More fuel for my 1 Panzer Division addiction, now a small group to a brave, but unlucky, NCO.
Here we have, Will Örtel, born in Kirschkau on January 8th, 1.920, he was a proud carpenter (like his father), protestant and, at the time of the opening of the Wehrpass (August 15th, 1.939) single, something he changed when he married Ursula, unfortunately at date May 29th, 1.945 no offspring.
As we know he registered in W.B.K. Rudolfstadt on August 15th, 1.939 and declared fit for Ersatz Reserve I on the same date and also declared fit for service in the R.A.D. but this have to wait a little.
He started his time in the brown uniform and earring a spade on May 3rd, 1.940, taking oath to the Führer on May 19th and serving till September 1st, 1.940. Nothing remarkable on this time.
Three months to enjoy a little the atmosphere of triumph in Germany and go to serve the Fatherland.
On December 4th, 1.940 he was in Weimar and inducted into the Wehrmacht with 2./Schtz.Ers.Batl. 1, the next day he was declared fit for service and took oath again on the 18th and so he was a proud member of the Heer with seniority since December 1st, 1.940. There he was given his dog tag by this unit and numbered 1260, this little piece of metal with go with him till the end of the war.
His training was from December 4th, 1.940 till March 1st, 1.941 with the mentioned unit. He was trained in the use of the ubiques Kar98k, l.M.G. 34, Handgranate (M24 I guess) Gas Mask M30 and the Luger P08 previous sending him to his first combat unit.
He served with 7./Schutze Regiment 1 from March 2nd, 1.941 till March 10th, 1.942. While serving there all this happen to him:
- Course about gas attacks from March 25th till 29th.
- Credited with an assault day on June 22nd, 1.941 in Tauroggen (currently Taurage)
- Credited with an assault day on June 29th, 1.941 in Jaunsepils (currently Jaunpils)
- Credited with an assault day on July, 1st, 1.941 in Gostini
- Promoted to Gefreiter on August 1st, 1.941
- Wounded by grenade shrapnel on August 27th, 1.941 while fighting with Kampfgruppe Westhoven in Krasnogwardeisk (currently Gátchina), look he was not evacuated.
- Awarded the Panzer Assault Badge in bronze on November 1st, 1.941. The proposition was sent on October 5th by an Oberleutnant und Kompanie Führer (still trying to identify him), endorsed by Hauptmann Freiherr von Bülow on October 28th as Bataillon Fühere and finally by Oberst und Regiment Kommandeur Franz Westhoven on the 29th.
- Awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class on the last day of 1.941, December 31st.
- Wounded by antitank shrapnel on January 19th, 1.942 probably during the combats in Ssytschewka (actually Sychovka) again not evacuated
- Wounded on February 10th, 1.942 while with Kampfgruppe von Wieterseim in or around Tschertolino.
- Awarded the Wound Badge in black on February 18th, 1.942
- Wounded again on March 6th, 1.942 while with the same Kampfgruppe in Olenino, then evacuated and transfer to his new unit for recovery.
From March 11th, 1.942 till April 2nd he was with 2 Genesenen Kompanie./Schutze Ersatz Bataillon 1.
- Awarded the Wound Badge in silver on March 18th, 1942
From April 3rd, 1.942 till September 24th, 1.942 with 2./Schtz.Ers.Batl. 1
Took part in a course about schewere Wurfrahmen from August 3rd till 31st, 1.942
- Awarded the Ostmedaille on August 20th, 1.942
From September 25th, 1.942 till July 31st, 1.943 with 2./Pz.Gren.Ausb.Btl. 1
- Promoted to Unteroffizier on March 1st, 1.943
From August 1st, 1.943 till May 9th, 1.944 with 2./Res.Pz.Gren.Btl. 1
- Qualified for the Reichsportabzeichen in bronze on September 29th, 1.943 (Badge number 864884)
From May 10th, 1.944 till June 1st, 1.944 with 4./Res.Pz.Gren.Btl. 1
From June 2nd, 1.944 till 20th with Marschkompanie Pz. Gren. Ers. u. Ausb. Batl. 1
- Declared fit for combat in Weimar on June 19th.
From June 21st, 1.944 till 30th with Gen.Marsch.Kp IX/1/Pz/26
From July 1st, 1.944 till October 12th, 1.944 with 3./Feld.Ers.Btl. 73
From October 13th, 1.944 till November 23rd, 1.944 with 1./F.E.B. 73
November 24th, 1.944 till May 8th, 1.945 with 6./Pz.Gren.Rgt 1
- Wounded on December 27th, 1.944 by artillery in his left forearm in Inota (now Verpalota) near Stuhlweissenburg (now Székesfehérvár), Hungary
- Wounded on January 18th, 1.945 by artillery in his right forearm in Ösi, Hungary
- Awarded the Wound Badge in Gold on January 25th, 1.945
- Awarded the Close Combat Clasp in bronze on March 22nd, 1.945
- Promoted to Feldwebel on May 1st, 1.945
With the group we can see:
- the proposition to award him his Panzer Assault Badge in bronze,
- the communication to his father of the sending of his Wound Badge in black with the citation on March 22nd, 1.942 from Fp. Nr. 06211 (7./S.R. 1)
- two documents for purchasing Reichsportabzeichen in bronze badges, one dated November 20th, 1.943 and other on March 10th, 1.944 (requested by him on February 29th)
- a Stammrolle dated June 5th, 1.944 by Fp.Nr. 58613 E (Stab u. Einheit Reserve Panzergrenadier Bataillon 1)
- Sheet for the Divisional Insignia dated (as all) December 31st, 1.944 and signed by Oberst Thunert
- Citation for the Nahkampfspange in Bronze dated March 22nd, 1.945 and signed by Oberstleutnant und regiment Kommandeur Helmut Huppert, DKiG on February 4th, 1.943 as Hauptmann with I/Pz.Gren.Rgt. 1, Ehrenblattspange des Heeres on March 7th, 1.944 as Major with Pz.A.A. 1 and Ritterkreuz on August 23rd, 1.944 with the same rank and position.
Willi was taken P.O.W. by the U.S. Army but not for long as he was release on May 29th, 1.945. Interesting in his release papers the clerk detailed all his wounds and scars.
Also we have a preliminar ID dated June 4th, 1.945 and a permission to travel to work in a furniture fabric dated June 29th and valid to July 25th, 1.945 always with his Wehroass as identity proof also permitting him to travel for and back in a bicycle.
A young man who, at least, had the opportunity to restart his life after the war.
Angel
Here we have, Will Örtel, born in Kirschkau on January 8th, 1.920, he was a proud carpenter (like his father), protestant and, at the time of the opening of the Wehrpass (August 15th, 1.939) single, something he changed when he married Ursula, unfortunately at date May 29th, 1.945 no offspring.
As we know he registered in W.B.K. Rudolfstadt on August 15th, 1.939 and declared fit for Ersatz Reserve I on the same date and also declared fit for service in the R.A.D. but this have to wait a little.
He started his time in the brown uniform and earring a spade on May 3rd, 1.940, taking oath to the Führer on May 19th and serving till September 1st, 1.940. Nothing remarkable on this time.
Three months to enjoy a little the atmosphere of triumph in Germany and go to serve the Fatherland.
On December 4th, 1.940 he was in Weimar and inducted into the Wehrmacht with 2./Schtz.Ers.Batl. 1, the next day he was declared fit for service and took oath again on the 18th and so he was a proud member of the Heer with seniority since December 1st, 1.940. There he was given his dog tag by this unit and numbered 1260, this little piece of metal with go with him till the end of the war.
His training was from December 4th, 1.940 till March 1st, 1.941 with the mentioned unit. He was trained in the use of the ubiques Kar98k, l.M.G. 34, Handgranate (M24 I guess) Gas Mask M30 and the Luger P08 previous sending him to his first combat unit.
He served with 7./Schutze Regiment 1 from March 2nd, 1.941 till March 10th, 1.942. While serving there all this happen to him:
- Course about gas attacks from March 25th till 29th.
- Credited with an assault day on June 22nd, 1.941 in Tauroggen (currently Taurage)
- Credited with an assault day on June 29th, 1.941 in Jaunsepils (currently Jaunpils)
- Credited with an assault day on July, 1st, 1.941 in Gostini
- Promoted to Gefreiter on August 1st, 1.941
- Wounded by grenade shrapnel on August 27th, 1.941 while fighting with Kampfgruppe Westhoven in Krasnogwardeisk (currently Gátchina), look he was not evacuated.
- Awarded the Panzer Assault Badge in bronze on November 1st, 1.941. The proposition was sent on October 5th by an Oberleutnant und Kompanie Führer (still trying to identify him), endorsed by Hauptmann Freiherr von Bülow on October 28th as Bataillon Fühere and finally by Oberst und Regiment Kommandeur Franz Westhoven on the 29th.
- Awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class on the last day of 1.941, December 31st.
- Wounded by antitank shrapnel on January 19th, 1.942 probably during the combats in Ssytschewka (actually Sychovka) again not evacuated
- Wounded on February 10th, 1.942 while with Kampfgruppe von Wieterseim in or around Tschertolino.
- Awarded the Wound Badge in black on February 18th, 1.942
- Wounded again on March 6th, 1.942 while with the same Kampfgruppe in Olenino, then evacuated and transfer to his new unit for recovery.
From March 11th, 1.942 till April 2nd he was with 2 Genesenen Kompanie./Schutze Ersatz Bataillon 1.
- Awarded the Wound Badge in silver on March 18th, 1942
From April 3rd, 1.942 till September 24th, 1.942 with 2./Schtz.Ers.Batl. 1
Took part in a course about schewere Wurfrahmen from August 3rd till 31st, 1.942
- Awarded the Ostmedaille on August 20th, 1.942
From September 25th, 1.942 till July 31st, 1.943 with 2./Pz.Gren.Ausb.Btl. 1
- Promoted to Unteroffizier on March 1st, 1.943
From August 1st, 1.943 till May 9th, 1.944 with 2./Res.Pz.Gren.Btl. 1
- Qualified for the Reichsportabzeichen in bronze on September 29th, 1.943 (Badge number 864884)
From May 10th, 1.944 till June 1st, 1.944 with 4./Res.Pz.Gren.Btl. 1
From June 2nd, 1.944 till 20th with Marschkompanie Pz. Gren. Ers. u. Ausb. Batl. 1
- Declared fit for combat in Weimar on June 19th.
From June 21st, 1.944 till 30th with Gen.Marsch.Kp IX/1/Pz/26
From July 1st, 1.944 till October 12th, 1.944 with 3./Feld.Ers.Btl. 73
From October 13th, 1.944 till November 23rd, 1.944 with 1./F.E.B. 73
November 24th, 1.944 till May 8th, 1.945 with 6./Pz.Gren.Rgt 1
- Wounded on December 27th, 1.944 by artillery in his left forearm in Inota (now Verpalota) near Stuhlweissenburg (now Székesfehérvár), Hungary
- Wounded on January 18th, 1.945 by artillery in his right forearm in Ösi, Hungary
- Awarded the Wound Badge in Gold on January 25th, 1.945
- Awarded the Close Combat Clasp in bronze on March 22nd, 1.945
- Promoted to Feldwebel on May 1st, 1.945
With the group we can see:
- the proposition to award him his Panzer Assault Badge in bronze,
- the communication to his father of the sending of his Wound Badge in black with the citation on March 22nd, 1.942 from Fp. Nr. 06211 (7./S.R. 1)
- two documents for purchasing Reichsportabzeichen in bronze badges, one dated November 20th, 1.943 and other on March 10th, 1.944 (requested by him on February 29th)
- a Stammrolle dated June 5th, 1.944 by Fp.Nr. 58613 E (Stab u. Einheit Reserve Panzergrenadier Bataillon 1)
- Sheet for the Divisional Insignia dated (as all) December 31st, 1.944 and signed by Oberst Thunert
- Citation for the Nahkampfspange in Bronze dated March 22nd, 1.945 and signed by Oberstleutnant und regiment Kommandeur Helmut Huppert, DKiG on February 4th, 1.943 as Hauptmann with I/Pz.Gren.Rgt. 1, Ehrenblattspange des Heeres on March 7th, 1.944 as Major with Pz.A.A. 1 and Ritterkreuz on August 23rd, 1.944 with the same rank and position.
Willi was taken P.O.W. by the U.S. Army but not for long as he was release on May 29th, 1.945. Interesting in his release papers the clerk detailed all his wounds and scars.
Also we have a preliminar ID dated June 4th, 1.945 and a permission to travel to work in a furniture fabric dated June 29th and valid to July 25th, 1.945 always with his Wehroass as identity proof also permitting him to travel for and back in a bicycle.
A young man who, at least, had the opportunity to restart his life after the war.
Angel
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