Well, again in the saddle with a nice group from my beloved 1 Panzer Division, you will see why I fell in love with it when I first saw it here posted by a very good collector and better friend.
Unfortunately the Soldbuch is an Ersatz one, for sure the original lost or heavy damaged when he was last wounded and need to be replaced when being discharged from hospital and back to his training unit.
Despite this a lot of info can be extracted from it.
First we can only love the photo, grey wrapper with a nice EK I displayed and the pose of a true vet.
He was born on July 11th, 1.918 (and I was born on July 11th, 1.972) in the city of Kemten and was catholic and his profession, SOLDIER.
The Soldbuch was open on November 30th, 1.944 in Eisenach, the garrison city of Panzerjäger Ersatz und Ausbildung Abteilung 9 whose Genesenen Kompanie gave Schaeffer his new booklet, interesting he keep his old dog tag from the time of the first use of then and proof that he was a regular soldier as it was used by a field unit, 1./Pz.Abw.Abt. 27 with number 182. The tag is present with the group and has no blood type in it.
A little history, Panzer Abwehr Abteilung 37 was crated on October 15th, 1.935 in Mühlhausen, being renamed on October 6th, 1.936 as Pz.Ab.Abt. 29 and later this year back to 37 and stationed in Kassel.
At the time of Mobilization his 2 Kompanie was created from M.G. Bataillon 59.
Just prior to the Western Campaign a 3 Kompanie was created by renaming the 1./Pz.Ab.Abt. 29 as 3./Pz.Abe.Abt. 37 on March 15th, 1.940.
On April 1st, 1.940 the new unit was named Panzerjäger Abteilung 37.
On June 8th, 1.942 the 2 Kompanie was destroyed and the 3./ passed to be known as the new 2./.
September 1st, 1.942 saw the creation of the new 3 Kompanie.
During its rest and refit time in France and Greece the Panzerjäger Abteilung 37 was fully equipped with 3 companies of Sturmgeschutz III.
From now on is difficult to trace the exact whereabouts of the several companies at it was breakdown to platoons to reinforce the frontline and the surviving AFV where allocated randomly and the info is imprecise, sometime only mentioned as 3 7.5 cm PAK (Sfl) allocated to a place or unit without mention of his company.
Back to our man we know he was married to Edith Schutzenmeier and lived in Hilgen, a city 25 km northeast Köln (Cologne).
Prior to be send again to the front he received several times equipment including Fieldgray Wrapper and trousers and on February 21st, 1.945 a P38 s/n 2211c.
The only security check in the Soldbuch was done on November 30th, 1.944 by 2./Genesenden Kompanie Panzerjäger Ersatz Abteilung 9 with Tr.St.R. nº 607/44.
His combat unit was 2./Panzerjäger Abteilung 37 with Kr.St.R. nº 526.
No time to receive payments from other units than his original one and just one leave notated.
On December 8th, 1.944 he was granted a leave for convalescence to Helgen, Köln from December 8th till December 29th, 1.944 at 7h 00’ and was granted by the 2.Genesenden Kompanie./Panzerjäger Ersatz und Ausbildung Abteilung 9.
Thanks to his medals and some citations we can put some more info about his career.
For sure we know he was a profesional soldier who enlisted around mid 39 at least.
He received the Iron Cross 2nd class on July 28th, 1.940 (interesting the clerk mistakenly wrote in the Soldbuch September) numbered 1443/40. the whole 1 Panzer Division awarded for the West Campaign a total of 2237 EK II, plus 70 Spanges zum EK II plus 252 EK I and 24 Spanges.
For his combats in France also received the General Assault Badge on November 10th, 1.940, unfortunately the citation was lost so no present with the group.
Time to move east and he was wounded early on Barbarossa on July 5th, 1.941 while serving with Kampfgruppe Krüger attacking direction to Pleskau (1 Kompanie was fighting in Ostrow with Kampfgruppe Westhoven and faced KVI attacks in great number) so he received the Wound Badge in Black on July 10th, 1.941 so I suppose he was treated at Abteilung level for the short time between the wound and the citation used and the fact that was signed by the Abteilung Kommandeur, Major Kaundynia.
His continuing bravery was rewarded on April 2nd, 1.942 when divisional commander Generalmajor Walter Krüger awarded him the Iron Cross 1st class.
As all original members from the initial attack who suffered the rigors of the 41/42 winter he received on August 1st, 1.942 the Ostmedal signed by Hauptmann Gelfert, temporary chef of the Abteilung.
He was wounded again on September 2nd, 1.942 in the battles around Rshew, again I doubt he was evacuated by the fact that he was wounded again on December 5th, 1.942 so, maybe, treated in the rearguard, but not send home for nothing more than, perhaps, a short leave to recover.
The wound on December 5th, 1.942 probably took place in the fightings at the southwest of Belyj while with Kampfgruppe von den Meden. His Wound Badge in Silver citation is also missing, but we know it was awarded to him on August 23rd, 1.944.
Almost 11 months of rest and refit put him and the rest of the division back to his former strength and fully equipped with Wespe, Hummel, Panther, Panzer IV H and Sturmgeschutzes they were back into the fight on November 44
Interesting he was just arrived to the Eastern Front when he was rewarded with the Close Combat Clasp in Bronze on November 19th, 1.943, a pity his Close Combat Day list was missing with his original Soldbuch, but his citation is present and signed again by Hauptmann Gelfert, still temporary chef of the unit.
He was wounded again on July 18th, 1.944 and again light or to brave to go to the hospital as, in my opinion and the one from the former owner of the group, he took part on the fights around Sambor (70 km southwest of Lemberg, actually Leónplis) where on July 28th the Pz.Rgt. 1 and the AFV from the Pz.Jg:Abt. 37 destroyed 22 Russian tanks, mainly T-34, with 8 of then in close combat.
For the destruction of a, more than probably, T-34 he received the Tank Destruction Badge on August 7th, 1.944. No Abteilung day order or citation for it, just the entry in his Soldbuch. Still to see a real citation for the TDB to a Heer member, all original pieces I have seen are FJ or Waffen SS,
Again he was wounded on August 28th, 1.944, his fifth one and again looks he was not evacuated as his citation is again filled by his unit and signed by DKiG winner Paul Düllmann (November 23rd, 1.944) as Hauptmann and Abteilungskommandeur on September 5th, 1.944.
Now a speculation by my side. I think he was evacuated as his Soldbuch was open several months after the use of the citation and the entry is dated January 3rd, 1.945 in Eisenach and state that the proof is the citation opposite the rest of the medals that are entered as were in the former Soldbuch.
I think he was back at the front around mid to end February 45 when received his pistol and fought till the end surrendering to the US Army.
What makes this group also more special is a small typed sheet and an even smaller piece of aluminum shaped in the way of a tree leaf, yes present are both, the announce of the authorization to proudly wear the divisional insignia and the insignia itself, the second sheet and the first metal one I have.
Just to finish nothing more to being incredible grateful to my longtime friend Lionel Humbert who made posible the deal for this amazing group. Thanks my friend.
Angel
Unfortunately the Soldbuch is an Ersatz one, for sure the original lost or heavy damaged when he was last wounded and need to be replaced when being discharged from hospital and back to his training unit.
Despite this a lot of info can be extracted from it.
First we can only love the photo, grey wrapper with a nice EK I displayed and the pose of a true vet.
He was born on July 11th, 1.918 (and I was born on July 11th, 1.972) in the city of Kemten and was catholic and his profession, SOLDIER.
The Soldbuch was open on November 30th, 1.944 in Eisenach, the garrison city of Panzerjäger Ersatz und Ausbildung Abteilung 9 whose Genesenen Kompanie gave Schaeffer his new booklet, interesting he keep his old dog tag from the time of the first use of then and proof that he was a regular soldier as it was used by a field unit, 1./Pz.Abw.Abt. 27 with number 182. The tag is present with the group and has no blood type in it.
A little history, Panzer Abwehr Abteilung 37 was crated on October 15th, 1.935 in Mühlhausen, being renamed on October 6th, 1.936 as Pz.Ab.Abt. 29 and later this year back to 37 and stationed in Kassel.
At the time of Mobilization his 2 Kompanie was created from M.G. Bataillon 59.
Just prior to the Western Campaign a 3 Kompanie was created by renaming the 1./Pz.Ab.Abt. 29 as 3./Pz.Abe.Abt. 37 on March 15th, 1.940.
On April 1st, 1.940 the new unit was named Panzerjäger Abteilung 37.
On June 8th, 1.942 the 2 Kompanie was destroyed and the 3./ passed to be known as the new 2./.
September 1st, 1.942 saw the creation of the new 3 Kompanie.
During its rest and refit time in France and Greece the Panzerjäger Abteilung 37 was fully equipped with 3 companies of Sturmgeschutz III.
From now on is difficult to trace the exact whereabouts of the several companies at it was breakdown to platoons to reinforce the frontline and the surviving AFV where allocated randomly and the info is imprecise, sometime only mentioned as 3 7.5 cm PAK (Sfl) allocated to a place or unit without mention of his company.
Back to our man we know he was married to Edith Schutzenmeier and lived in Hilgen, a city 25 km northeast Köln (Cologne).
Prior to be send again to the front he received several times equipment including Fieldgray Wrapper and trousers and on February 21st, 1.945 a P38 s/n 2211c.
The only security check in the Soldbuch was done on November 30th, 1.944 by 2./Genesenden Kompanie Panzerjäger Ersatz Abteilung 9 with Tr.St.R. nº 607/44.
His combat unit was 2./Panzerjäger Abteilung 37 with Kr.St.R. nº 526.
No time to receive payments from other units than his original one and just one leave notated.
On December 8th, 1.944 he was granted a leave for convalescence to Helgen, Köln from December 8th till December 29th, 1.944 at 7h 00’ and was granted by the 2.Genesenden Kompanie./Panzerjäger Ersatz und Ausbildung Abteilung 9.
Thanks to his medals and some citations we can put some more info about his career.
For sure we know he was a profesional soldier who enlisted around mid 39 at least.
He received the Iron Cross 2nd class on July 28th, 1.940 (interesting the clerk mistakenly wrote in the Soldbuch September) numbered 1443/40. the whole 1 Panzer Division awarded for the West Campaign a total of 2237 EK II, plus 70 Spanges zum EK II plus 252 EK I and 24 Spanges.
For his combats in France also received the General Assault Badge on November 10th, 1.940, unfortunately the citation was lost so no present with the group.
Time to move east and he was wounded early on Barbarossa on July 5th, 1.941 while serving with Kampfgruppe Krüger attacking direction to Pleskau (1 Kompanie was fighting in Ostrow with Kampfgruppe Westhoven and faced KVI attacks in great number) so he received the Wound Badge in Black on July 10th, 1.941 so I suppose he was treated at Abteilung level for the short time between the wound and the citation used and the fact that was signed by the Abteilung Kommandeur, Major Kaundynia.
His continuing bravery was rewarded on April 2nd, 1.942 when divisional commander Generalmajor Walter Krüger awarded him the Iron Cross 1st class.
As all original members from the initial attack who suffered the rigors of the 41/42 winter he received on August 1st, 1.942 the Ostmedal signed by Hauptmann Gelfert, temporary chef of the Abteilung.
He was wounded again on September 2nd, 1.942 in the battles around Rshew, again I doubt he was evacuated by the fact that he was wounded again on December 5th, 1.942 so, maybe, treated in the rearguard, but not send home for nothing more than, perhaps, a short leave to recover.
The wound on December 5th, 1.942 probably took place in the fightings at the southwest of Belyj while with Kampfgruppe von den Meden. His Wound Badge in Silver citation is also missing, but we know it was awarded to him on August 23rd, 1.944.
Almost 11 months of rest and refit put him and the rest of the division back to his former strength and fully equipped with Wespe, Hummel, Panther, Panzer IV H and Sturmgeschutzes they were back into the fight on November 44
Interesting he was just arrived to the Eastern Front when he was rewarded with the Close Combat Clasp in Bronze on November 19th, 1.943, a pity his Close Combat Day list was missing with his original Soldbuch, but his citation is present and signed again by Hauptmann Gelfert, still temporary chef of the unit.
He was wounded again on July 18th, 1.944 and again light or to brave to go to the hospital as, in my opinion and the one from the former owner of the group, he took part on the fights around Sambor (70 km southwest of Lemberg, actually Leónplis) where on July 28th the Pz.Rgt. 1 and the AFV from the Pz.Jg:Abt. 37 destroyed 22 Russian tanks, mainly T-34, with 8 of then in close combat.
For the destruction of a, more than probably, T-34 he received the Tank Destruction Badge on August 7th, 1.944. No Abteilung day order or citation for it, just the entry in his Soldbuch. Still to see a real citation for the TDB to a Heer member, all original pieces I have seen are FJ or Waffen SS,
Again he was wounded on August 28th, 1.944, his fifth one and again looks he was not evacuated as his citation is again filled by his unit and signed by DKiG winner Paul Düllmann (November 23rd, 1.944) as Hauptmann and Abteilungskommandeur on September 5th, 1.944.
Now a speculation by my side. I think he was evacuated as his Soldbuch was open several months after the use of the citation and the entry is dated January 3rd, 1.945 in Eisenach and state that the proof is the citation opposite the rest of the medals that are entered as were in the former Soldbuch.
I think he was back at the front around mid to end February 45 when received his pistol and fought till the end surrendering to the US Army.
What makes this group also more special is a small typed sheet and an even smaller piece of aluminum shaped in the way of a tree leaf, yes present are both, the announce of the authorization to proudly wear the divisional insignia and the insignia itself, the second sheet and the first metal one I have.
Just to finish nothing more to being incredible grateful to my longtime friend Lionel Humbert who made posible the deal for this amazing group. Thanks my friend.
Angel
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