Gentlemen:
Reading through Ron's thread on his DKIG and the identity of the recipient (since his name is inscribed in the back), I wanted to see if the owners of the DKIG book could provide me with information regarding my DKIG cutoff. Based on the information below, I would like to see what additional information the DKIG book or any other source could have on this cutoff.
In case you are interested about the known history of this cutoff, both the cutoff and the shoulder board were found stuffed in an empty P38 holster during an estate sale in Nashville, Tennessee around 2010. The buyer was interested in the holster and didn't realize that the cutoff and shoulder board were stuffed in there until arriving home. Since he didn't collect cutoffs, he didn't think they were particularly special, so he stuffed them in a desk drawer for several years and forgot about them until casually mentioning them to a fellow forum member. The fellow forum member bought them and asked the W-A forum for information on the unit represented by the shoulder board: the 5th Pioneer Battalion.
The W-A forum was very helpful in providing information on the 5th Pioneer Battalion. Based on such information, I know that such battalion was part of the 5th infantry Division (which later became the 5th Jäger Division), a unit that, except for the invasion of France in 1940, fought exclusively in the Eastern Front and that the bulk of such unit surrendered to US forces on May 3, 1945 after crossing the Elbe river. Additional information provided was the rather discrete/limited list of candidates that could have been the former owners of this cutoff and shoulder board. Here is the list, together with DKIG award date, rank and unit within the 5th Pioneer Battalion:
1. Brüstle, Bernhard, 23.05.1944, Oberfeldwebel, 1./Pi.Btl. 5
2. Esterriedt, Werner, 23.05.1944, Oberleutenant, 2./Pi.Btl. 5
3. Klopp, Walter, 11.05.1944, Major, Pi.Btl. 5
4. Müller, Wilhelm, 04.10.1944, Oberfeldwebel, 1./Jäg.Pi.Btl. 5
5. Obenauer, Leonhard, 10.03.1945, Leutenant d.R., 3./Jäg.Pi.Btl. 5
6. Reich, Werner, 07.10.1942, Oberleutenant, 2./Pi.Btl. 5
7. Schmückle, Hans-Günter, 03.08.1944, Oberleutenant, 1./Pi.Btl. 5
8. Steiner, Walter, 29.08.1944, Hauptmann d.R., 1./Jäg.Pi.Btl. 5
9. Teichmöller, Emil, 07.09.1944, Oberfeldwebel, 2./Jäg.Pi.Btl. 5
Some of the above candidates can be eliminated as a result of rank issues such as the Major in no. 3 above and all the Oberfeldwebels due to their rank at the date of the award (nos. 1, 4 and 9 above). No.5 above is also likely to be ruled out since he was a Leutenant in March 1945, so very unlikely that he could be promoted two grades and make Hauptmann by May 3, 1945. This leaves 3 Oberleutenants (nos. 2, 6 and 7) and one Hauptmann (no. 8).
Anyway, I was just hoping to see if the DKIG book has any additional information on no.8 above. Does anyone know how to write to the German records in order to get information on such an individual?
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Walter
Reading through Ron's thread on his DKIG and the identity of the recipient (since his name is inscribed in the back), I wanted to see if the owners of the DKIG book could provide me with information regarding my DKIG cutoff. Based on the information below, I would like to see what additional information the DKIG book or any other source could have on this cutoff.
In case you are interested about the known history of this cutoff, both the cutoff and the shoulder board were found stuffed in an empty P38 holster during an estate sale in Nashville, Tennessee around 2010. The buyer was interested in the holster and didn't realize that the cutoff and shoulder board were stuffed in there until arriving home. Since he didn't collect cutoffs, he didn't think they were particularly special, so he stuffed them in a desk drawer for several years and forgot about them until casually mentioning them to a fellow forum member. The fellow forum member bought them and asked the W-A forum for information on the unit represented by the shoulder board: the 5th Pioneer Battalion.
The W-A forum was very helpful in providing information on the 5th Pioneer Battalion. Based on such information, I know that such battalion was part of the 5th infantry Division (which later became the 5th Jäger Division), a unit that, except for the invasion of France in 1940, fought exclusively in the Eastern Front and that the bulk of such unit surrendered to US forces on May 3, 1945 after crossing the Elbe river. Additional information provided was the rather discrete/limited list of candidates that could have been the former owners of this cutoff and shoulder board. Here is the list, together with DKIG award date, rank and unit within the 5th Pioneer Battalion:
1. Brüstle, Bernhard, 23.05.1944, Oberfeldwebel, 1./Pi.Btl. 5
2. Esterriedt, Werner, 23.05.1944, Oberleutenant, 2./Pi.Btl. 5
3. Klopp, Walter, 11.05.1944, Major, Pi.Btl. 5
4. Müller, Wilhelm, 04.10.1944, Oberfeldwebel, 1./Jäg.Pi.Btl. 5
5. Obenauer, Leonhard, 10.03.1945, Leutenant d.R., 3./Jäg.Pi.Btl. 5
6. Reich, Werner, 07.10.1942, Oberleutenant, 2./Pi.Btl. 5
7. Schmückle, Hans-Günter, 03.08.1944, Oberleutenant, 1./Pi.Btl. 5
8. Steiner, Walter, 29.08.1944, Hauptmann d.R., 1./Jäg.Pi.Btl. 5
9. Teichmöller, Emil, 07.09.1944, Oberfeldwebel, 2./Jäg.Pi.Btl. 5
Some of the above candidates can be eliminated as a result of rank issues such as the Major in no. 3 above and all the Oberfeldwebels due to their rank at the date of the award (nos. 1, 4 and 9 above). No.5 above is also likely to be ruled out since he was a Leutenant in March 1945, so very unlikely that he could be promoted two grades and make Hauptmann by May 3, 1945. This leaves 3 Oberleutenants (nos. 2, 6 and 7) and one Hauptmann (no. 8).
Anyway, I was just hoping to see if the DKIG book has any additional information on no.8 above. Does anyone know how to write to the German records in order to get information on such an individual?
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Walter