket for the DKiG, the tunic shows wear from the badge and particularly from the catch on the bottom of the badge. For all I know it may also have been the German Cross in Silver but the imprint and distance between the loops is too long for a Spanish Cross so I ruled that one out.

Thanks again.

[Rick Research]

Ralph-- try xeroxing the name label on dark settings and you may get enough contrast for it to be readable by we Old Scribble Readers. This will also make you VERY popular at work or your nearest public library!

You'd be surprised what the old handwriting "really" says-- just check out those "Bad Handwriting" quizes in the Documents Forum! Rick

[Mark Yerger]

I'd think a GC in Gold, Silver being more support/technical and I'd think the officer won as a company grade officer. If you have luck with the name, I'll search again. Hopefully he didn't win it and transfer from elsewhere.

Mark

[Ralph Heinz]

Name in tunic

Rick,

Your idea is a good one but unfortunately, the tailor's tag (A. Wolter & Sohne) is inside a very tight small inside pocket that cannot be turned inside out to Xerox it. The previous owner had not even seen the tag and to see it at all I've had to use a flashlight to look inside. I can't get it flattened out so that I could photograph it with a closeup lens as I'd have to shoot at a severe angle that would put most of it out of focusand it would be extremely difficult to get light inside along with a camera lens.

Mark,

I hadn't thought of the fact that this officer may have transferred from another unit -- that really throws a monkey wrench into my search and, since this was a Pionier officer in a combat unit, I too would think he'd have won the DKiG and not in Silver. The fact that the tunic was filled out in June 1943 and that the officer was at that time an Oberstleutnant might have helped if only the name was more legible although there's no telling when he received the award. Your idea that he may have transferred from some other unit may well be the case.

The shoulder boards are sewn in and show lots of wear as do the collar tabs and embroidered breast eagle. Somewhat unusual is that the collar is black wool -- not dark green and the wool backing for the breast eagle is also black wool. The feldgrau wool material for the tunic is the midwar type and it is not an earlier high quality gabardine -- it is strictly a combat piece and the officer removed the dagger hanger strap inside the tunic. No need for that on the Russian Front in 1943!

The EKII ribbon in the button hole is the 1939 type so he most likely was not a WWI veteran.

Thanks to both of you for your help and suggestions.