I am doing some research on the soldier in this soldbuch and wanted to share some history and/or see if anyone had more info on: Jonas Bauzys, the 15th Lithuanian Schutzmannschaft (involved in Operation Swamp Fever in Belarus in the Summer of 1942), the 4th Fallschirmjägers Division (after August 20, 1944).
I did find this much on the 4th - (After Anzio, the division fought a rear guard action in front of Rome, and was the last German unit to leave the city on 4 June; it withdrew towards Viterbo Siena Firenze and then managed to halt the Allies at the Futa pass.)
In the winter of 1944/1945 it was positioned on the Gothic Line. In March 1945, the division had to send the II Battalion, 12 Fallschirmjäger Regiment and the 2nd Company from the Pionier Battalion to the new 10 Fallschirmjager Division, which was being formed in Austria. It then fought at Rimini and Bologna and surrendered to the Allies in April 1945. It was reported to be involved in War crimes; The division has been implicated in Pedescala massacre (Veneto), between 30 April and 2 May 1945, when 63 civilians were executed.
I discovered that Bauzys came to the US and lived in Florida and NJ before his death in 1998. He was investigated by the OSI, for lying in his naturalization application about his Nazi sponsored affiliations (the 15th Schutzmannschaft) but the case was eventually dropped. Apparently during WW2 Bauzys may not have been a stranger to war crimes (if he was actually involved in the Pedescala Massacre, I do not know) as this testimony indicates. This is from a report (Testimony on the Murder of the Jews of Shkud, Lithuania) from survivors:
Eyewitness account of Adolfina Kaubriene:
She had already suffered a terrible personal tragedy: in the sandpits, the murderers had killed her husband, and, to spite her, they brought her his teeth. She suffered again when all those women passed her house on their way to Dimitravas. After crossing the train tracks, Vysniauskas ordered some women to lie in a pit, and when it was convenient for him to shoot, he ordered them to raise their heads. He killed two, and Bauzys killed the remaining three. (June/July/August 1941).
If he was in the 15th Schutz. in the summer of 42, then likely he was involved in Operation Swamp Fever as well. (See 2nd to last photo)
Soldbuch translation-
A Lithuanian "Kriegshelfer" or "War Helper", Jonas Bauzys was born 29 May 1918 in Banaicius and was a farmer. He stood 165 cm tall with dark blonde hair and gray-green eyes. Soldbuch was issued 4 Aug. 1944 by Flak Ersatz Abt. 51 in Stettin. He transferred to 4th Fallschirmjaeger Div. (Lithuanian Company) on 20 Aug. 1944.
I did find this much on the 4th - (After Anzio, the division fought a rear guard action in front of Rome, and was the last German unit to leave the city on 4 June; it withdrew towards Viterbo Siena Firenze and then managed to halt the Allies at the Futa pass.)
In the winter of 1944/1945 it was positioned on the Gothic Line. In March 1945, the division had to send the II Battalion, 12 Fallschirmjäger Regiment and the 2nd Company from the Pionier Battalion to the new 10 Fallschirmjager Division, which was being formed in Austria. It then fought at Rimini and Bologna and surrendered to the Allies in April 1945. It was reported to be involved in War crimes; The division has been implicated in Pedescala massacre (Veneto), between 30 April and 2 May 1945, when 63 civilians were executed.
I discovered that Bauzys came to the US and lived in Florida and NJ before his death in 1998. He was investigated by the OSI, for lying in his naturalization application about his Nazi sponsored affiliations (the 15th Schutzmannschaft) but the case was eventually dropped. Apparently during WW2 Bauzys may not have been a stranger to war crimes (if he was actually involved in the Pedescala Massacre, I do not know) as this testimony indicates. This is from a report (Testimony on the Murder of the Jews of Shkud, Lithuania) from survivors:
Eyewitness account of Adolfina Kaubriene:
She had already suffered a terrible personal tragedy: in the sandpits, the murderers had killed her husband, and, to spite her, they brought her his teeth. She suffered again when all those women passed her house on their way to Dimitravas. After crossing the train tracks, Vysniauskas ordered some women to lie in a pit, and when it was convenient for him to shoot, he ordered them to raise their heads. He killed two, and Bauzys killed the remaining three. (June/July/August 1941).
If he was in the 15th Schutz. in the summer of 42, then likely he was involved in Operation Swamp Fever as well. (See 2nd to last photo)
Soldbuch translation-
A Lithuanian "Kriegshelfer" or "War Helper", Jonas Bauzys was born 29 May 1918 in Banaicius and was a farmer. He stood 165 cm tall with dark blonde hair and gray-green eyes. Soldbuch was issued 4 Aug. 1944 by Flak Ersatz Abt. 51 in Stettin. He transferred to 4th Fallschirmjaeger Div. (Lithuanian Company) on 20 Aug. 1944.
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