Here we have another member of the 1 Panzer Division, Hermann Busch.
He was a profesional solider and enlisted in the Wehrmacht prior the outbreak of the war, on November 17th, 1.938 as a 20 year old youngster.
He was born in Harmannsacker on May 30th, 1.918.
His father was Hermann and his mother Emilia (Sander) and he was married to Theresa (Peck)
His only combat unit was Artillerie Regiment (mot) 73, later renamed as Panzer Artillerie Regiment 73 with the 4th and (briefly) the 5th Batterie, equipped with 10.5 le.F.H. 18.
Interesting his Soldbuch was open on September 30, 1940, well after the normal dates for others in the 1 Panzer Division with similar background. It was number 84 as his Dogtag and both granted by 4./A.R.(mot) 73, note that his blood group was stamped in the reverse of the tag, AB.
Prior to the opening of his Soldbuch we can see several movements in his career:
- Promotion to Oberkanonier on October 1st, 1.939 by 4./A.R. 73 and confirmed the same day
- Leave on October 13th, 1.939 as Urlaub lasting from 13th till 20th by Fp 16831
- Leave on March 9th, 1.940 as Erholungsurlaub lasting from 10th till 23rd by Fp 16831
- Promoted to Gefreiter on April 1st, 1.940 by 4./A.R. 73 and confirmed the same day
- Awarded the Deutsches Schutzwall Ehrenzeichen on August 1st, 1.940 authorized by Fp number 16831
Looks like his pass through France resulted in no medals for him but still continue to climb the stairs of command so:
- Leave on October 16th, 1.940 as Erholungsurlaub lasting from 17th till November 6th by Fp 16831
- Promoted to Obergefreiter on November 1st, 1.940 by 4./A.R. 73 confirmed on April 22nd, 1.940 (I think a mistake by the clerck)
- Leave on November 23rd, 1.940 as Erholunsurlaub lasting from 24th till December 16th
Now is Russia time and he started to perform in excellent ways:
- Awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class on July 21st, 1.941 by Fp 16831
- Panzerkampfabzeichen in Silber on September 15th, 1.941 by Fp 16831
- Wound Badge in black on August 16th, 1.941 by Fp 16831 (he was not in any hospital so I think he stay with his unit)
- Promoted to Unteroffizier on December 1st, 1.941 by 5./A.R. 73 confirmed on 26th
- Leave on February 13th, 1.942 as Erholungsurlaub lasting from 14th till 28th by Fp 05938 B
- Awarded the Ostmedaille on August 1st, 1.942 by Fp 31496 B
- Leave on September 6th, 1.942 as Erholunsurlaub lasting from 10th till October 1st by Fp 05938 B
- Leave on February 10th, 1.943 as Erholungsurlaub lasting from 12th till March 6th by Fp 05938 B
- First security check, no date but must be done in the month of April by 4./Panzer Artillerie Regiment 73 with Kr.St.Nr. 344
- Leave on May 3rd, 1.943 as Erholunsurlaub lasting from 6th till 21st by Fp unreadable
- Awarded the Drivers Proficiency Badge bronze on October 1st, 1.943 by Fp 31496 B
- Second security check on December 1st by 4./Panzer Artillerie Regiment 73 with Kr.St.Nr. 344
- Leave on December 21st, 1.943 as Erholungsurlaub lasting from 27th till January 17th, 1.944 by Fp 31496 B
- Promoted to Wachtmeister on July 1st, 1.944 by 4./Pz.A.R. 73 confirmed on the 7th
As this point he must be serving as a mechanic or his skill has been noted by his officers and he was sent to the Schule fur Heeresmotorisierung Schirrmeister (K)-Lehrgang. Being there he completed the course and was so rewarded:
- Third security check on September 1st, 1.944 by Schule fur Heeresmotorisierung Schirrmeister (K)-Lehrgang with Kr.St.Nr. 344
- Promoted to Schirrmeister (K) on December 1st, 1.944 by the Schule and confirmed the same day
- Leave on December 1st, 1.944 as Einsatz Urlaub lasting from 1st till 17th by the Schule
He was back to his unit and he received a handgun, a Belgium one s/n 22504c on March 2nd, 1.945
Proof that he was fighting to the end is the entry on page 3rd that stated he was a soldier from November 17th, 1.938 till May 8th, 1.945 and he was released on the latest day.
Also we can find on page 19th that he received a payment of 300.- R.M. after signing his contract of 12 years, unfortunately not dated.
Our man spent not a single day in hospitals despite being wounded in August 1.941 proved by the absence of entries on pages 12 and 13 and payments by any hospital on pages 20 and 21 where only one in September 27th, 1.941 by Fp 30776 (Ortskomandantur (II) 369) and two on June and October 42 by Frontsammelstell 14.
This man surely behave well after his last award on October 1st, 1.943 but the second page where other awards could be written is missing so who knows what other decorations he won?
Thankfully the group comes with his dog tag and his Driving teaching license, the last open on September 23rd, 1.943 (while the 1 Panzer Division was in Greece) bt Fp 31496 B and signed by the temporary commander of the regiment, Hauptmann Gründwald allowing his to teach for classes 2 and ZW 2, later was upgraded to class 1 on June 26th, 1.944 after he proved himself on May 5th, this entry is signed by Major Manfred Kublitz, Abteilungs Führer and future winner of the DKiG with this unit on September 17th, 1.944. A last updated was done while on school allowing him to drive wood gas generated vehicles on November 9th, 1.944 after being so qualified on November 7th.
As always any help or correction is welcomed, hope you like it as much as I do.
He was a profesional solider and enlisted in the Wehrmacht prior the outbreak of the war, on November 17th, 1.938 as a 20 year old youngster.
He was born in Harmannsacker on May 30th, 1.918.
His father was Hermann and his mother Emilia (Sander) and he was married to Theresa (Peck)
His only combat unit was Artillerie Regiment (mot) 73, later renamed as Panzer Artillerie Regiment 73 with the 4th and (briefly) the 5th Batterie, equipped with 10.5 le.F.H. 18.
Interesting his Soldbuch was open on September 30, 1940, well after the normal dates for others in the 1 Panzer Division with similar background. It was number 84 as his Dogtag and both granted by 4./A.R.(mot) 73, note that his blood group was stamped in the reverse of the tag, AB.
Prior to the opening of his Soldbuch we can see several movements in his career:
- Promotion to Oberkanonier on October 1st, 1.939 by 4./A.R. 73 and confirmed the same day
- Leave on October 13th, 1.939 as Urlaub lasting from 13th till 20th by Fp 16831
- Leave on March 9th, 1.940 as Erholungsurlaub lasting from 10th till 23rd by Fp 16831
- Promoted to Gefreiter on April 1st, 1.940 by 4./A.R. 73 and confirmed the same day
- Awarded the Deutsches Schutzwall Ehrenzeichen on August 1st, 1.940 authorized by Fp number 16831
Looks like his pass through France resulted in no medals for him but still continue to climb the stairs of command so:
- Leave on October 16th, 1.940 as Erholungsurlaub lasting from 17th till November 6th by Fp 16831
- Promoted to Obergefreiter on November 1st, 1.940 by 4./A.R. 73 confirmed on April 22nd, 1.940 (I think a mistake by the clerck)
- Leave on November 23rd, 1.940 as Erholunsurlaub lasting from 24th till December 16th
Now is Russia time and he started to perform in excellent ways:
- Awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class on July 21st, 1.941 by Fp 16831
- Panzerkampfabzeichen in Silber on September 15th, 1.941 by Fp 16831
- Wound Badge in black on August 16th, 1.941 by Fp 16831 (he was not in any hospital so I think he stay with his unit)
- Promoted to Unteroffizier on December 1st, 1.941 by 5./A.R. 73 confirmed on 26th
- Leave on February 13th, 1.942 as Erholungsurlaub lasting from 14th till 28th by Fp 05938 B
- Awarded the Ostmedaille on August 1st, 1.942 by Fp 31496 B
- Leave on September 6th, 1.942 as Erholunsurlaub lasting from 10th till October 1st by Fp 05938 B
- Leave on February 10th, 1.943 as Erholungsurlaub lasting from 12th till March 6th by Fp 05938 B
- First security check, no date but must be done in the month of April by 4./Panzer Artillerie Regiment 73 with Kr.St.Nr. 344
- Leave on May 3rd, 1.943 as Erholunsurlaub lasting from 6th till 21st by Fp unreadable
- Awarded the Drivers Proficiency Badge bronze on October 1st, 1.943 by Fp 31496 B
- Second security check on December 1st by 4./Panzer Artillerie Regiment 73 with Kr.St.Nr. 344
- Leave on December 21st, 1.943 as Erholungsurlaub lasting from 27th till January 17th, 1.944 by Fp 31496 B
- Promoted to Wachtmeister on July 1st, 1.944 by 4./Pz.A.R. 73 confirmed on the 7th
As this point he must be serving as a mechanic or his skill has been noted by his officers and he was sent to the Schule fur Heeresmotorisierung Schirrmeister (K)-Lehrgang. Being there he completed the course and was so rewarded:
- Third security check on September 1st, 1.944 by Schule fur Heeresmotorisierung Schirrmeister (K)-Lehrgang with Kr.St.Nr. 344
- Promoted to Schirrmeister (K) on December 1st, 1.944 by the Schule and confirmed the same day
- Leave on December 1st, 1.944 as Einsatz Urlaub lasting from 1st till 17th by the Schule
He was back to his unit and he received a handgun, a Belgium one s/n 22504c on March 2nd, 1.945
Proof that he was fighting to the end is the entry on page 3rd that stated he was a soldier from November 17th, 1.938 till May 8th, 1.945 and he was released on the latest day.
Also we can find on page 19th that he received a payment of 300.- R.M. after signing his contract of 12 years, unfortunately not dated.
Our man spent not a single day in hospitals despite being wounded in August 1.941 proved by the absence of entries on pages 12 and 13 and payments by any hospital on pages 20 and 21 where only one in September 27th, 1.941 by Fp 30776 (Ortskomandantur (II) 369) and two on June and October 42 by Frontsammelstell 14.
This man surely behave well after his last award on October 1st, 1.943 but the second page where other awards could be written is missing so who knows what other decorations he won?
Thankfully the group comes with his dog tag and his Driving teaching license, the last open on September 23rd, 1.943 (while the 1 Panzer Division was in Greece) bt Fp 31496 B and signed by the temporary commander of the regiment, Hauptmann Gründwald allowing his to teach for classes 2 and ZW 2, later was upgraded to class 1 on June 26th, 1.944 after he proved himself on May 5th, this entry is signed by Major Manfred Kublitz, Abteilungs Führer and future winner of the DKiG with this unit on September 17th, 1.944. A last updated was done while on school allowing him to drive wood gas generated vehicles on November 9th, 1.944 after being so qualified on November 7th.
As always any help or correction is welcomed, hope you like it as much as I do.
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