This Ersatz-Soldbuch (Replacement Pay Book) belonged to Obergefreiter Hermann Thedens who resided in Österborstel in Schleswig-Holstein. Before his Ersatz-Soldbuch was issued to him on 19 February 1943 by Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon 333 (Infantry Replacement Battalion 333), he had fought with Grenadier-Regiment 251. Four days before the Soldbuch was issued to him, Thedens received a medical examination and he was deemed fit for tropical duty. On 18 March 1943, he was issued equipment, including a K-98 Mauser rifle with a breach cover and received various immunizations during the same month. Thedens was assigned to Marsch-Battaillon 50 (March Battalion 50), which was also known as Marsch-Bataillon Afrika 50 (March Battalion Afrika 50). On page 19 we see that Thedens set foot on African soil on 7 April 1943. On 24 April 1943, he received a vaccination for Fleckfieber (Typhus). It seems that Thedens was not captured in North Africa, but was evacuated.
It appears that Thedens, probably sometime in early 1943, was assigned to the 2. Kompanie (2nd Company) of Panzer-Grenadier-Bataillon 130 (Armored Infantry Battalion 130), which may have been a designation for the I. Bataillon (Ist Battalion) of Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 130 (Armored Infantry Regiment 130) of the Panzer-Lehr Division. Such anomalies aren't uncommon because clerks sometimes wrote odd unit designations.
Thedens apparently was in action in Normandy and killed by an American soldier on or about 12 June 1944. On the cover of the Soldbuch, the American soldier wrote the following text: Soldiers paybook taken from sniper* who got Sgt. Peterson. I got him, June 12, 1944. Thedens is not listed on the German War Graves website, but the registry is far from complete. Curiously, the American soldier originally left a space between "June" and "1944" and later wrote "12," in between using a different pen. This suggests that the American soldier was not absolutely certain of the date that Sgt. Peterson was struck by a bullet from Thedens' rifle and the day that he killed Thedens. Writing to the Einwohnermeldeamt (Persons Registration Office) in Österborstel would likely reveal more about Thedens' death.
Barry
* American soldiers often referred to any German soldier with a rifle firing from a distance as a sniper. No entries in Thedens Soldbuch show that he received sniper training or was issued a sniper rifle or equipment.
It appears that Thedens, probably sometime in early 1943, was assigned to the 2. Kompanie (2nd Company) of Panzer-Grenadier-Bataillon 130 (Armored Infantry Battalion 130), which may have been a designation for the I. Bataillon (Ist Battalion) of Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 130 (Armored Infantry Regiment 130) of the Panzer-Lehr Division. Such anomalies aren't uncommon because clerks sometimes wrote odd unit designations.
Thedens apparently was in action in Normandy and killed by an American soldier on or about 12 June 1944. On the cover of the Soldbuch, the American soldier wrote the following text: Soldiers paybook taken from sniper* who got Sgt. Peterson. I got him, June 12, 1944. Thedens is not listed on the German War Graves website, but the registry is far from complete. Curiously, the American soldier originally left a space between "June" and "1944" and later wrote "12," in between using a different pen. This suggests that the American soldier was not absolutely certain of the date that Sgt. Peterson was struck by a bullet from Thedens' rifle and the day that he killed Thedens. Writing to the Einwohnermeldeamt (Persons Registration Office) in Österborstel would likely reveal more about Thedens' death.
Barry
* American soldiers often referred to any German soldier with a rifle firing from a distance as a sniper. No entries in Thedens Soldbuch show that he received sniper training or was issued a sniper rifle or equipment.
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